This 1974 Ford Courier is a beautifully preserved example of something you just can't get in America anymore; a truly tiny pickup truck. This one's ready to go to work, and bids are still sitting below four grand in a as of Friday morning.

Introduced in 1971, the Ford Courier pickup (not to be confused with the Ford Courier sedan of the 50's, which had nothing to do with this truck) was (trading as Toyo Kogyo) alongside the B-1600. Ford hastily rebadged the Japanese truck to get something on lots after Datsun and Toyota's mini-pickups made a bigger splash than the Americans anticipated.

A 1.8 liter engine coughed out 74 horsepower and 92 ft-lbs of torque, which was still supposedly enough to lug a little over half a ton in the bed. The truck rocked the same body style and configuration until 1977, when it was revised for the first time. It sold for less than $3,000 when it was new, and you might be able to have it for just a bit more of today's money by the weekend depending on how the auction goes!

This first-generation example is being sold from Idaho, and the owner claims it's lived its life in relative rust-free bliss on the west coast. It looks pretty well all-original and damn tidy. The seats, dashboard, and bed could use a little love if you're planning a concourse restoration but it'll serve you just fine as-is if you only need an efficient and compact cargo carrier.

Whatever you end up doing with this classic Courier, I bet you'll have a lot more fun than you would with a pair of silicone chest melons. You look great just the way you are, and imagine all the fun stuff you could carry around with incredible efficiency in this thing! Maybe a patch of actual melons to sell at your farm stand? You can have that idea for free, if you buy this Courier and give me a ride.

Hat tip to ! Images via eBay.