Based upon the Toyota Vitz (known to us as the Yaris) of the era, the Toyota bB is a box-shaped subcompact MPV, which was initially marketed towards the younger male Japanese market, with the intention of appealing to young crowds that would go surfing or exploring on the weekend, and would benefit from a car that would not only transport all of their equipment, but also be flexible - with the front seats transforming to offer both a workspace and a flat (if somewhat compact) bed in the rear of the bB. 

Sold only in the Japanese market, the Open Deck was a JDM-only variant of the squared-off hatchback, replacing the traditional enclosed boot with an all-weather pickup bed, which could be covered with a tonneau for year-round use, along with a hinged rear window to carry oversized loads with ease. 

Underneath, the Open Deck remained the same as the standard bB, with the choice of either 1.3 or 1.5-litre VVTi engines, and the choice of a five-speed manual or four-speed automatic transmission.

Purchased by our vendor - a serial Japanese car enthusiast, who’s love for unusual JDM machinery extends to Kei cars and the likes of the Nissan Pao - as a daily runabout, this Open Deck has proven itself to be a reliable and enjoyable way to get around during daily errands and runabouts, as well as several longer-distance runs. 

With its four-speed automatic transmission, responsive engine and column-mounted shifter, it has also proven to be surprisingly refined even on longer journeys, whilst the converting seating space has proven its worth on several occasions, enabling our vendor to work out of the rear of the bB when early for appointments or in need of a mobile office space. 

In fact, only the most minor of issues have made themselves known with this Open Deck, such as the nearside electrically adjustable mirror motor becoming inoperable, and the rear load bay door catch detaching itself from the mechanism, though a workaround for this has been put in place, allowing the owner to actuate the catch manually from the inside of the tailgate panel.

Having been recently serviced in September 2020 and with less than 90,000km on the clock, this is one of only a handful of first-generation bB’s of any form in the UK, with so few registered on UK roads that they do not feature on any web-based census websites. 

You certainly won’t lose it in a car park!

Included with the car is a Japanese owners manual, several sheets of English literature on the bB Open Deck, and numerous invoices for works and parts carried out whilst in the vendor’s car and with the previous registered owner, who was the original business that imported the vehicle to the UK.

The V5 is also present - showing one former UK keeper - and two sets of keys. 

Typically of Japanese cars of the era, the design team were so far ahead of everyone else, that only the electrical systems truly give away the age of the bB Open Deck on the inside, and even the original stereo has been upgraded to a more modern Kenwood unit in this instance.

From what we could see, there are no signs of any damage to any of the seat covers, with the seats themselves remaining in typically excellent condition as expected from an imported vehicle, with minimal signs of wear and no noted deforming of any foams or heavy wear to bolsters. 

As a daily driver, there are numerous commensurate signs of usage, such as light scuffs to the hard plastics, minor wear to door cards and inner door sills, and the carpets and original floor mats would benefit from a steam cleaning to bring them back to their best, along with the rest of the interior needing a valet to bring it back to showroom-fresh condition, though all the wear we noted was purely superficial. 

Up above, the headlining was in excellent shape throughout, and the convertible front seats are in full working order.

As far as we could tell, almost all systems are working as Toyota intended, with the Air-conditioning blowing cold when requested, and the only issue being the aforementioned electrically-adjustable mirror being inoperable.

Beautifully boxy would be how we’d describe the bB, and the Open Deck variant is no exception. If anything, we love the quirky profile and proportions of this subcompact pickup - you’ll get plenty of questions asking what it is at the petrol station, that’s for sure! 

The bodywork is lovely and straight throughout, with only a small ‘car park’ dent noted on the upper driver’s door, just below the window, whilst all doors and panels open and close with ease, with no obvious signs of any alignment issues.

The paintwork is also generally decent, though there is more superficial wear noted here, such as scuffs on all four corners, a flat spot towards the front of the roof above the windscreen, and heavier wear noted to the rear bumper and upper edge of the tailgate, though this is to be expected from a utility vehicle. There is also a notable mark on the offside rear quarter, along with the usual wear-and-tear such as stone chips and minor marks expected from a c. 90,000km car. 

All of the glass and lenses look to be in good order with no damage noted, though the headlight and fog light lenses are clouded, though this should be easily remedied by a competent detailer, should the next owner wish to address it.

Under the bonnet, the 1.5-litre VVTi engine presents well, though the engine bay would benefit from a fastidious detailing to bring it back to showroom condition, should the next owner wish to do so. That said, we saw no sign of any oil or fluid leaks, so this is purely an aesthetic concern. 

Firing up with ease even on a sub-zero morning and happily dealing with repeated restarts - thanks in part to a recent new battery - we noticed no strange or untoward behaviour from the engine or drivetrain, with the column-mounted shifter working as it should, the gearbox being nice and smooth, and the foot-operated parking brake holding nicely and releasing without issue.

The most recent MoT exam - dated 08 September 2021 - shows no advisory items, and resulted in a first-time pass. The car was also serviced during September 2021, with a simple oil and filter change being carried out.

For those of you looking for a useable, quirky and unusual daily driver, look no further. The bB may be strange in its appearance - you’ll either love it or hate it - it is wonderfully versatile, practical and comfortable, ideal for tackling everything from supermarket trips to house clearance runs, adventures to the beach or off-grid camping.

Presented in excellent mechanical order but with potential for aesthetic improvement - mostly to the paintwork - this 2001 Toyota bB Open Deck is a rare sight on UK roads, and would be an excellent daily drive for any JDM or unusual car enthusiast.