The Rotary-Engined Pickup Truck You’ve Never Heard Of

In the wild and sometimes weird history of automobiles, few vehicles stand out quite like the Mazda Rotary Engine Pickup, or REPU. Produced for just four model years between 1974 and 1977, this compact truck holds a unique and unchallenged title: the only mass-produced pickup ever powered by a Wankel rotary engine. Sold exclusively in the United States and Canada, the REPU was a bold experiment, merging the everyday utility of a pickup with the high-revving, unconventional powerplant that had become Mazda’s signature.