The Suzuki Samurai is appreciated today by enthusiasts as a solid basis for off-road builds, but back in the day ordinary car buyers were mostly concerned about its small size and propensity to tip over. Maybe things would’ve been different if Suzuki had brought a pickup version of the Samurai to the United States alongside the hardtop and convertible SUV body styles.
A Samurai pickup did exist, although it was sold with the Suzuki Jimny badging used outside the U.S. and also known by the internal code SJ410K. Through the magic of the 25-year rule, this 1982 model is now for sale in North Carolina. First spotted by Barn Finds, it’s listed on Facebook Marketplace with a $15,000 asking price.
This left-hand-drive pickup has a tray bed with sides that can fold down along with the tailgate. It also has a longer wheelbase than a standard Jimny/Samurai, according to the seller, who writes that the truck has been stored inside for more than 15 years of ownership and “runs and drives,” but has been sitting a long time.
A 1.0-liter four-cylinder engine makes 59 horsepower, sent to all four wheels. That’s definitely not much power, but even a little bit can do a surprising amount of work, especially in a vehicle of this size. Just don’t expect to get anywhere in a hurry.
The USDM Samurai was sold from 1985 to 1995—a pretty good run considering how the pint-sized SUV was often the butt of jokes, and was generally undersized and underpowered for this market. Its size and simplicity harkened back to the original Jeep, however, and are leading to more interest among collectors. Hagerty put the Samurai on its 2022 Bull Market List of cars slated to rise in value, saying at the time that a clean Samurai could be had for $10,000 to $14,500. Given the SJ410K’s rarity, $15,000 seems like a reasonable price in that context.
Suzuki may have withdrawn from the U.S. over a decade ago, but it’s still selling the Samurai’s descendent in other markets. Today’s Jimny is undeniably cool, but likely too small to be viable in the U.S.