Subaru Trucks: A History Of The Iconic Baja And BRAT Pickups

Subaru is one of the best-performing automakers in the U.S. market, with an enviable track record of 30 consecutive months of improved sales as of January 2025 and a healthy total of 667,725 vehicles sold across 2024, which was in itself a 5.6% increase compared to 2023. What's impressive about these ever-growing sales is that Subaru's managed this without having a single truck in its lineup, ceding this huge market to Japanese rivals such as Nissan and Toyota.

However, those keenly aware of automotive history will know that Subaru has actually released two pickups over the years: the BRAT, which existed from 1978 to 1987 (in the U.S., at least), and the Baja, a short-lived spiritual successor built from 2003 to 2006.

Neither of these were out-and-out pickups. Instead, both were quirky takes on the classic car-truck vehicle design made popular by products such as the Chevrolet El Camino and Ford Ranchero. Neither were all that successful, either, although both have earned something of a cult following well after going out of production. Let's look back at the Subaru Baja and BRAT to see how they came to be and what they were really all about.

Before we get into the Subaru BRAT, let's discuss the phenomenon known as the mini truck. These compact, fuel-efficient trucks had been in the American market since the 1960s — Datsun's LG-220 dated back to 1959 — but the segment wouldn't hit peak popularity until the 1970s, when major brands entered the space to compete with Toyota and Datsun's offerings. Mazda made its U.S. debut with its classic B-series pickup, and American automakers also began trying to cash in with international collaborations.

Ford got in on mini trucks by rebadging the Mazda Proceed as the Ford Courier. GM partnered with Isuzu to create the Chevrolet LUV (short for "Light Utility Vehicle"). Both debuted in 1972, which was fortuitous timing: the oil crisis of 1973 severely impacted domestic U.S. automakers and their gas-guzzling vehicles, making smaller and economical vehicles — usually imports — a lot more appealing.

Datsun, Toyota, and Mazda continued releasing mini trucks throughout the decade and into the 1980s, including notable efforts such as Mazda's Rotary Pickup (REPU) of 1974, which, as the name suggests, had a Mazda rotary engine under the hood. Chrysler also got in on the action in the late 1970s, unveiling the Mitsubishi-sourced Dodge Ram 50 and Plymouth Arrow in 1978. Mini trucks were undoubtedly big business, with Japanese automakers reaping the benefits — all except for one, which remained conspicuously absent for most of the early-1970s boom years.

Subaru was no stranger to the U.S. market, having survived the disastrous launch of the Subaru 360 in 1968 and slowly established itself with more conventional offerings, such as the front-wheel-drive FF-1 and its compact DL/GL Leone coupés, sedans, and wagons. The latter is notable for having part-time four-wheel-drive, making it one of the first such cars available in the U.S. market — ahead of names like Audi and AMC.

The four-wheel-drive Leone would serve as the platform for the BRAT (short for BiDrive Recreational All-Terrain Transporter). Unlike Subaru's earlier vehicles, the BRAT was an export special designed expressly for the North American market, with no Japanese sales. The BRAT was essentially a Leone with a different body, sporting a two-seater cab with an open rear pickup bed. The company's 1.6-liter, 67-hp flat-four EA-71 engine was under the hood, and it had the same part-time all-wheel-drive system as the Leone wagon.

The BRAT debuted in 1978 for less than $4,500 — around $22,000 in today's money, but it was reasonably well-equipped for the price. Owners got tinted glass, carpeting, radial tires, and, most interestingly, two rear-facing jumpseats in the bed. The BRAT made a good first impression; reviewers appreciated its recreational off-roading fun (and the rear seats), and the truck sold reasonably well: Just under 23,000 units made their way to owners in its first year.

It would be easy to dismiss the BRAT's rear-facing seats as Japanese quirkiness or a mere gimmick to differentiate it from its mini truck rivals, but there was a much more practical reason for them: tariffs. Like its Japanese compatriots, the Subaru BRAT was subject to a U.S. policy known as the Chicken Tax, which levied a 25% import tariff on light trucks. The seats were Subaru's attempt to sidestep the measures.

