Of all the Japanese car brands, you’d think this one would have appeared here before. Subarus have an oddball history, with unusual styling, flat-4 engines, and all-wheel drive. And while many Japanese makes started out quirky, and gradually went mainstream, Subaru has stayed somewhat true to its roots, making its quirks into its key differentiators (sorry for the business-dork speak). Although, to be honest, Subaru has gone more mainstream in the dimensions of its cars, and has added frames to its windows. But on some level, that’s where all cars are moving as automotive technology matures even further – less than optimal solutions fall by the wayside.
Anyway, enough rambling! Let’s get back to the oddball cars. Subarus back in the 1970s were really pretty weird; maybe not so weird in the context of the other cars on the road when they were new, but with attrition and some hindsight, they are rather unusual cars. Beyond that, they had some pretty strange bodystyles, and while not terribly powerful, built a reputation for being tough and good in bad weather. Which brings us a car that’s become iconic for Subaru, with a famous seating arrangement. Our main feature for today is a Subaru Brat, which is listed for $2900 in the Canton area, north of Atlanta, GA.
Rusty But Trusty 