How many Subaru Brumby are left in New Zealand?
Scarce 1 in 20,150 on the road Built 1978-1992 Sold new in New Zealand
Updated from the NZTA Motor Vehicle Register, counted as at 31 August 2026. Recounted every month.
A small four-wheel-drive ute based on the Subaru Leone, built from 1978. It was called the Brumby in Australia, after the wild horse, and the BRAT in America, where two rear-facing seats were bolted into the tray so it could be taxed as a passenger car. Light, simple and hard to bog, it became a farm favourite.
Still on the road, by model year
The most are from 1991: 61 still registered. Every year is listed under the chart.
Every model year
| Model year | Still registered |
|---|---|
| 1978 | 1 |
| 1979 | 1 |
| 1980 | 1 |
| 1981 | 9 |
| 1982 | 7 |
| 1983 | 9 |
| 1984 | 6 |
| 1985 | 3 |
| 1986 | 4 |
| 1987 | 15 |
| 1988 | 6 |
| 1989 | 27 |
| 1990 | 34 |
| 1991 | 61 |
| 1992 | 48 |
What Scarce means
Spotto grades every car by how many are still registered in New Zealand. With 232 still registered, the Subaru Brumby is Scarce: the grade for cars with 175 to 1,199 left.
By how many are left it ranks 13th of the 30 Subaru models and equal 796th of all 2,903 cars in Spotto's catalogue.
The six grades: Common, 8,000 or more · Uncommon, 1,200 to 7,999 · Scarce, 175 to 1,199 · Rare, 25 to 174 · Super rare, 5 to 24 · Unicorn, fewer than 5.
Seen one?
Spotto grades every car on New Zealand roads by how many are still registered, down to the generation and the badge. Log the ones you spot, build a collection, and see who else has found one.