Pardon me if such a thread exists already. Didn't see one while searching for a place to put the following images.
Have you ever seen a vehicle that was never sold in the US or Canada, but was still wearing its original plates (because it was simply being driven for holiday purposes)? For example, maybe you saw an Audi cruising around LA with GB plates, or maybe a caravan/RV with French plates? Perhaps even a Land Rover with Dutch plates? (I have seen all three of these, for what it's worth -- obviously I don't have any photos).
Realistically, cars from Mexico are kind of what I have in mind. Something like a VW Polo or Seat Ibiza would be awesome finds.
While at WalMart today (location south of Seattle), I spotted a Nissan Kicks with Chihuahua plates. Immediately, I thought it was a Juke, with some modded lights and a new badge. But I quickly realized that it was a non-Anglo vehicle based on the licence plate (Mexico) and that it had whited-out headlamps.
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi.imgur.com%2F9VaGEYt.jpg&hash=8930f6b0cc55b9bfcf799d1ab2f0e0d012557496)
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi.imgur.com%2FQADwdhS.jpg&hash=39b6991cc81bf088c94f3c0672a24e2a1e379f2d)
Does Montana count?
Then that's the most foreign plate I've seen.
Quote from: JJBers on July 05, 2017, 02:14:06 AM
Does Montana count?
Then that's the most foreign plate I've seen.
Unless you're being facetious, no.
Yes.... European plated vehicles (with the European Union Symbol) from St. Pierre-Miquelon......shown here on the dock in Fortune, Newfoundland.
https://goo.gl/maps/Bcg1xwTJfHo
I live along the Trans Canada in Nova Scotia and have spotted SPM plated vehicle passing through on the highway and also at our local McDonalds.
Vehicles are currently barged he 25 miles over to Newfoundland but a new ferry service begin this year..... so I imagine there will more spotted and also the opportunity to drive over to France for the day!
If you stay on a major road inside the Beltway for more than 10 minutes, you'll likely come across US State Department plates for diplomatic/staff/consular/etc. What's fun is that you can tell the car's diplmoatic status based on the leading letter of the plate (D= Diplomatic, with the Vienna Convention protections...S= Staff, etc) However they're a dime a dozen around here really.
NATO tags are more rare but easy to see around military bases where officers from NATO countries work at. Occasionally you'll see an un-plated foreign VIP car (e.g. like when the United States sends the presidential limosuine abroad in advance of a US president's visit to said country).
When I lived in Scottsdale it wasn't an uncommon sight. Thing is towards the time I moved it became more of rarity simply because most automakers started to share platforms across global regions. Probably the coolest was an older Holden Monaro that used to show to the Pavillions Car Show with Australian plates on it. The Scottsdale Cars and Coffee was a good place spot European stuff not offered here with original plates.
I saw a car with a Yucatan (Mexico) license plate once in my grocery store's parking lot on the Maryland/Pennsylvania border.
I seen some EU plates in Vallejo but that's because they were making gas stops from prior to other places this car really was planning to go to.
Quote from: AlexandriaVA on July 05, 2017, 08:32:48 AM
If you stay on a major road inside the Beltway for more than 10 minutes, you'll likely come across US State Department plates for diplomatic/staff/consular/etc. What's fun is that you can tell the car's diplmoatic status based on the leading letter of the plate (D= Diplomatic, with the Vienna Convention protections...S= Staff, etc) However they're a dime a dozen around here really.
You can also tell the country or orginization from the following two letter code, which they purposefully use random letters, so the average Joe cannot target a diplomat's car (i.e. the UK is WZ, not UK or GB; Panama is AJ, rather than PA or PN). Although you can look the codes up easily.
The codes date from Reagan's time, the Soviet Union was given FC, apparently meaning "F***ing Communists". (Today Russia is YR).
You would know better than I, but it seems that most cars with diplomatic plates around DC are US spec models obtained locally, often even having a dealer's frame around the plate or a sticker from the dealer on the trunk lid. However, the USA seems to want American diplomats overseas to drive "American" cars, shipping its employees' cars all over the world and back at great expense, even to places where such cars are inapproprate (too big, road system not devloped, EPA mandated fuels not available, no parts, keep left, etc).
Anyway, very occasionally I see a Mexican spec car with Mexican plates around here. I don't think I have ever seen anything more exotic than that. The people across the steet from my daughter have a Mexican VW pickup, but it has KY plates. How you get US plates for a car that is not sold here, especially one subject to the Chicken Tax, I don't know.
