Retro Review: Mazda B-Series Pickup Trucks (2024)

Here’s why the Mazda B-Series remained a reliable and robust small pickup truck in the North American market for decades.

Both Small and Mighty

2004 Mazda B-Series – news.mazdausa.com | Shop Mazda B-Series on Carsforsale.com

The global landscape of pickup trucks today is quite large but none are particularly small in terms of size. One of the very last small pickups to leave the market was Mazda’s excellent B-Series.

Over a number of decades, it grew from a simple and reliable pickup into one of the most innovative and reliable on sale. Here’s a deeper dive into how the B-Series made its mark on history and why we think it has room to return if Mazda ever decides to bring it back.

Mazda B-Series History

Mazda introduced the B-Series pickup back in August of 1961 but it wasn’t until late 1965 that Americans had their first taste of the little tough truck. It arrived as the B-Series moved into its second generation and along with that evolution came a 1.5-liter four-cylinder engine with about 71 hp. Dubbed the B1500 or the Proceed, the small truck remained largely unchanged until 1974.

That year, Mazda introduced the Rotary Engine Pick-up or the REPU. Built specifically for the North American market, the REPU was the world’s only rotary-powered truck and at the time cost just $3,500. Despite strong sales in the first year, the energy crisis and other factors saw the REPU discontinued in 1976.

By 1977, Mazda introduced the third generation of the B-Series pickup now called the B1800. That was fitting as it used a 1.8-liter engine at this point in history. Both the engine displacement and badging would continue to increase over the years. In 1980, the B2000 was born and in 1981, the diesel-powered B2200 debuted.

Mazda spent somewhere in the neighborhood of $100 million during its time developing the next generation of the B-Series, a truck that would begin production for the 1986 model year. Despite its best efforts, the small pickup never sold well enough to justify paying America’s Chicken Tax against foreign trucks. As a result, the B-Series turned into a rebadged Ford Ranger beginning in 1994.

Mechanical Features

The B-Series is well-loved for its simple and robust design. No, it won’t tow a boat, and most models featured rear-wheel drive only but there was little doubt about the B-Series’ utility. Its diminutive size makes it easy to pilot in any situation and its small engines make for decent fuel economy too. It’s clear when we break down engine development that Mazda continually pushed its technology forward over the lift of the B-Series.

From its original 1.5-liter four-cylinder with just 71 horsepower, the brand moved to a 1.6 with 93 horsepower and then branched out to the aforementioned rotary motor. It made 110 hp and weighed just 130 pounds. Throughout the earliest years of production, the B-Series employed manual transmissions only. It wasn’t until the third generation arrived in 1977 that Mazda offered an automatic, in this case, a three-speed, as an option.

Again, Mazda made the most of what it had available. That innovative spirit was the key to the B-Series’ success as buyers didn’t need a flashy interior or luxury items. They wanted a reliable pickup that was easy to drive and featured quick bed access.

Mazda stayed focused on its customer base by offering different bed sizes and then in 1985 with the addition of four-wheel drive. Despite its reputation for being a workhorse, the last generation of the B-Series was well known for its smooth ride and car-like handling. It even offered an extended cab with jump seats that added passenger capacity.

Near the end of its life, it offered a 2.6-liter Mitsubishi-derived engine along with a five-speed manual transmission or a four-speed automatic. Before finally bowing out as a Mazda-built product in 1994, the automaker ditched the Mitsubishi engine and went back to its own 2.2-liter four-cylinder.

Mazda B-Series Trucks

Today’s truck market is full of so-called mid-size trucks like the Ford Ranger, the Chevrolet Colorado, and the Toyota Tacoma but the market is fully devoid of a truck as small but mighty as the Mazda B-Series. While it was in production the B-Series went toe to toe with excellent rivals from Datsun, Toyota, and Chevrolet.

It might not have made it out but it pushed all of those brands to be even better and more innovative. Today, it remains one of the coolest classic pickups that one can buy. The rotary-powered versions of the B-Series even demand a premium these days so long as they’re in good condition.

2009 Mazda B-Series – news.mazdausa.com | Shop Mazda B-Series on Carsforsale.com

Perhaps it’s time for Mazda to return to the market with a modern mini pickup. The Ford Maverick and Hyundai Santa Cruz certainly make a case for it.

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