The Mazda Porter and Porter Cab are a series of small kei trucks that were produced from 1961 to 1989 (as the B360/B600 until 1968) by Mazda, mainly for sale in the domestic Japanese market. Export versions of the Porter were labelled E360. The Porter was replaced by the Autozam Scrum, a rebadged Suzuki Carry.

thumb|Mazda Porter Van

B360/B600

The predecessor of the Porter, introduced in February 1961, the Mazda B360, was available as a pickup (KBBA33) or light van (KBBAV) version of the R360 kei passenger car. It had a 356 cc OHV V-twin producing (BA) and weighed . The 1961 export only Mazda B600 (KBEA) was similar to the B360 except that it received an enlarged 577 cc version of the air-cooled V-twin. This engine produced and of torque.

In September 1963 the B360 gained the four-cylinder, 358 cc DB OHV engine from the Carol. It was only ever sold with van bodywork there. The B600 was a common sight in Indonesia for decades, so common that its V-twin engine has become popular for use in custom motorcycles. Since 2010, the supply of B600 engines has begun to dry up, however, with prices increasing accordingly.

In 1972, the B360/600 entered license production in Burma (today's Myanmar). Mazda's investment consisted of shipping the production equipment to Burma; this was part of Japanese war reparations to Myanmar. After strict sanctions were imposed in 1988 and the import of Japanese parts became impossible, manufacture shifted to MADI (Myanmar Automobile and Diesel Engine Industries). The little trucks were built in the "No 2 Automobile Industry" plant in the small town of Tonbo, at Kwinhla Station, Pandaung Township, Bago Division (just north of Yangon), where MADI also assembled the Mazda Pathfinder and the Hino TE truck. The truck was kept in production until the mid-1990s with 100 percent local content. Always painted in blue from the factory, these were ubiquitous as taxis in Burma (Mandalay in particular) until after the markets opened up in 2011.

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File:Mazda B360 in the Mazda-Museum Augsburg 02 cropped.jpg|1963-1966 Mazda B360 Van (KBDAV; first facelift model)

File:Mazda B360 pickup (so cute!) in the Mazda Museum.jpg|1966-1968 Mazda B360 truck (KBDA33; second facelift)

File:M030 Mandalay Little Taxi Mazda for little people (5696309222).jpg|Locally manufactured B360 taxi of Myanmar in the typical blue colour.

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Porter

Available either as a pickup truck (KBDB33) or a small van (KBDBV), the first Porter (E360 in export markets) was produced from November 1968 to April 1976. The car was closely based on the B360 predecessor, but with all-new body panels. This model was briefly assembled in South Africa by Motor Assemblies: 942 examples of the E360 were built there in 1969 and 1970.

The initial engine was the carry-over four-stroke, and 358&nbsp;cc inline-four from the B360. The engine was changed to the new Chantez' , 359&nbsp;cc water-cooled, two-stroke two-cylinder unit in April 1973,. This change brought with it some cosmetic changes and a new model code (KBAA/KBAAV). The headlight bezels were squared off, lending the car a more conventional appearance. In 1979 the car gained two more horsepower.

thumb|left|Interior

thumb|left|1983 facelift

thumb|left|1985 facelift

The second generation Porter Cab was only available in a bright blue color with light grey trim (bumpers, headlight bezels) and black interior, until the 1983 facelift after which only white was available. The facelifted version gained the cleaner Vulcan II engine (G23B), although power output remained the same. Trim pieces were now in a darker grey, interior brown.

In 1985 there was another minor facelift, with trim pieces now in black and a black band between the headlights. The engine switched from a timing chain to a timing belt, and the interior changed to gray. Air conditioning was now available as an option. In 1987 the Mitsubishi Minicab received Mitsubishi's new three-cylinder engine, but the Porter Cab had to soldier on with the old two-cylinder. In June 1989, after twenty years of continuous production with nothing more than facelifts, the Porter Cab was finally retired. It was replaced by the Autozam Scrum, a badge-engineered Suzuki Carry.

References

  • 360cc: Nippon 軽自動車 Memorial 1950-1975: p97, 2007.
  • Kazuo Ozeki, Memories of Japanese K-cars: 1951 ~ 1975: pp34–35, 85, 94–96. 2007: Mikipress.