#chickentax

[drawsyourcar]

1986 Subaru Brat (Brumby) GL Owner: redditor /u/islaminthecardoor #subaru #brat #subarubrat #subarubrumby #bdratt #chickentax

[oldmotors]

With Datsun and Toyota’s small trucks selling like air conditioners in a heat wave and Ford and GM getting in on the action with rebadged Mazdas and Isuzus, U.S. Subaru dealers clamored for something similar. They got the charismatic #SubaruBRAT (Bi-Drive Recreational All-terrain Transporter), introduced in 1977 to great success. But it wouldn’t have happened if not for Subaru’s original 4WD wagon; first created, according to Subaru of America co-founder and longtime chief Harvey Lamm, for Japan’s forest service. - The origins of the BRAT lay in the #SubaruLeone 4WD wagon. The first volume production 4WD car, it debuted for Japan in late 1972. According to Lamm, Subaru intended to sell about 3,000 JDM units a year, but he lobbied hard to have the car come stateside - correctly guessing it would give Subaru a unique niche. Fuji Heavy industries granted Lamm’s request and was rewarded with more than 10,000 units sold in its first year in the U.S. (1975). - Next step? Another unique model. Subaru’s idea for a truck was novel and simple - make a pickup shell for the circa-1971 Leone design and equip it with all the mechanical bits of the 4WD Wagon. The BRAT’s bed was a little smaller than the competition’s since the Leone was a unibody, but still reasonably capacious. Two tiny jump seats in the bed helped the vehicle skirt the #ChickenTax. - In those days, Subarus were “Inexpensive, and built to stay that way,” which often meant few frills. But there was a long options list of accessories, some of which are seen here. At first a U.S. exclusive, BRATs only got the largest Leone engines, starting with a 1.6 liter EA71 flat four with ~68 hp. Not much, but the BRAT was light, agile, and utilitarian. Sales were encouraging but the BRAT never did steal much market share from the other imported trucks. - When the original Leone was replaced in 1979, the BRAT continued to use the old car’s body and mechanicals into 1981 (gaining a more powerful 1.8 liter EA81 version of the engine), only being restyled to match the newer Leone in mid-1982. U.S. interest in such cars flagged in the 80s, but the 2nd-gen BRAT was sold in other markets until 1993 under various other names. https://www.instagram.com/p/ByaOUFLgkZP/?igshid=ju91tf1919bt

[snapscharlie]

Feels good to be back in this office! I love my #Dart and all but I miss that third pedal action. Too slow for the highway but plenty of torquey fun for the inner roads. #nissan #terrano #pathfinder #wd21 #td27 #diesel #manual #stickshift #savethemanuals #torque #chickentax #panama #like4like #follow #instacar #clutch (at Miraflores Locks, Panama Canal)