Subaru Sambar 360 Mini Van

[okfine]

This is a 1969 Subaru Sambar 360. It's powered by a 356cc vertical inline twin cylinder 2-stroke engine and produced 25 horsepower coupled to a 4-speed transmission. The first Subaru's entered the US market from Japan in 1969. I believe the first vehicles offered were the variants of the above micro busses and a 2-door car.
A neighbor had one of those vans and my friend traded his Honda 90 step-through for it. That was in 1971. It looked just like the van pictured except it didn't have any of the four doors or seats in the rear except for the engine cover. Not the safest vehicle and how they were licensed for the road is a mystery to me.
One Saturday morning ten of us were riding in the 'baru and we rolled it onto it's side going maybe 20 mph. Three guys in the front, three on the engine cover and four of us on the floor. I was in the back sitting on the floor when it happened. I was thrown out and the roof rail landed on my leg causing a compound fracture just above my right ankle. One guy broke some ribs and another suffered a broken arm while another guy's arm went through the back window and cut him pretty bad. Two of the guys were twins and one of them had a broken ankle. They were runaways from Michigan who used to live in the neighborhood. Those were the good old days.

 

[okfine]

Really nice 1969 Sambar 360 truck...

 

[Moonglow]

Really nice 1969 Sambar 360 truck...

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I like that style the passenger has to do all the work.

 

[okfine]

I like that style the passenger has to do all the work.

How about the frenched in license plate?

 

[Moonglow]

How about the frenched in license plate?

Cops probably would not like it.

 

[Rigby5]

Its too bad the US made this style of more efficient and better mileage vehicles illegal.
There was no basis for the US doing that.
We should have allowed them and we could still use them now.
Most people do not need highway speed vehicles.
They are much safer since they can avoid accidents more easily.
The strength to weight ratio is vastly better.
There was no legal basis for them not being allowed to be imported, other than the US car makers wanted to keep their monopolies.

 

[okfine]

The Sambar is only 3 meters long. To get a perspective on the size, here is one next to a Chevy Suburban...

 

[okfine]

The cousin of the Subaru owner had one of those mail carts. I remember when he got it from the auction.

 

[odanny]

BMW Isetta, you and your passenger get in from the front hatch.