In 2005, Navistar purchased the Workhorse Group, a manufacturer of step-van and motor home chassis, to seemingly re-enter the delivery van market.

For a short time Workhorse offered an integrated chassis-body product, similar in nature to the original International Harvester van, called the MetroStar.

Metro Van bodies were sold for all major truck builder platforms until 1947, when it started producing exclusively for International Harvester as it switched back to commercial production from building gun turrets and bomb blast shields for the war effort.

MBC had an extensive patent protected line of utility cabs, beds, and bodies with unique functional aspects that likely contributed to International Harvester Company's position as an innovator and market leader in the commercial truck industry in the latter half of the 20th century.

Some of these features included teardrop shaped headlights (similar to those found on 1937 & '38 Ford coupes and sedans), rear fender skirts (coverings) with deco styled "Metro" badges, "triple diamond" IHC grill emblem, and a more streamlined front end configuration lacking the more angular design of later Metros.

This original road vehicle design is sometimes referred as the "giant scarab" which is consistent with the Egyptian influences of the Art Deco movement.

A review of Loewy's other designs for items such as streamlined locomotives shows his interest in wind-cheating "swept back" contours.

[4] The powertrain of the Metro vans was typically based on an equivalent series International light- or medium-duty truck.

For example, an LM-120 1/2 ton Metro van (5,400 lb weight capacity or GVWR) with a 7 3/4 or 9 1/2 foot body effectively had the IH engine (SD-220), transmission, rearend, wheels (although with varying bolt patterns), and braking system of an L-120 pickup truck.