The Subaru BRAT Is The Coolest 4x4 You Forgot About [Brumby/Shifter/MV/284]

Think Subaru and you're probably thinking Impreza. But before the days of Colin McRae's rally car, Subaru made utilitarian farm vehicles that were quirky and practical. Paul reckons the often-forgotten BRAT is well worth a look as a working classic!

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[materialstwit]

This channel is a bit like the BRAT... a proper hidden gem. Great job keep it up!!!!

[davidarter]

I wish a manufacturer would make a car like this again

[robtt]

The local farmers round us loved these. We had a really good local Subaru dealer, as well, so it all added up to a popular vehicle. I had to go and look at some land a few years ago. The Land agent had a brand new Range Rover which cost a fortune. You can guess ? We got stuck half on and off a farm road. The wet very muddy grass behind us saw the RR bury it’s rear end . I dare not laugh as he was a bit pompous and going puce in the face. Anyway, the local farmer came along in his old Subaru identical to this one and pulled us out. He did laugh …a lot !

[christopherbradley]

I remember these and always wanted one. "Forgotten" is right. I asked a young Subaru salesman recently if he had ever seen a brat and not only had he not, but no one in the entire dealership had ever heard of it. They probably thought I was crazy.

[gandalfthegay]

My dad had one when I was a kid, built like a tank, I remember we crashed into a carpark ticket booth in the rain, the booth was mangled, we had a scratch of green paint from the booth on the bull bar and that was it...
God I miss that thing, had such a cool look to it.. especially with the ifor Williams back.

[markgatland]

Still fondly remember my red Tamiya radio controlled model of this as a kid 😊

[maxwynne]

i'm in kent in england, and i have one of these and i dont think i will ever get rid of it, i love it. It just needs a huge restoration.

[rubber-duck]

I grew up in the 80s I always thought the Brat was cute!, I like to have one now to restore it would be a nice little snow buggy, I had a 82 station wagon had the similar 4x4 system but it didn't have low range

[andrewbushell]

We had one on our farm in Cheshire rugged as you say, rot got it in the end and scraped a very handy pickup

[SkysaxonDragonslayer]

Loved the Sedan/Estate/Hatchback of the 1800 - they sold a lot of these in Austria, but sadly not the Brat....
... only the Tamiya which I still have and drive every here and there...

[emsleywyatt]

I had one of these. I currently drive an outback and kept the BRAT nameplate and one of the tie-down hooks and they're in the outback.

[markharris]

I always wanted one of these. Had the tamyia brat remote control truck as a kid.

[klo]

It’s even more popular in Australia, where every town has at least 2, the rear seats never came down here and if you see one there are definitely more around.

Personally I have 2 brumbies and a touring wagon. All to keep the good one running

The actual load limit for the tub around here is 1000kg.

Mine is actually the second best I’ve seen around, second only to the one in the next town over that had lived in permanent storage until this year.

My only gripe is the lack of aftermarket support especially in the off-road department.

Because if you aren’t ej swapping it, what’s the point

[daveR]

The Bi-Drive Recreational All-Terrain Transporter (BDRATT)

[jonlowing]

The Brumby never had the rear seat fitment in Australia because It was classed as a rural farm utility vehicle (or 'ute', as we like to call them, economically!) and, as such, were wholly tax exempt and extremely popular in the rural sector. They were an inexpensive and reliable alternative to the big Toyotas and Nissans of the day. It was sad times back in the mid-nineties when Subaru discontinued this spirited little Ute.

[fasthracing]

Now that is a survivor. I had a 1979 estate n beige. It was long and thin. We christened it "The Coffin"

[tonyfierro]

I watched my name is Earl and I always like this car because they made it look like an El Camino in the show my name is Earl😂😂

[iansandersVortech]

Unfortunately a death trap if you hit something and don't roll it because she has the weakest crush protection on top of B pillar, here in Australia they fell to bits on our rough country roads at speed, Like your channel though keep it up !!

[gilwilliams]

Didn't the turbo models automatically raise 1 or 2 inches when put in 4x4 mode ?

[ianmangham]

Totally true, forgot all about them 😄