If you are small and in a fight, you have to improvise. One upon a time, Subarus were pretty much a cult car for people who lived in mountainous areas and those who listened religiously to NPR. While these folks made up a loyal following, and early Subarus were good cars, this fan base was not a market that you could build sales on. So Subaru began thinking way out of the box and came up with a brilliant car based pickup called the BRAT. While rust and hard use has claimed the vast majority of these innovative Chicken Tax beaters, this 1982 Subaru BRAT for sale on craigslist in Johnson City, Tennessee is still in good shape. At a $12,500 asking price, it should be.
I think we need to start at the Chicken Tax. To make a long, fascinating story about the inner workings of world governance short, chickens are the reason imported trucks from Europa and Asia are still subject to a 25% tariff. After World War II, the United States began raising and selling chickens on a massive scale. Before the war, believe it or not, chicken was a delicacy both here and in Europe. We flooded the European market with chicken and thus made it difficult for their farmers to sell chickens. Incensed, many European countries placed tariffs on incoming chickens. We responded with a tariff on many imported goods. This included trucks for some unexplained reason. Enacted in January of 1964, the tax remains today.
A tariff of 25% is obviously a big problem if you want to import trucks. Subaru found a way to bypass the tax by adding welded in seats and carpeting to the bed of the truck. This made the BRAT, which stood for Bi-drive Recreational All-terrain Transporter, a car in the eyes of the all seeing Feds. The trick worked from 1978 to 1987. Even Ronald Reagan bought one for his California ranch.
This BRAT is probably one of the nicest examples left roaming the planet. The rearward facing seats are still installed, but there is no sign of the seat belts that were installed on every example. The Sun’s rays probably destroyed them in short order. I can’t imagine how you would end up if you needed them in an accident. People used to ride in the back of trucks all the time before we became so safety conscious. Can you imagine the outcry if a major manufacturer installed seats like this in a truck today? Producers from Dateline NBC and 60 Minutes would probably salivate at the thought.
This BRAT also has the optional T-tops and the spring loaded step covers in the lower front side of the bed. There is no mention of air conditioning in the ad, so the T-tops may be a welcome supplement to the manual windows. While there appears to be some division in the back glass which may be a sliding rear window, I am pretty sure that is not the case. The passengers in the bed will just have to scream for mercy louder.
Inside, we see that this is a manual transmission model. What we can see of the upholstery looks to be in good condition. Too bad we cannot get a look at what the seats are like underneath the Wal Mart covers. The steering wheel cover is a nice touch though.
We sadly have no photographs of the engine either. This model of the BRAT was powered by a 1.8 liter flat four cylinder engine. Interestingly, the spare tire is mounted above the engine but under the hood on these vehicles. The flat four layout has the piston configuration in an “H” shape, with the pistons travelling horizontally. This makes for a lower center of gravity and, evidently, room for a spare tire.
When you put it all together, Subaru came up with a very unique vehicle and found a clever way to get it to the customer at a lower cost. One of these would be perfect for deer hunting, or any backwoods adventuring for that matter. There is nothing on the market quite like a BRAT, and it is doubtful that there ever will be. Is there even a market for such a vehicle? Can you imagine one of these packing an engine from a late model rally oriented Subaru? Would you ride in one of the back seats of such a beast?
Is this one worth $12,500? Let us know in the comments.
I always loved these. The only reason that I never owned one was that every one that I saw, without exception, had serious rust problems.
It’s nice, but not even close to $12,500 nice. The bed is missing its carpet and seat belts, the seats are covered with a crappy cover so who knows what lurks beneath (old Japanese car interiors weren’t known for longevity especially in warm areas), and most importantly, the T-tops have overspray indicating non-original paint.
As an aside to your comment on the chicken tax, it was meant to affect Germany. At the time, VW was importing small Bus-based trucks, the Japanese market wasn’t a blip on the horizon as yet, and Australia wasn’t sending Utes outside the country. Limiting the tariff to light trucks was more of a symbolic thing. It was VW’s lowest selling item, and rapidly discontinued in the US.
But as we know the tax was never repealed, and the protectionist measures it afforded against the Japanese in the early seventies was appreciated by lobbyists.
I think if I’m not mistaken, the chicken tax expires next year from what I remember.
I had no idea these had those back seats.. neat.. I think…?
Lots and lots of them have had the seats removed – and then reused for something else, or just lost track of. I recall riding in the back of these when I was a kid. Those grab handles weren’t just there for decoration – at least when my friends were driving. LOL I think the seller is way optimistic on the price – especially for the CL market.
Shiny paint alone does not make this one of the nicest on the planet. The overspray, hammered out bumpers, cracked weatherstrips, and beat up front valence, never mind seat and dash covers, highly suggest otherwise.
I dare any car company to try this today in this nanny state.
Is that a jug of illicit moonshine wedged in behind one of the rear seats?
I couldn’t fit in one and close the door…
I remember buying one of these new in 1979. It was great for hauling stuff between the track and my home garage. It also had an optional cap for the back like this one (not a picture of my car). It was tall enough that your short friends could still sit back there, but I can’t remember anyone wanting to.
I’d rather have a CJ 7.
Me too,,,for half the price.
The Brat looks to have the “Snow light” like my 82 DL 4X4 wagon had. It is placed in the center of the grille under the Fugi logo. Inside was a blue colored button in the lower left of the dash.
Push the button and the logo would flip 180 degrees revealing one only fog / snow light.
