My uncle had one of these when I was a kid. Sitting in those back seats was about the most fun thing ever.

When “quirks and features” was merely “key details”.

I can imagine my dad saying "I love this thing, it's so old and little"

When my wife was still a child, her dad had a couple of seats from a BRAT in the back of his sixties vintage Chevy pickup. She and her little brother would ride in them when they went out on the highway, which wasn't terribly safe to start with, but what made it worse was that the seats weren't bolted in. The kids and seats kinda just flew around back there. Things were different back in the seventies.

Americans don't want things that are small and affordable. we like army tank sized trucks that cost as much as a medium sized house and are capable of hauling/towing things we'll never haul/tow.

This isn't a "pickup truck", it's a pint-sized El Camino.

3:46 He sounds like Elmo flooring the Subaru BDRATT

You are the first and hopefully last person to ever say "Bdradt." Seriously, don't do that ever again.

At 4:48, the white one, if you squint, the front almost looks like a delorean.

As a proud BDRAT owner, I must add a few key & interesting points. First is that in addition to the rear facing "jump" seats as we BRAT owners call them, they also installed a weatherproof carpet in the bed which was added proof to the tax-man that it wasn't designed to function as pickup truck. Also the air vents aren't really full lenght lol! That's because about 8 inches of the "vent" section right above the glove-box area was a center mounted 25w speaker. Also offered in the later years(83/84) was an optional 94hp Turbocharged & fuel injected BDRAT!! sadly though, it was only offered in an automatic transmission that had a push-button single-range 4WD, unlike the more versatile dual-range 4spd manual offered in the standard production vehicles.

Hey Doug, in russian "brat" means a brother :D

BDRATT starting not being funny the 53rd time he used it. Went to the well a few to many times...

BRAT means BROTHER in Polish. Impreza means PARTY in Polish. Seems Legit.

so the BDRAT actually pioneered those full-length air-con vents before Audi

Ironically Honda also has its own version of the BDRAT on sale today, it's called the Ridgeline.

I had a Red BRAT in 1983 with a bed cap. It handled great in the Maine winters.

These were super popular in the UK on farms. They were not called the Brat and didn't have those silly back seats. They were just light utility vehicles. Way cheaper than a land rover more capable than other light pickups like the Marina or dreaded FSO as they had four wheel drive and Japanese build quality and reliability. Subaru did not have a dealership network in the UK but instead sold their cars and pickups out of Agricultural supplies being sold alongside tractors and other farm equipment. For a very long time Subaru were the chosen car brand of the country set.

In Australia they were called a Brumby, very very tough and as a result were driven harder than a new girlfriend.

I had a friend who had a BRAT when I lived in Ft Lauderdale as a teenager, was great for getting everyone and everything to the beach , always loved the jump seats

This was my first vehicle back in 1994 I was only fourteen. And I loved it and would love to get another one. Classic.

5:06 and that proves that subaru is a crazy group of mother.......

It's less a Pickup and more what Australia calls a ute.

I had that car with seats in back ..laughing my ass off ..really love hearing that chime and had flashbacks of my buddies in those rear seats while I was doing doughnuts ..thanks a bunch for the chuckle !

2:42 cessna aircraft have throttles that push.

Man, that chime gave me some old Initial D memories.

My Grandma had one when I was 9 or so. I got to ride in the jump seat roughly 10 miles to town and back. Mom nearly had an aneurysm, and grounded me for a week. So worth it! I also remember Grandma reminding mom that she rode in the bed of a Chevy with *no* seats. I still want a Brat.

That acceleration run was faked. I had the heavier loyale with the same drive train and it was faster than that by far. Also the drive acronym was due to it being selectable AWD vs full time awd or 4wd and was reversed from most systems in that it was FWD unless you engaged the rear wheels for AWD.

I wish they still made that thing. It's Aussie slang for el-Camino Gotta Love that Vehicle

I had a 1978 Brat. Best car in the snow ever !

maybe I should sell my skyline gtr and buy a Brat

BDRAT: funny once. BDRAT through the whole video: I want to slap the speech impediment off your face.

A family member had a sedan version in the 80's with the 1.8 and it was quick and a brilliant car overall.

Affordable little truck back in the day. Cool, useful seats in the back much better than sitting on hard metal. The BRAT was fairly well respected back in the day unfortunately Doug did not know that and did not give the BRAT the respect it deserves.

Stop trying to make BDRATT happen.

To be fair those rear-facing seats did have seatbelts. They were just lap belts not a shoulder belt but still that was a standard in those days.

I loved the BRAT when I was a kid. Thanks for the video.

i bought a brat in 79 and loved it. Very simple and very reliable. Great gas mileage and did pretty good in snow. i lifted it a few inches and put mud tires on it with chrome spokes and took the brat stickers off and painted it black. Looked damn good i thought. Putting the gas in a gmc sierra at the time cost way too much for an 18 year old to afford. Besides, in calif everyone was getting the new 1980 toyota 4x4 pickup. I didn't want what everyone else was getting.