Quote from: ghYHZ on July 05, 2017, 03:18:09 AM
Yes.... European plated vehicles (with the European Union Symbol) from St. Pierre-Miquelon......shown here on the dock in Fortune, Newfoundland.
https://goo.gl/maps/Bcg1xwTJfHo
I live along the Trans Canada in Nova Scotia and have spotted SPM plated vehicle passing through on the highway and also at our local McDonalds.
SPM has to be one of the oddest situations in North America. It's literally a slice of France right in the maritimes.
I've checked street view of SPM before, to see all the French cars you can't get in North America (anymore at least). And the normal European plate...it's awesome.
Quote from: ghYHZ on July 05, 2017, 03:18:09 AM
Vehicles are currently barged he 25 miles over to Newfoundland but a new ferry service begin this year..... so I imagine there will more spotted and also the opportunity to drive over to France for the day!
Let's hope it gets used enough that they don't can the service. I'd love to have a drive over there at some point. Looks like a few fun roads. Nevermind all the European car spotting.
Quote from: SP Cook on July 05, 2017, 01:01:35 PM
Quote from: AlexandriaVA on July 05, 2017, 08:32:48 AM
If you stay on a major road inside the Beltway for more than 10 minutes, you'll likely come across US State Department plates for diplomatic/staff/consular/etc. What's fun is that you can tell the car's diplmoatic status based on the leading letter of the plate (D= Diplomatic, with the Vienna Convention protections...S= Staff, etc) However they're a dime a dozen around here really.
You would know better than I, but it seems that most cars with diplomatic plates around DC are US spec models obtained locally, often even having a dealer's frame around the plate or a sticker from the dealer on the trunk lid. However, the USA seems to want American diplomats overseas to drive "American" cars, shipping its employees' cars all over the world and back at great expense, even to places where such cars are inapproprate (too big, road system not devloped, EPA mandated fuels not available, no parts, keep left, etc).
Obviously most countries don't even have a domestic automobile industry to speak of. Obviously in today's economy, dividing lines are often tricky: if the German embassy buy a fleet of BMWs produced in Kentucky from a dealership in Northern Virginia, was that a "domestic" order?
Not just the diplomatic corps; the American taxpayer pays a hefy price for shipments of automobiles owned by members of the military. I think part of it stems from the fact that those careers involve frequent moves over long distances (including abroad), and that it is not good to have your workforce concerned about sales and purchases of cars every 2-3 years.
Quote from: Max Rockatansky on July 05, 2017, 11:40:38 AM
When I lived in Scottsdale it wasn't an uncommon sight. Thing is towards the time I moved it became more of rarity simply because most automakers started to share platforms across global regions. Probably the coolest was an older Holden Monaro that used to show to the Pavillions Car Show with Australian plates on it. The Scottsdale Cars and Coffee was a good place spot European stuff not offered here with original plates.
Seeing a real Holden reminds me of all the fakes ones I see. The Chevy SS's rebadged as Holden's? They're pretty common in Seattle. Pretty cheap modification to get a unique car. I actually don't mind it.
I was thinking when I wrote this post that the Southwest would be a gold mine for foreign car spotting, since Mexico gets quite a few (nigh, a lot more) cars that we don't (although we have quite a few cars that they don't have, but that's not the point).
I spotted a
new Ford Ranger back in 2014 on I-10 in Texas. It was bright blue. I had forgotten that they still sold the Ranger in Mexico, so for a short while, I thought I had spotted some manufacturer-plated testing vehicle.
Quote from: jakeroot on July 05, 2017, 03:01:58 PM
Quote from: Max Rockatansky on July 05, 2017, 11:40:38 AM
When I lived in Scottsdale it wasn't an uncommon sight. Thing is towards the time I moved it became more of rarity simply because most automakers started to share platforms across global regions. Probably the coolest was an older Holden Monaro that used to show to the Pavillions Car Show with Australian plates on it. The Scottsdale Cars and Coffee was a good place spot European stuff not offered here with original plates.
Seeing a real Holden reminds me of all the fakes ones I see. The Chevy SS's rebadged as Holden's? They're pretty common in Seattle. Pretty cheap modification to get a unique car. I actually don't mind it.
I was thinking when I wrote this post that the Southwest would be a gold mine for foreign car spotting, since Mexico gets quite a few (nigh, a lot more) cars that we don't (although we have quite a few cars that they don't have, but that's not the point).
