Subaru Sambar Mini Trucks
Subaru introduced one of the earliest mini trucks in 1961. However, despite being a pioneer in the segment, production of the Sambar ended in 2012, transitioning to an OEM rebadge of the Daihatsu Hijet
Jump To Section
Unusual Engine Layout
From the very beginning, Subaru adopted a rear-engine, rear-wheel-drive layout for the Sambar Van. And, yes, this first generation only had a van-style variant. It’s not quite clear what the logic behind this choice of powertrain layout was, but it was definitely a different take on the mini truck formula.
Even though Subaru introduced a regular cab mini truck to complement the van-style model from the second generation, it remained so committed to this rear-engine, rear-wheel-drive layout that there wasn’t any 4WD version offered until 1990 — and then only for the automatic model.
6th Generation (1999 to 2012)
Despite its rapid start, Subaru’s quirky decision to stick with the rear-engine layout across multiple generations of mini trucks was starting to weigh on the Sambar by the end of the 20th century. While competitors like Suzuki and Daihatsu had moved to designs with the engine positioned under the front seats, Subaru’s rear-engine configuration required significantly more engineering effort.
The 6th generation Sambar ultimately became the last one developed by Subaru itself, yet it remained in production for over a decade, from 1999 until 2012. Offered in both mini truck and van-style formats, the 4WD mini trucks carried the TT2 designation, while the 4WD van-style models were identified as TV2.
Latest Models
Unfortunately, the era of Subaru’s unique rear-engine, rear-wheel-drive Sambar mini trucks has come to an end. In 2012, following Toyota’s acquisition of a stake in Subaru, the company ceased manufacturing its own mini trucks entirely. Instead, it turned to Daihatsu, another Toyota group company, for badge-engineered replacements.
While this shift made sense from a business perspective, the Japanese mini truck market lost a truly distinctive vehicle in the process. Adding to the disappointment, the latest versions of the regular cab, van, and extended cab models are only available in white and silver, a far cry from the broader range of colors offered by Daihatsu on their equivalent models. This narrowing of options reflects the transformation of a once-characterful mini truck brand into just another player in the Japanese mini truck segment.
Buying A Subaru Sambar Japanese Mini Truck
Subaru Sambars are rare here at Mini Truck Depot. The 6th generation ones that were the final independently developed models are getting pretty old now. If you’re after a newer model, why not just get a Daihatsu Hijiet instead because they’re basically identical and have more color options?
Having said that, we’re always adding more Japanese mini truck inventory, and those latest Sambars are only a Subaru badge removed from the super-popular Hijet, so we do get them in sometimes. Why not check our mini trucks for sale page to see if any are available?
