Subaru BRAT
Rugged, capable and fun, this mini pick-up is a cult classic today
FARMERS ADORED the BRAT from the moment it was launched. It was tough, reliable and – thanks to four-wheel drive – pretty useful off-road. It was the complete package at an attractive price point. It gained a significant following, especially in the USA.
The BRAT was in essence a chopped-down Leone, Subaru’s mid-sized saloon, but having such close ties with the saloon car gave it a scaled-down El Camino attitude that was well received at the time and still looks surprisingly cool today. The name might conjure up visions of an annoying younger sibling, but it actually stands for ‘Bi-drive Recreational All-terrain Transporter’. This was Subaru’s way into a rapidly growing market for small pick-ups in the USA.
Launched in 1978, it became an overnight success for Subaru. It was initially powered by a 1.6-litre 67bhp flat-four, so it was not quick, but the big feature that made the BRAT superior to the competition was Subaru’s so-called ‘symmetrical’ all-wheel drive (effectively a reference to the longitudinally mounted engine) fitted as standard to all models. These little trucks were capable of some pretty serious off-roading.
In order to get around the so-called Chicken Tax – a long-standing 25 percent tariff on foreign light trucks in the US, introduced in retaliation for a 1964 tariff imposed by France and Germany on imported US chicken – North American BRATs were fitted with a pair of jumpseats mounted in the rear deck. Some got carpet, too. Although little more than a loophole, the jumpseats became a well-loved feature.
Although universally known as the BRAT today, it was officially marketed as the Subaru 284 in the UK, as the Brumby in Australia and as the Shifter, MV or Kevin elsewhere.
The usefulness and long life enjoyed by these miniature pick-ups was certainly appreciated by agricultural Subaru buyers in the UK. It was the success of the BRAT in the UK that paved the way for Subaru to establish itself in more rural areas. There’s a reason Subaru is still the vehicle of choice for many farmers to this very day.
The BRAT received a substantial facelift in 1981, at which point the engine capacity increased to 1.8 litres with power then up to 73bhp. The formula remained very much the same, though, even while the baby truck took on a much more squared-off 1980s demeanour. The facelift also brought in a more serious dual-range transfer case.
A 94bhp turbocharged option was offered from 1983, available with automatic transmission. North American imports stopped in 1987, but the UK and other markets continued buying the BRAT right up to 1994 when production finally stopped. Strangely enough, it was never officially sold in Japan.
Today these little trucks enjoy a small but loyal cult following in the UK, but nothing like in the USA where the BRAT made a real cultural impact. Former US President Ronald Reagan famously kept his 1978 BRAT until 1998, and there are still quite a few in regular use. It’s a model that has proved surprisingly collectable in recent years too, with exceptional cars now sought out by collectors.