1996 Subaru Sambar Special II · RWD · 49,100 mi

Here is a 1996 Subaru Sambar, finished in White, imported from Japan and available to buy now. The combination here is RWD and a manual box. The chassis identifier is KS3-126715.

Key figures

• Year: 1996
• Make: Subaru
• Model: Sambar
• Chassis code: KS3
• Drivetrain: RWD
• Transmission: Manual
• Odometer: 49,100
• Engine: 4 cylinder
• Colour: White
• Chassis number: KS3-126715
• Body type: Kei Truck / Mini Truck
• Stock reference: BUC46923

The KS3 Sambar, in context

KS3 is the rear-drive Sambar truck of 1990 to 1999 — and rear drive here is literal, because Subaru hung the engine behind the rear axle rather than putting it under the cab. The engine itself is the one thing no other kei truck had: the EN07, a 658cc inline *four*, where every rival used three cylinders. Weight over the driven axle and four smaller pistons are the two reasons Sambar owners talk about these the way they do.

Odometer: 49,100 miles, approximately 79,000 km. Subaru's EN07 is a 658cc inline-four rather than a triple, so it turns over with four smaller reciprocating masses than anything else in the class, and the model's surviving population covers a wide span of readings.

Why this configuration

Rear-wheel drive on a kei truck puts the drive where the load is. With the engine under or behind the cab and the bed directly over the driven axle, adding weight to the deck improves traction rather than hurting it — the opposite of what happens on a front-driven vehicle.

Under $5,000 is the entry point for an imported kei truck in the United States, and it generally means an older vehicle with a higher reading on the clock rather than a compromised one. Our kei truck price guide sets out what separates the bands.

To proceed

Built in 1996, it sits the far side of the 25-year federal import cut-off. Import documentation and titling are handled at our end, and we ship nationwide. Priced at $4,914; message us and we will hold it for you.