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Mazda's partnership with Ford has resulted in the sharing of this vehicle—the Mazda B-Series and Ford Ranger are essentially the same. In Australia and New Zealand, since the 1970s, the Ford Courier name is also used and the line continues today. However, it should be borne in mind that the Mazda B-Series and Ford Ranger twins found inside North America are unrelated to the ones sold elsewhere. These are engineered by Mazda, whereas the North American models are developed by Ford.
KeicarsMazda produced a number of tiny keicar pickup trucks in the 1960s and 1970s. These are documented on other pages. B360The 1961-1963 Mazda B360 was a pickup version of the R360 keicar. B600The 1962 B600 was similar to the B360 except that it shared the P600's 586cc engine. PorterThe Mazda Porter/E360 was a bit larger, but still a tiny truck produced from 1968 through 1977. It replaced the B360. Compact Pickups1961The Mazda B-Series truck was introduced in Japan in 1961 as the B1500/Proceed. It had a 1484cc SOHC water-cooled engine, and presaged many of the compact pickups of today. 1965The 1965 B1500/Proceed continued with the same 1484cc inline 4. 1972The B-Series was introduced to the United States with the 1972 B1600. It was joined in 1974 by the similar rotary-powered Rotary Pickup. The engine was enlarged to 1.8 L for 1977's B1800. Engines: 1978The 1978 B2000 used a 2.0 liter F/MA engine. This truck was introduced in the United States in 1980, replacing the B1800 there. The 2.2 L B2200 joined this truck in 1982. The US B-Series continued through 1985, one year past the Japanese version, though the 2.0 L engine was updated that year. Engines: 1985A new Proceed/B-Series was introduced in 1985 (1986 in the United States) and was produced until 1991. A 4-speed automatic transmission was the primary choice, with a 5-speed manual transmission through 1989. Part-time four wheel drive was another option. The 2.6 L Mitsubishi-powered B2600 was introduced in 1986, though the United States introduction lagged by a year. 1987 saw the Mazda straight-4 enlarged to 2.2 L in the B2200, with the smaller engine phased out after that year. The Mitsubishi engine was gone for 1988 (1989 in the United States), replaced by a new family of Mazda powerplants. Engine options:
1992The 1992 Proceed/B-Series was updated again but had a short life in North America, where it was replaced by a Ford Ranger twin in 1994. However, this version continued to the end of the decade in most other countries, including Japan. Engine options: 1994The North American 1994 Proceed/B-Series was new, the design having been merged with the Ford Ranger. Mazda continued to manufacture its own trucks in Japan and elsewhere, but for the North American market, the design was shared, as were the engines. The new B3000 and B4000 boasted large Ford V6 engines, and the manual transmission returning to the options sheet. Extended cab models were available, as was all wheel drive, and two trim lines, LE and SE. The 3.0 L B3000 was dropped for 1997, and the entire line was refreshed after that year. The Japanese model continued separately in other markets, also known as the B-Series. Engine options:
1998North America saw an entirely new Ranger/Proceed/B-Series again for 1998, with a larger base engine. An available 5-speed automatic transmission was a novelty. The 1999 B-Series added four doors, a first in the extended-cab pickup truck market. A refresh and updated 4.0 L V6 came in 2001. Engine options:
1999For the 2000 model year, Mazda renewed its own B-series for non-North American markets. This model was also launched as the Ford Ranger in Europe and Asia, and the Ford Courier in Australia and New Zealand. Production also began in Thailand and Indonesia. In 2002, a 'Freestyle' model became available on this platform, with rear "suicide doors". Revisions to the rest of the range came in 2002 and 2004. These models are totally unrelated to the Mazda B-series and Ford Ranger models in North America. In some countries, the Mazda Bravo name is used for this line. 2002For 2002, Mazda dropped the B-Series name in the United States, calling it the Mazda Truck instead. Engine options:
2003Ford spun off a Ford Everest SUV off the Asian Mazda B-series platform for south and southeast Asian markets.
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