Basically, the Chicken Tax was a form of retaliation against the European Economic Community (EEC), which had decided to tax imported chicken in 1962. In return, the U.S. taxed four crucial export markets for the EEC: potato starch, brandy, dextrin, and light trucks. It primarily targeted Volkswagen and its growing share of the U.S. market, but covered all imported light trucks, regardless of origin.

As a result, Japanese mini truck manufacturers needed to figure out new ways to keep prices low. Most manufacturers used a loophole and shipped their trucks to the U.S. without beds, installing them once the trucks arrived in the United States. Subaru couldn't do that with the BRAT since it lacked a separate bed. Instead, it added the two rear seats, making the BRAT qualify as a passenger vehicle, subject to a much more agreeable 2.5% tariff. This allowed the BRAT to live up to Subaru's tagline — "Inexpensive. And built to stay that way." — and arguably sealed its place in popular culture. 

Subaru introduced a second-generation Leone in 1980, but the BRAT stayed on its first-generation platform for a couple more years. Subaru wasn't resting on its laurels, though: The company introduced a larger engine in 1981, swapping the 1.6-liter EA-71 engine for the 1.8-liter EA-81. This larger engine made 73 hp and 94 lb-ft of torque, and higher-end BRATs also received a two-speed transfer case to go along with the new engine.

Subaru finally introduced a redesigned BRAT in 1982, moving to the new Leone platform and sporting a revised look and design that dropped some of its original quirks for a more utilitarian style. The rear jump seats were still there, of course, but it had a new cargo bed, a more car-like front end, and even the option of Targa tops for those who wanted a bit of wind in their hair. It was still mostly the same vehicle underneath, though, and was still quite a hit with the motoring press — even if sales weren't quite as impressive as its first year (more on this later).

1983 saw the introduction of a turbocharged BRAT, which pushed the engine's output to 95 horsepower and 123 lb-ft of torque; as far as we can tell, that was the final major mechanical change to the BRAT during its U.S. run.

The BRAT may have been quirky and blessed with goodwill from the motoring press, but its star was definitely waning by the late 1980s. Sales had been on a steady decline since the turn of the decade — fewer than 25,000 sold between 1980 and 1982, with yearly sales dipping below 5,000 units from 1984 onward.

Subaru's Japanese rivals had well and truly caught up to the BRAT by the mid-1980s, too, with automakers like Toyota offering four-wheel-drive trucks that could offer similar off-roading performance as the BRAT. Many of these also came with much more powerful engines than what Subaru had to offer: Nissan, for instance, began offering a 140 hp V6 in its trucks for 1987, nearly double what the non-turbocharged BRAT could offer.

Faced with growing competition and declining sales, Subaru stopped offering the BRAT in the U.S. after 1987, closing the chapter on its first attempt at a pickup truck. The BRAT didn't die off immediately, though: Subaru continued building it for other export markets, such as Australia and the U.K — where it was known as the Brumby and 284, respectively — continuing to import new BRATs until 1994.

After dropping the BRAT in the U.S., Subaru stayed away from trucks for nearly two decades. It dialed down the quirkiness, releasing a series of vehicles over the next decade that well and truly established it as a force to be reckoned with in the U.S. automotive market. The Subaru Legacy debuted in 1989 as the company's first-ever American-built vehicle, and quickly became one of its best sellers.

Subaru introduced the Legacy-based Impreza a few years later in 1993, and the compact earned praise for its sensible design, reliability, and good value — hallmarks that came to define Subaru's offerings. The Impreza earned a place in gearhead history thanks to the first few generations of the Subaru WRX, which were based on the Impreza.

