Subaru once made a bakkie!
Imagine a Nissan NP200 with all-wheel drive and a 1.8-litre turbo-charged petrol engine...
That’s basically what the Subaru Brat was!
Yes, the Japanese car maker, known for its station wagons and flat-four rally cars, once also made a bakkie, and did a pretty good job of it, too.
The Subaru Brat was in production from 1978 to 1994 and sold in Canada, the USA, Australia and the UK.
It was developed at the request of Subaru Japan’s president to counter the barrage of utility vehicles Toyota, Nissan and Mazda were pushing into overseas markets.
All Brats were four-wheel drive and had flat-four engines.
Subaru did quite well with the Brat saleswise, and even Ronald Reagan bought one for his ranch while he was president of the USA.
The Brat was followed up by the Subaru Baja, another small and sporty bakkie, but it was less popular and eventually canned in order to focus on the wagons the brand sells today.
