The story
Built on the Leone wagon's underpinnings, the BRAT, short for Bi-drive Recreational All-terrain Transporter, reached America in 1978 as a light, simple pickup with selectable four-wheel drive and a boxer engine of 1.6 liters, later 1.8. Its most famous feature was a matter of paperwork. Imported light trucks faced a 25 percent tariff, so Subaru carpeted the bed and welded in 2 rear-facing plastic jump seats, and the BRAT entered as a passenger car instead. Riders sat backward in the open air, which was every bit as much fun as it sounds.
With 73 hp in later form and roughly 1,000 kg (2,200 lb) to carry, it was never quick, but it went almost anywhere and refused to quit, which won it a loyal following and at least one famous owner: Ronald Reagan kept a 1978 BRAT at his Santa Barbara ranch for years. Tamiya even turned it into a radio-control kit. The jump seats disappeared after 1985, North American sales ended in 1987, and production for other markets carried on until 1994. Values are climbing now, and a clean one draws a crowd wherever it parks.
