Styled by Raymond Loewy,[1][2] it was one of International Harvester's "letter series", with 75,241 produced over the 8-year run.

The sliding-gear transmission contains five total gears: four forward and one reverse, transmitted via a portal axle.

It was similar to the Farmall A, using the same engine moved back to the tractor's centerline, with a narrow front end, centrally placed, and with the seat offset to the right to preserve some of the A's cultivation visibility.

[3] As with other Farmall letter-series tractors, the design featured an integral frame and unitary construction, allowing entire assemblies to be replaced.

Rear wheels on all models used a geared portal axle to provide sufficient ground clearance, and could be adjusted in width over a range of 64 inches (160 cm) to 92 inches (230 cm), allowing it to straddle wider rows than the A could.