Mazda · 1961-1965
B-Series (1st Gen)
The 1961 B1500 was the first Mazda B-Series pickup, sold in Japan with a 1.5-liter 59-hp four and torsion-bar front suspension. It was never sold in the US.
- Years
- 1961-1965
- Drivetrain
- RWD
- Engines
- 1.5 L UA OHV
- Sold in
- Japan (not US)
Spec sheet
- Generation
- 1st Gen
- Production
- 1961–1965
Japan production years (not sold in the US)
- Assembly
- Hiroshima, Japan
- Sold in
- Japan (not US)
- Codes
- BUA61BUB61BUAVD (light van)
- Body styles
- Pickup (styleside)Double-cab truckDouble-cab coupé utility "Pickup"Light van
- Drivetrains
- RWD
- Transmissions
- 3-speed manual4-speed manual3-speed automatic
- Wheelbase
- 98.2 / 102 in
- Length
- 163.4 / 167.1 in
- Payload
- 1 tonne (Wikipedia, BUD61)
Engines
- Displacement
- 1.5 L (1,484 cc)
- Config
- I4
- HP
- 59 hp
- Years
- 1961-1965
- Notes
- 44 kW / 60 PS
Highlights
- 01
- Introduced in Japan in August 1961 as the B1500
- 02
- Torsion-bar front / leaf-spring rear suspension – advanced for its time
- 03
- The only Japan-market truck actually badged "B-series" (B1500)
Photos
Mazda B-Series (1st Gen) 1961-1965, image 1 of 2
Mazda B-Series (1st Gen) 1961-1965, image 2 of 2
Related
Overview
The B-Series debuted in Japan in August 1961 as the B1500 (BUA61), slotted above Mazda's kei trucks. Its 1,484 cc OHV four-cylinder made about 59 hp and a one-ton payload was claimed. Torsion bar front suspension with leaf springs at the back gave it a smooth ride for the era.
The truck was lengthened and remodeled between late 1962 and September 1963 (BUB61), and a double-cab, a coupé-utility "Pickup" and a light van were offered for a short time. It was replaced in October 1965 by the squarer second generation.
This generation never reached North America; US sales began with the B1600 in 1972.