Cars that thrive on US roadways are not always ideal for other countries. So American automakers have long adapted their vehicles for foreign markets. Adaptations over the border range from minor badging adjustments to different body styles.
One oddly familiar American vehicle with a foreign twist comes from Mexico—the three-door Ford B-100 Carryall. The owner imported this 1979 model from Mexico and registered it with a US title in El Paso, Tex.
Heart of a Truck, Soul of a Wagon
The B-100 is strange. It has three rows of bench seats with room for eight to 10 passengers—room for the entire Cub Scout pack. It also has one door on the driver’s side and two on the passenger’s, with barn doors in the back.
This ’79 Ford B100 has two passenger-side doors and one on the driver’s side—earlier examples had just two doors.
Body construction was left to local coachbuilders. Variations include a panel truck with no rear windows and a two-door version. The Ford F-Series chassis underpins the entire lineup, using the front section of an F-150 from the era.
The trusty Ford 302 was upfront.
Most B-100s have 302 V-8s and four-speed manual transmissions. On the market from 1963 to 1994, the B-100 wore several body styles to match the contemporary F-150. Of course, Americans couldn’t buy a Ford like this, but the 1979 Chevrolet Suburban—a people hauler wagon on a truck chassis—is similar in concept.
Room for the Entire Band
Michael Lightbourn, the seller, also sells exotic fare like Porsches and Aston Martins. He says there are about 40 Ford B-100s in the US—15 of which he imported.
Lightbourn said:
I have another nine waiting to come in. Everyone is going crazy for them. They’re the next Bronco.
Interiors were relatively spartan, but there was room for eight to 10 people.
Ford B-100 trucks are known as “mariachis” in Mexico because they can fit an entire mariachi band. Lightbourn has people in Mexico scouring the countryside for them. They aren’t numerous, even down there.
Lightbourn explained:
The one I’m selling is one of the better ones. It runs and drives pretty nice. There’s some rust in the floors and rockers, which is unusual—more commonly they rust in the roof because the seams were left open when the bodies were put on. In Mexico, these are base models, without air conditioning or even a heater.
Lightbourn has all three versions—two-door, three-door, and the panel truck.
The Next Big Thing in Classics?
Could the Ford B100 be the next Bronco?
Ford also sold the B-100 in Argentina, so some arriving on American shores come from the land of tango. At some point, we might see tricked-out B-100s with modern drivetrains, 23-speaker stereos, leather seats, power windows, and air-conditioning. The public can’t get enough of revived, beefy, vintage SUVs.
Yes, the B100 is like a Chevrolet Suburban of the period, but Ford sold it in Mexico and Argentina only.
Cameron Aubernon, a contributor to the eBay Motors Blog, wrote this about the B-100 for Ford Truck Enthusiasts:
Already rare in Latin America, the B-100 is the proverbial needle in a haystack in the US. Yet, a handful of these unique rigs have found their way up. Some wind up as the basis for cool customs. After all, it’s an F-Series underneath. Thus, all the aftermarket upgrades meant for them also work for the big SUV.
Even though the bodies are unique to the B-100, just about everything else is stock Ford F-Series from the period. So there’s no trouble at all servicing or replacing that 302. And any parts specific to the 1979 F-150 are widely available.
Expect restomod versions of the B-100, like this example with air suspension.
Local markets come up with variations that work well in the proper context. Consider the Ute in Australia, a continuation of the Chevy El Camino. The Ford B-100 for sale on eBay is an example of what we could have had in the US. But thanks to enterprising importers selling on eBay, we can finally enjoy alternative south-of-the-border SUV goodness.
Shop now for Ford pickups