When I had my 82 wagon back in the day we lived in Western Washington in a rural area. With the dual range transfer case and four studded tires on the car I could pretty much get around with ease, even while pushing snow with the front bumper.
Now 5 Subarus later my wife’s 2017 Forester XT is light years ahead in just about every aspect, but I do miss the simplicity of my little yellow 82 wagon.
Nick, I found one of these lights at a junk yard complete with the dash switch. It does work.
If anybody is interested I could probably find it in the back yard.
They were amazing little vehicles and could take a lot of abuse. When mine gave up the ghost it had over 250,000 miles on it and I consistently got 28 MPH and that was a lot of the times carrying over a 1000 lbs or pulling a trailer which the manufacturer said it was not designed for.
These were popular in Wisconsin for a spell. Wisconsinites tried every 4×4 that came down the pike, thinking maybe this one will last more than a presidents term, but they didn’t. I remember some pretty rusted Subaru’s. The cap did make it more livable, but few had them. They sure had the right idea, an economical, all wheel drive little hauler. In Wis. this could be licensed as a car, at the time, less than a truck. I’m surprised this even has the seats, . As soon as they bolted the car plates on, the back seats came out. Price, as usual, is way out of line. You gonna spend $12 grand for a vehicle you may or may not be able to get parts for, ( auto parts guy, “yeah, we discontinued those struts 15 years ago”) and go bouncing through the woods? These come up from time to time here in Colorado, 4×4 capital of the US, apparently,,for like $2 grand.
In Europe we got the Skoda Felicia pickup Fun which looks to be a bit like teh same idea : https://www.google.fr/search?tbm=isch&sa=1&ei=BIlgW9TXJLGUlwSu95CIDg&q=skoda+felicia+pick+up+fun&oq=skoda+felicia+pick+up+fun&gs_l=img.3..0j0i8i30k1l2.60506.61000.0.61782.4.4.0.0.0.0.152.282.0j2.2.0….0…1c.1.64.img..2.2.280…0i30k1.0.-k72fZ5ny0E
A couple of vids the concept was interesting :
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-nFn34TTUnQhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-nFn34TTUnQ
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oHh1wVvvjUU
Life before the nanny state was different, junior.
Search “Skoda Felicia pick up Fun” on youtube and you’ll see some interesting vids.
I can’t post the links.
They had a very smart way of concealing the rear seats and closing the rear part of the “cockpit”.
As with the VW Transporters of the mid 60’s they were shipped with middle seats, taken out at dealers and shipped back to Germany.
via Consumer Reports:
Now, according to the WSJ, Ford has found a new way around the tax for its Transit Connects. The company reportedly ships all the vans from Turkey, where they are built, to the United States with rear seats and windows installed. As passenger vans, they are subject to a much lower tariff of 2.5 percent.
When they arrive here, they are shipped to an independent company, where the rear windows and seats in most Transit Connects are removed. The windows are replaced with solid panels to turn the Transit Connects into cargo vans. The seats and glass are then shredded and recycled.
That is happening now?
Ford is building cars in Turkey too?
Use to have one “Just like this” in silver……. an amazing vehicle that could do no wrong, yet most folks just didnt get it. Was it a tad goofey?, Sure it was!, yet it was also extraordinarily fun and so interactive. Days like this with cars such as the BRAT may never happen again.
they are fun,drove one in Wisconsin kids liked sliding on icey roads in back jump seats,seat belts are mandatory…im a dealer but $12,500?? as we say “there is an ass for every seat”..maybe at barrett- Jackson auction..tommyboy in florida
The only people I ever saw riding in the back had a blood alcohol content of .30 or above. I’m not even Catholic and I would cross myself every time I saw one of these deathtraps. In their defense, they always looked like they were having a ball.
The price is a bit high, but it does appear to have the much coveted Cyclops light
I owned one for 5 years.i drove it I’ve 150 thousands miles before getting rid of it. I lived in the mountains and had no rust problems. All my friends loves the two back seats . It was one fun truck .
Pretty sure that rear window does indeed open, but just as left-right halves that slide past each other, rather than the more common center-section opener.
If it were around half the price, I would be going to get it this weekend. But 12.5 is a little lofty on expectations. I still regret getting rid of my 80 and 84 brats.
Here’s why the seller is a bit optimistic, and that’s ok, they can ask what they want, but here’s 5 near Grand Junction, Co. for $4500, plus the parts to supply whoever buys this one. It’s a win-win,,,
https://westslope.craigslist.org/cto/d/five-project-subaru-bratplus/6639329492.html
That is a heck of a deal. They look pretty solid. It has been a good while since I have seen any that solid around central VA.
I had one of these, and it served me well. Mine was new enough that the seats in the bed could no longer be imported – the law required that there be a permanent roof over all seats on trucks. The seats were fastened to a frame that was welded to the bed floor – the seats themselves were attached with Torx head screws that require a security bit to remove. I harvested a seat frame and seats from my local Pick ‘n Pull with the use of a couple of sawzall blades…. The frame is now secured to a partial sheet of marine grade plywood bolted into the bed of my Studebaker pickup, and the seats only come out of the garage for cruise nights…… Gotta save them from the sun and snow !
’60 – 65 ford ranchero, dodge/plym rampage, some other Japan. minis and then the Ki cars, the felicia – all unibodies (but the ford), all lill P/Us. All close 4 me, still a wagon-guy instead (& I own a ’66 bronco!).