I've owned 4 - but here in Australia we call them the "Subaru Brumby" and they never had the awful rear facing seats ha ha ha. I am slowly dying at the moment though because I desperately want to own my 5th "BDRATT/Brumby" It''s true though - they barely make enough horsepower to get out of their own way - but they have an unrivalled charm all their own! Only Subie owners know it and those people that never owned one will never know!

My dad had one when I was a kid. My sister and I definitely rode in the back, a lot. I learned to drive in it. It was a blast to drive. My dad got rid of it after a few years because of rust issues. I miss that little truck.

Best Subaru ever made , not fast but an excellent ride. All wheel drive excellent in the snow. One of the 80ies classics.

I purchase a 1986 Brat, the last year it was offered. It came with no seats in the bed! I used that car for roughly 20yrs as a daily driver and hauler. Not to mention how great it was in winter weather conditions. I finally sold it to a collector. I still miss it!

THAT WAS AN E30 AT THE END. THIS MEANS SOMETHING

I grew up riding around in the back of one these. Good times.

My dad had a 1979 Brat. It was white with quad round headlights and had a camper-like bed cover. My grandmother called it the Space Shuttle. It was a great little truck...the 4-wheel drive did well in the snow.

A friend of mine in high school had a BRAT, and I got to ride in the back a couple times. Very cool with the wind rushing through your hairs, lol!

Ronald Reagan has a red Brat at his ranch in Santa Barbara.

I was born in 1970 and remember the BRAT as I was growing up. I loved its look and thought they were so cool with the seats in the back

Doug! This was the car we had at our place we had a hut like 20 years ago, So nice to see this again! Brings back alot of childhood memories! Imagine how fun we had... Man simpler and good times!

That chime sounds exactly like the S-Cargo chime when it goes "too fast"

You had to call it a BDRAT the whole time?

2:27 that same dinger is in almost every old japanese car. My grandmas square body sentra had the same one.

My mom bought a new one in 1980. I remember as a kid riding in those back seats. Fun!

As a 11 year old, All it took were the seats in the bed. This was the coolest thing on the road.

lol I learned to drive in a 79 Subaru wagon. I horse whipped that little car for years & it never broke. For the time, it wasn't exciting but it was a great, economical, somewhat utilitarian kinda car. The 4x4 worked great. It wasn't a Bronco by any stretch but it do amazingly well for what it was. I gotta admit, I have fond memories of that little car but, I really wanted a BRAT instead. Drive in movies were popular back then & the BRAT was small enough to park in front (tall vehicles have to park in back) but still had a bad in back to hang out & watch Jaws or some old Burt Reynolds flick. lol Those were the days.

My parents had the 1978 4 door wagon version of this. The front grille and front bumper guard looked very similar.

I had a 1983 and my brother had a 1982, at the same time, with fiberglass caps. lots of fun. alot of off road adventures. it seemed to go anywhere!

These cars are ultra reliable

FYI, this "inexlicable" AC vent that runs the width of the dash is actually a stereo speaker. Look closely at the one that doesn't have direction controls, and you'll see a speaker hiding behind the slats.

I had one, loved it

My 79 fell apart a little more every time I drove it, but my 81 was a little go-getter. I had the seats cut out for when I needed to haul something really big like a gallon of milk or a pair of boots, but I could bolt them back in for coolness and originality. Wish I still had my little "truckette".

when he opened the door and heard that tinker bell sounded, it reminded me of a particular AE86 ;)

The Subaru BDRATT: For when you're too poor for an El Camino

being a kid in the 70s 80s it was like riding a roller coaster every day love the Bdradt.

4:23 Found the cameraman

My Aunt got one of these brand new in 78. I remember me and my brother when we were little riding in the backs seats of that thing. That's my earliest Subaru memory ever. Hers was brown with the wagon style rims and had the flannel pattern front seats.

my dad had a brat when I was a kid. now I know why I remember the chime. also. we couldn't get the spare out once when needed. when we did the "frame" collapsed. a rust belt brat with that spare holding it together. epic backfires in that thing and plenty of burns on legs crawling out the back as a little one.

I had one of these . My first car. A 1980 model that I bought in 1992....it was more like a toy. My next car was a 1977 BMW 320i. I guess that was my first actual car.

I had one of these and I had the most fun with it it had to camp are show and it had the to back seats in the bed of the truck I had A-blast with this truck wish I never got rid of it wish I still had it

We get your B-Drat joke dude. Drop it after the 2nd time...

I hate that he calls it a BIDRAT through the whole video. It was funny for 5 seconds and got old fast.

First car was a '78 that thing was a blast. The reason the spare fit in the front, was because of the boxer motor. Low CG, great on turns. Got it up to 105 once, fun little car.

2:26 I've been looking for someone to post a video of just that chime since it's so nostalgic for me. Growing up, we had an '85 GL wagon. Actually, I have a new 86, and would love to replace the door chime with this...

great video, but i think it would be better if you added pictures of the cars you referense so everyone knows what you are talking about

The rear seat handles are the greatest auto additions in auto history!

How much are these and can i get it imported to finland?

My father drove a 78 BRAT when I was a kid. It was a fun little vehicle in the mid 80s.

