Junkyard Gem: 1979 Ford Courier
Last month, we stumbled upon a Mitsubishi pickup rebranded with Dodge badges. This time, it’s the turn of a Mazda small truck donning Ford badges. I found this intriguing 1979 Ford Courier at a self-service junkyard in Carson City, Nevada—an exciting discovery for any car enthusiast!
Back in the early 1970s, automakers were eager to tap into the U.S. market with compact pickups. In 1972, GM introduced the Isuzu Faster, marketed as the Chevrolet LUV. Around the same time, Ford struck a deal with Mazda to sell the Mazda Proceed under the Courier name in the U.S.
At that point in 1979, Mazda was still officially known as the Toyo Kogyo Company, having dropped the “Cork” part of its name decades earlier. The Courier, named after Ford’s 1950s sedan delivery models, was sold until 1982, when it was replaced by Ford’s own Ranger. Meanwhile, Mazda continued to sell this model in the U.S. under the B-Series badge, even offering a rotary-powered version for a brief period. The final B2600 models were sold as 1993 models, after which they too were replaced by rebadged Rangers.
This 1979 Ford Courier longbed had a Manufacturer’s Suggested Retail Price (MSRP) of $4,859, which would be around $22,351 today. To put it into perspective, the 1979 Dodge D-50/Plymouth Arrow Pickup was priced at $4,819 ($22,167 today), the Chevrolet LUV at $4,486 ($20,635), the Toyota Hilux longbed at $4,938 ($22,714), and the Datsun 620 longbed at $4,929 ($22,673). If you were traveling back to 1979 and had to pick a small truck, the Toyota Hilux would have been my choice!
If you opted for the Mazda-badged version in 1979, the price was $4,945 ($22,747 today), making the Ford Courier version just a little more affordable. Under the hood, the Courier packed a 1.8-liter SOHC four-cylinder engine, carbureted for maximum simplicity. In 1980, the Courier and Mazda B2000 were upgraded to a 2.0-liter engine from the rear-wheel-drive Mazda 626.
The standard transmission was a four-speed manual, with a five-speed overdrive available for an additional $172 ($791 in 2024 dollars). For a smoother drive, a three-speed automatic was offered for an extra $375 ($1,725 today). The only automatic Courier I’ve ever found in a junkyard was a REPU (Rotary Engine Pickup).
Given that this is a Nevada truck, it escaped the rust issues commonly found in areas with road salt and high humidity. The odometer reads either 36,950 miles or 736,950 miles—there’s no way to be sure!
In 1979, Ford’s lineup ranged from the compact Courier to much larger models, ensuring they had something for everyone. This 1979 Ford Courier remains a testament to the era of small pickups—a beloved chapter in automotive history that still captures the imagination today.
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