Mazda's first-ever B-series pickup, the 1961 B1500, was sleeker and more powerful than any rival truck in Japan — and pricier too, so it never sold in the numbers Mazda hoped for.
Lead trim: UA 1.5 L OHV
Nobody in Burbles has spotted a Mazda B-Series yet. See one on the street, point the app at it, and the first card is yours — with your @handle permanently credited on this page.
FactMazda's first-ever B-series pickup, the 1961 B1500, was sleeker and more powerful than any rival truck in Japan — and pricier too, so it never sold in the numbers Mazda hoped for.
The Mazda B-series pickup introduced in Japan in August 1961 as the B1500 (BUA61), the only Japanese-market model badged under the B-series naming scheme. It had a 1.5 L UA OHV four, a torsion-bar front and leaf-spring rear suspension that was advanced for its time, and a one-ton payload. Remodelled between late 1962 and September 1963 as the BUB61, with an 80 mm longer cabin and stretched wheelbase, an upside-down trapezoidal grille with thirteen bars instead of nine, fender turn signals and more chrome. Bodies included the standard "styleside" pickup, a double-cab truck, a double-cab "pickup" with an integrated coupé-utility body and a two-door fully glazed light van (BUAVD, September 1962) with a fold-down tailgate and electric window, rare in Japan then. Sleeker and considerably more powerful than its rivals but markedly more expensive, it failed to sell in the expected numbers. The page gives no reliable power figure for this generation.
Real Mazda B-Series cards spotted on the street by Burbles collectors. Tap any card to flip it over, inspect the collector’s binder, or follow them.
VerifiedFIRST PRINTONLY ONE IN VANCOUVER×2This generation of Mazda trucks was rated the most satisfying in America three years running — J.D. Power and Associates put it at No. 1 overall in 1986, 1987 and 1988.
VerifiedFIRST · WORLDWIDEFIRST PRINTPROThis generation of Mazda trucks was rated the most satisfying in America three years running — J.D. Power and Associates put it at No. 1 overall in 1986, 1987 and 1988.
One published trim in the catalogue. A blank is a figure not recorded, not zero.
| Trim | Years | Engine | Power | Torque | 0–60 | Drive | Gearbox | MSRP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UA 1.5 L OHV | 1961–1965 | 1.5 L Inline-4 | 59 hp | — | — | RWD | — | — |
We don’t estimate running costs for a car like this. What it costs depends on its condition, its specialist and how it is driven, and an average would mislead.
Nobody has claimed one yet.
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Mazda's first-ever B-series pickup, the 1961 B1500, was sleeker and more powerful than any rival truck in Japan — and pricier too, so it never sold in the numbers Mazda hoped for.
Same body, same money, other badges — tap any card to flip.
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