The 70's, when nobody gave a rat's arse about motor vehicle safety. That door chime was common in older Japanese cars. My aunt had a Nissan (Datsun) pickup that sounded just like that.

I have always wanted one of these. Hard to find in good condition. I wish Subaru would make a light pick up truck now that there aren't any left. The Colorado/Canyon and Tacoma are basically full size trucks now. I think Subaru would find a ready market for it.

A friend I had in Wyoming would show off in mud holes , he never got stuck , it was an amazing little truck. Indestructable ....

What was the station wagon it came from called. I need two

The old blue one sounds like a sewing machine. Did Subaru make sewing machines too?My family had a 2 dr hardtop, an 82 I think. It was so cool, it had a hill holding clutch. Stop on a hill, push the brake and the clutch at the same time, while waiting for the light to change.... remove you foot from the brake and the car did not roll until you let out the clutch. Very cool feature.

Great times. My uncle had 3 of them back when these things were new. He had a driveway at a 45 degree angle up hill, stones and then snow covered and it went up with never a problem. When they would rust out here in Pennsylvania, he would just get another one. I got the bug when he let me drive one on a snowy afternoon. I was hooked! I found a gold 1978 DX wagon 4wd and the front brakes locked up on the way home 20 minutes after I bought it. Fixed the brakes, put a stereo and 4 speakers in it (it had a/c!) and I was cruisin'! 4 speed, shift-on-the-fly back then, and it went anywhere. Had sex (with a girl) in it a few times!. I had it in the woods on dirt bike trails and never a problem. My younger brother wanted to learn to drive a 4 speed. He had a 1969 Chevelle SS 396. So I convinced him to trade for the day and we both had fun (right?). He learned to shift and I had the time of my life in that big block Chevy. He found a really clean 1979 model color blue later on, and it was mint. We would go find trails and go through them to the end that came out on pavement and never got stuck! He used it for a few years and I ended up buying it for 700.00! I drove it for several years until it sold and I moved on. Wish they still made something like that. Great memories. Thanks.

Probably one of my favorite videos.

Knew a guy who had one of these and it was definitely distinctive, his was the only one I had seen in the mid 80s

4:23 that's what she said

In Australia, these were sold as Brumbies. Without, the stupid seats in the back :)

No mention anywhere, so I'm curious, does brat not mean what it does in the US elsewhere like Australia?

My older Subaru like that could get out of its own way but went anywhere. I also loved the Subaru emblem opened up to reveal the fog light in the middle of the grill

My great Aunt drove a Subaru BRAT for years and years. It was shared among the whole family and it got a whopping 1,060,000ish miles on it before it finally kicked the bucket. Unfortunately the photos of the speedo can not be located at the moment. But that thing is a monster if you take care of it.

We had a new 1985 subaru hatchback. Great car. Driven from Florida to seattle. then shipped to Alaska. Took a beating. Lasted until 2005. That door chime brings back memories. Hahhaah

Same dashboard I remember from the FF1 model. Many owners liked these a lot, although the rust problem was pretty bad in northeast US etc.

I like his style of presentation so much more here in these older videos then his current videos.

the Bdrat joke got old really fast after the 2nd time he said it

The Brat (or the Leone-based Pickup as it is known in other countries) was actually produced and sold world-wide into 1993.

I had a brat, and the caruck was awesome. It was slow, but got 35 mpg and was amazing off-road. A friend once told me what a p.o.s. it was, so I asked him to get inside and I drove up a set of stairs at an apartment complex on a hillside in Colorado. These stairs we're like a hundred yards long and like a 35 percent grade. He never made fun of it again. I drove that car on most of the crazy 4x4 road's in Western Colorado and Moab. I ended up losing the car on a trip to Alaska, yes I drove the whole way. But lost it driving across a frozen river. Best caruck I've ever owned.

Although not a Subaru Brumby (the Aussie version of the BRAT), bought a 1990 L-Series 4WD wagon. Tough little beast! Nearly 30 years and around 237,000 miles on, still got it. Survived my ex-missus ( she hated it - damaged trans support bracket, 2 damper units bent, bent the trailing arm support beam), son's driving lessons ( backed over by some moron's Land Cruiser in a car park, who drove off without leaving details, so repaired it and fitted a roo bar now), niece's driving lessons. It sat unused for three years in the backyard. Now used for my daughter's driving lessons. Engine tappets tick like a bastard until it warms up. But just need to replace timing belts every 50,000 miles and front driveshafts (cheap as in Australia) around every 82,000 miles. Other than these extra and easily done maintenance items, it simply just keeps on going!

The BDRATT joke was kinda funny the first time and super annoying the 100 other times you said it. Talk about beating a dead horse.

in australia we call it the brumby (wild horse)

they were known as the Brumby in Australia, the name for a wild horse. They were very capable offroad, and there's a lot of room for upgrades to the Boxer flat four. Strangely enough, when you look at an early Boxer engine and a Volkswagen flat four, you can't help but notice the similarities. A Bug engine with water jackets, Japanese ignition and Japanese carburettor

Who’s watching this after watching the baja vid