Original paint? Check. Original manuals? Check. Factory jack and tool kit? Yes! This two-owner 1974 Ford Courier is as clean as they come, short of being restored. The “Slick Chick” aluminum camper top – installed when the truck was new – is likewise in excellent condition, and even the Kenco bug guard looks like it hasn’t been much bothered by insect collisions. Listed here on eBay with frisky bidding taking it to $7100 with no reserve in play, this well-preserved emblem of the ’70s is enough to make a Chevy fan take a second look.
The Courier was really a rebadged Mazda B-series, which was first launched in Japan in 1961. Ford needed a small truck to compete with offerings from Nissan and Toyota; a tie-up with Mazda solved its problem – almost. The fly in the ointment was the pesky “chicken tax”, a tariff applied by Europe to cheap chickens exported there from the US. As a retaliatory measure, President Johnson slapped a tariff on light trucks – this tax remains in place today and applies across the board to any light truck import. To evade the tax, Ford shipped the Courier without its bed attached. The truck was assembled dockside and transported to dealers. Despite ducking the tariff, the Courier cost almost as much as a Ford F100. But in a stroke of genius, Ford replicated the F-series grille for its mini-truck, conferring a tough look.
First-generation Couriers were fitted with a 74 hp, 1.8-liter overhead cam four-cylinder Mazda engine. A four-speed manual was standard; a three-speed automatic was optional. This one is a floor shift manual (yay). The seller replaced all the gaskets and seals, installed an aftermarket radiator (the original unit comes with the sale), and rebuilt the carb and the brakes. The fuel pump and clutch are new as well. As we might expect, she runs, drives, stops, and shifts perfectly.
While the listing doesn’t show the upholstery, we’re told that the blanket cover was installed when the truck was new. I’d want a peek, but considering the rest of the cabin, I’m not going to give it many demerits even if the seats aren’t perfect. The seller notes that an aftermarket radio was installed in the 1980s. Like the seats, the cargo area has always worn a mat, so its surfaces are pristine.
What is a high-quality Courier survivor worth these days? A few years ago, this ’74 – also in lime green – sold for $7800, sans topper. Given the documentation, repairs, and spectacular condition of today’s example, I’m going to guess the bidding has a ways to go. Anyone think it will push into five-figure territory?
Nice truck. Drive it as is.
This is an auction that is interesting to follow.
Steve R