The compact/mid-sized pickup market has seen an interesting 180-degree shift over the years. In the and early 80s, the US domestic automakers did not make their own small trucks. Each had an import at some point. The Chevy Luv was an Isuzu, the Dodge D50 (later Ram D50) was a Mitsubishi and our subject truck, the Ford Courier, was a Mazda.
Some time after the domestics ramped up production of their own trucks, each would be sold back to the Japanese partner companies and marketed under their names. The Isuzu Hombre/I-series was the GM S-10 and Colorado/Canyon, the Mitsubishi Raider was the Dodge Dakota and the Mazda B-Series was the Ranger.
What many forget is that the 1963 “Chicken Tax” imposed a 25% tariff on imported light trucks. This Courier and the Luv were “loophole trucks”, in that they were as chassis cabs and had beds added in the US.
Condition is claimed as very good and the pictures seem to agree. The seller admits the seats aren’t original – I figured there was no way this vehicle had cupholders in the 70s.
So, is $6,500 for a cool little truck with a great story and in very good condition a good deal, these days? With inflation and rising interest in Japanese classics, maybe it’s not completely crazy, though something closer to 5K sounds a bit more palatable. It’s just hard to imagine, given trucks like this were swapped in the $2,500 range and under for a very long time.
Click for Craigslist ad
Burbank, CA
$6,500
Here’s a full-sized Ford, for scale.
Yep, this pretty much looks like a 70s compact pickup.
Color-keyed steel wheels with mini moons look very cool.
The interior looks great here, though a purist might want original-style seats.
Sorry, there’s no rotary under the hood of this Mazda truck! Just a 1.8-liter I4. The drive is not likely to be sporty, but it probably moves well enough, given light weight.
Ad text:
1974 ford courier. 1.8 4 cylinder engine. (Built by Mazda ). 4 speed . It was painted a couple of years ago and has held up well.
You will not find another in this shape for this money. Quite frankly you won’t find anything available in this condition for this cost. No Smog in California ever.
This truck is all original. The only up grades are the seat. This has been my daily driver for the almost 2years. Very reliable. Has the original tool kit and owners manual.
This truck gets more attention then any car I have owned. I am ready for a more modern car and I am sorry to let this go. I know I will never find one this clean.
6500.00
Ed
Here’s a little info on the history of the Ford Courier
In the early 1970s, the Ford Courier name was applied to a compact pickup, manufactured by Mazda. It had greater fuel economy than the full-size pickups of the time. The Courier was manufactured by Toyo Kogyo (Mazda), and imported and sold by Ford Motor Company as a response to the unforeseen popularity of the small Toyota and Nissan/Datsun pickups among young buyers in the West.Like the other mini-pickups of the time, it featured a sub-2 liter four cylinder engine, a four speed manual transmission, rear wheel drive, an impressive load capability of 1,400 lb (635 kg) considering its size, and a fairly small price tag compared to full size pickups of the time. To circumvent the 25% “Chicken tax” on light trucks, Couriers (as with Chevrolet LUVs) were imported in “cab chassis” configurations, which included the entire light truck, less the cargo box or truck bed and were only subject to a 4% tariff.Subsequently, a truck bed would be attached to the chassis and the vehicle could be sold as a light truck.
The 1st generation Ford Courier sold for a little over US$3,000 when introduced–close to the price of the larger F-100.
The body styling was effectively that of the related Mazda B-series; however, its frontal styling was unique, with a grille designed to emulate the larger Ford F-series, and large single headlights instead of the B-series’ smaller twin units.
When the Courier was introduced it came standard with a 1.8 liter overhead cam engine, which produced 74 hp (55 kW) at 5,070 rpm, and 92 lbf·ft (125 N·m) at 3,500 rpm. A 4-speed manual transmission was standard, and there was also a 3-speed automatic option (a 5-speed manual option came in 1976).
The Courier’s badging changed a few times in the first-generation. In 1972 and 1973, the tailgate read “COURIER” in large raised letters, with a small “FORD” badge on the upper left. The 1972s have a small “COURIER” badge on the front of the hood (from ’73 on through ’76 the hood badging read “FORD”). From the 1974 model year the tailgate read “FORD” in large letters, with a small “COURIER” badge on the lower right. In 1976 the cab was lengthened 3 inches (76 mm), and the grille received added trim.
Check out the link to view a original sales ad.