1996 Subaru Sambar Van Classic#BUC83959

We have this 1996 Subaru Sambar Van Classic on the lot, finished in Green, imported direct from Japan.

1996 Subaru Sambar Van Classic: the background

Subaru built the Sambar in-house from 1961 until the last one left the line on 29 February 2012, after which the badge moved onto a rebadged Daihatsu. A 1996 vehicle comes from the in-house era. Putting the engine behind the rear axle loads the driven wheels, and that is a large part of why Sambars have the traction reputation they do. Subaru's rocker covers carry a cast "CLOVER4" badge with a four-leaf clover — a nod to the four-cylinder layout the company built its kei reputation on.

The paperwork on this 1996 Sambar Van Classic

The odometer reads 127800 km and the listing records a condition of used. The listing records Electronic fuel injection.

Body and payload on this Sambar Van Classic

It is listed at 330cm in length, 140cm in width and 190cm in height. Recorded figures include a kerb weight of 880kg, a rated load capacity of 200kg and 8.77m³ of measured cargo volume. Body type on the 1996 paperwork reads Kei van, Vans, seating 4.

Mechanical specification of this Sambar Van Classic

Power comes from the EN07, a 660cc unit. Subaru was the last maker to keep a four-cylinder in the kei class, and the EN07 is that engine — four small cylinders instead of three larger ones, which is why a Sambar is so much less busy than a three-cylinder rival. The KV3 runs an automatic gearbox.

Owning a Sambar Van Classic

Sambar Van Classics were bought in Japan for delivery rounds, trade work and mobile services, and the body reflects exactly that brief. This 1996 Sambar Van Classic spent its working life on Japanese registration, where a light goods vehicle faces its first statutory shaken inspection at two years and another every two years after that. It is listed at $5,750.