Brat!

Before the birth of the Impreza legend in the 1990s Subaru was primarily known for making semi-obscure cars and pickups. The quirky flat-four engines and four wheel drive throughout the range didn't really attract much attention in the UK when everyone seemingly wanted Cortinas and Cavaliers.



They were popular with farmers though, the advantages of all wheel drive all too clear across muddy fields and when towing, in fact the only Subarus I can remember seeing at all in the 1980s were in rural areas such as North Wales.



The pickup variant was perhaps the most stylish truck on the market in that sector at the time. The rear pillar swooping into the truck bed was clearly influenced by the American Chevrolet El Camino and Ford Ranchero. It was quite different to the rival offerings which showed little imagination at all, brutally hacking their body shapes vertically just behind the front seats and nailing on flat set of side panels to surround the bed. I have to admit that I'd nearly forgotten all about the MV until I saw one recently.



They were called the "Brat" in America and marketed as a lifestyle recreational vehicle, it's a shame that they weren't sold in the same way here as we may have rather more of them around today if they had been.