The BRAT wasn't an ill-mannered child; it was a light pickup truck in the 1970s and '80s. Here's how it got its name, and how it helped Subaru avoid taxes.

The two-door Subaru BRAT, Japan's ute-like version of a compact truck, was created in response to the growing demand for smaller, compact trucks in the U.S. It wasn't built on a new platform.

If you've been looking for a summer project, this is it. A running, driving, perfectly-colored Subaru Brat!

From the Archive: Subaru's second-generation BRAT is a really good whatever-it-is.

The BRAT stuck around until 1987, and this well-preserved example, for sale on Bring a Trailer (which, like Car and Driver, is part of Hearst Autos), is from that final model year. Few of these ...

The original Subaru BRAT was a simple two-seater pickup, and if the new one follows that route, it will be the only compact truck of its kind.

The Subaru BRAT and Baja were ahead of their time. But in light of the Ford Maverick, that time might be now.

Junkyard Gem: 1982 Subaru BRAT Subaru love is strong in Colorado, which means that many BRATs are kept alive until they are completely used up. Here’s a good example of such a truck: this 1982 ...

I was recently invited to the home of a guy who owns two Subaru BRATs. This is like getting invited to dinner with the president: you must say yes, even if it means you have to reschedule your ...

This particular Brat was the upper-level GL trim, which came with a 1.8-liter, four-cylinder boxer engine, butterfly t-tops, a tilting steering wheel and all of the available stock gauges.

Timing. The one thing the Subaru BRAT (Bi-drive Recreational All-terrain Transporter) had was timing. It landed on our shores in 1978 right as a fresh energy crisis was crunching. Buyers were on ...