However, the two vehicles that would arguably define Subaru's modern-day success came even later than the Impreza. The Subaru Outback debuted as a lifted, off-road-friendly version of the Legacy wagon in the mid-1990s, before being spun off into its own — very successful — model starting with the second-generation Outback in 2000. The typically reliable Subaru Forester SUV also first emerged during this stretch, debuting in the U.S. in 1998 to positive reactions from automotive journalists. Subaru was in a very healthy place as the new millennium rolled around, then, and all without a truck in its lineup. But that would change very quickly.

The new millennium was barely a month old when Subaru unveiled a new truck concept at the 2000 Greater Los Angeles Auto Show in January. Called the ST-X, the concept was a combination of Outback and Forester built by Specialized Vehicles based on a design by Subaru of America's Peter Tenn. The concept had a supercharged 2.5-liter engine under the hood that was good for 230 hp.

Journalists of the time predicted that the ST-X concept would likely enter production, and they were right: The Subaru Baja debuted in 2003 as a stretched Legacy Outback with a short 3.5-foot open bed in place of the normally closed-off cargo area. Subaru opted not to go with the supercharged engine in the concept, though; instead, the Baja sported a 2.5-liter, 165 hp boxer engine that delivered power to all four wheels.

The 3.5-foot bed wasn't the roomiest, but Subaru had thought of ways to make up for that. Firstly, the Baja had a pass-through that Subaru called the Switchback. This involved folding the rear seats down and opening a small flap, allowing owners to carry longer items in the bed as long as they were thin and narrow enough to fit through the opening. If this didn't work, then Subaru also offered optional rails that attached in place of the tailgate, extending the bed to five feet. Which still wasn't all that much, but it helped.

Unfortunately, Subaru's workarounds for the Baja's limited cargo space proved to be appealing than the company probably hoped. The truck launched to middling reviews; while journalists appreciated the Baja's enjoyable driving experience, the weedy 165 hp engine and uncertain practicality advantages over the proven Outback meant it didn't quite set the automotive world alight. It had decent towing capacity for its size, but even the ability to tow 2,400 pounds likely wasn't enough to tip the scales in favor of the Baja.

Subaru quickly rectified the power complaints with the Baja Turbo, which launched in 2004. This had a turbocharged 2.5-liter boxer engine that made a much healthier 210 hp and 235 lb-ft of torque. Unfortunately, this didn't really do much to help sales: Subaru sold 6,239 units in 2005, well short of the 2,000 units per month that it had expected to move in the year leading up to the Baja's launch.

Subaru discontinued the Baja in 2006 after a brief production run of around 30,000 units. Subaru has stayed well clear of trucks in the nearly 20 years since, focusing on improving its current offerings and doubling down on the SUVs and crossovers it knows best — and to great success, too, as well-received vehicles like the 2024 Subaru Crosstrek Sport and 2025 Subaru Outback prove.

Despite their lack of commercial success, Subaru's trucks — especially the BRAT — ended up receiving quite a bit of attention in pop culture. The BRAT featured prominently in contemporary movies such as "Seven" a 1979 action movie directed by Andy Sidaris, and would get renewed attention in the 2000s through its star-spangled appearance in "My Name Is Earl," where it was driven by protagonist Earl Hickey's ex-wife Joy Turner.

The BRAT also received something of a presidential co-sign, with Ronald Reagan using — and reportedly liking — a Subaru BRAT the company had sent to him in exchange for regular reports every six months. Not that most people knew about this at the time, of course, with this little fact being kept under wraps given the trade war between the U.S. and Japan in the early 1980s. But times have changed, and the fact that Reagan owned a BRAT has now entered into petrolhead folklore — and undoubtedly added to the BRAT's retro-ironic appeal.

Unfortunately, its spiritual successor hasn't been as lucky. Beyond a smattering of extremely minor — and mostly inconsequential — TV and movie appearances, the Baja has mostly remained stuck in the early 2000s. That said, the attention given to the AI-generated 2025 Subaru Baja claims show that the much-maligned truck might just be due for a reappraisal, even if we doubt it'll ever be even remotely as cool as the BRAT.