Subaru Sambar for Sale

Built on a different principle

When the Sambar appeared in 1961 — K71 truck, K81 van — Subaru put the engine at the back and gave it four-wheel independent suspension, and it kept both for fifty years. Every direct rival used a live rear axle and put the engine under the seats or the bed. Four-wheel drive became an option in 1980.

Generations, engines and gearboxes

The fourth generation (KT truck, KR van, 1982–1990) ran the 544 cc EK23 with four- and five-speed manuals, and four-wheel drive with a dual-range transmission.

The fifth (1990–1999) moved to the 660 cc EN07 — a four-cylinder, where the Acty, Hijet, Carry and Minicab of the day used three — in EN07C, F, L and V forms at 40 PS, or as the supercharged EN07Y at 55 PS. Transmissions were a five-speed manual, a three-speed automatic or a CVT, driving the rear wheels or all four through a viscous coupling. The sixth generation (1999–2012) carried the EN07 on at 46 to 48 PS, or 58 PS supercharged, with the five-speed manual or three-speed automatic; body width had grown to 1,480 mm in 1998.

Dias, and why the badge changed

Dias is the passenger version — the trim you want if people rather than pallets ride in the back, and the one that carried the supercharged engine most often.

Subaru announced in April 2008 that it would leave the kei class and stopped building its own kei vehicles on 29 February 2012. Since then the Sambar has been a rebadged Daihatsu Hijet. Everything with Subaru's own rear-engine layout therefore predates 2012, which is the entire span of what we hold.

What is in stock

158 Sambar, 1983–2001: 83 recorded four-wheel drive, 134 manual, 24 automatic, and 88 noting an extra-low or hi-lo range. Trucks, vans, Dias trims and a few tipping dumps are all represented.

Before you buy one

The rear-engine layout puts the mechanical inspection at the back of the vehicle rather than under the cab — check for oil around the engine bay and at the rear crossmember, and check that the cooling system and its long plumbing runs are intact. On supercharged cars there is an extra system to inspect and to source parts for. Elsewhere it is the usual kei-truck story: bed floor, frame rails, cab corners. The registration side is local. Find out what your state expects before money changes hands; ask us if you would like help.