I spotted a new Ford Ranger back in 2014 on I-10 in Texas. It was bright blue. I had forgotten that they still sold the Ranger in Mexico, so for a short while, I thought I had spotted some manufacturer-plated testing vehicle.
Yeah my Uncle has an SS and it is essentially a four door version of my Gen 5 Camaro, the Zeta platform has a really obvious feel to it. Even the V-Body GTO had a really similar feel to the Zeta cars. For what it's worth the G8/SS rebadging worked out way better styling wise than the GTO even did. Really that was the start of the era of true global platform sharing with minimal rebadging.
Most of the stuff that was recognizable was the really obvious Asian, Austrialia, and European stuff in the wealthy areas of Phoenix. It wasn't uncommon to see a Ranger or even a VW Bug with foreign plates but unless it was something like manufacturer deal it would be hard to spot if it was truly a foreign year only.
Quote from: jakeroot on July 05, 2017, 01:47:29 AM
Realistically, cars from Mexico are kind of what I have in mind. Something like a VW Polo or Seat Ibiza would be awesome finds.
Here's the most exotic plate I could find in America: Bahrain...spotted in a garage in Southern California.
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Flh3.googleusercontent.com%2FtLd24mtfa-5jJQIcyCX65OYnCrJkw7xrEbzVRA_E8oa1tcNv-sCba8uR26IAlHAxhCAAqRtQ8lKCTpN78UfXLSY-VXQ4Tbpq1908CKRz0K0KnLCmNethvIOvL8NIz56TxreiXwA_GLUDnzE5M_6DZA5Kh1qWvdYoAxPQGaLelwgTxhsGpN_i6FRQghOqW6KPZ61NwIRf5JqQQt5tYmjO17v6UczWXmwhKTRt_nG0p7fqnC9AmV09faX6gHAvf4SEklSCtQ6Ltp8wr0fzfjVAvYNc6V2rVbjD5RkFIn357bFHhbvqP31L0woJd4mvuYqI6wb6yQhv1v4MZF606Ic4NyIuCBpnLlc-BKa6zWOiBbZs4KmIjR0ujO4L3z_3La5HnNAP3l4dyaysXecQqRbeJXWtdk7XqIO59xAZYIlT0ISqL7sSc4xsZsQ-0zZ0UvxhKs-tjvrF3en9uJk5TEjp3eYysOzWbRQB_KRxjadQI_NmouCaeOMgmZRiL79kLGFuyFhlcJ9wccE994bDbRS1SNNypTVVjsUM1eN3RkTEZwAmMYuXN0cCVMHnKWX6gW0pWf32_UKuNGLOoE0lcJlLGpMXoaSb73qLFKnWI3rpl-HuqOFeIjqjzw%3Dw1072-h804-no&hash=dab44836f078aed49b9dbc6799958b7087e4e768)
Have a SEAT:
(https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8636/15662248149_466359f888_b.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/pS27Hc)
Here's a Chevy (Opel) Corsa:
(https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8625/15660905840_790760184a_b.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/pRUeFW)
Current-gen Nissan March - I've seen these in Vermont with Canadian plates - but this is in Brownsville, Texas:
(https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7472/15662487967_599d6a0360_b.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/pS3kZZ)
(probably more to follow later on)
Spotted a Volkswagen Gol once, but didn't have a camera ready. Never saw a Polo in the flesh.
Hang around Texas much, and you'll find Mexican plates aren't terribly rare. But I do enjoy seeing these "exotics", as they can be as rare as many supercars in the US.
Not quite the subject of this thread, but I was in Eugene, Oregon back in May and saw this:
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.corcohighways.org%2Fdodgeatosoregon.jpg&hash=7c6e7429963edf118081b97cf7d8225fdbf08dcc)
It's a Mexican market Dodge (Hyundai) Atos with Oregon plates! I have no idea how that one snuck by the DMV - it's completely not street legal to register in the United States. Pardon the bad picture - I was driving by it and grabbed my camera as I realized what I was seeing.
Quote from: corco on July 05, 2017, 05:04:46 PM
It's a Mexican market Dodge (Hyundai) Atos with Oregon plates!
The picture isn't terribly sharp, but that looks like the Hyundai H emblem on the front. So for the rebadged "Dodge" , they don't even do so much as hastily slap on a Dodge nameplate? That has to be a new low for laziness in badge engineering.
Mexico probably shouldn't count as I see a Mexican license plate probably every other day, no big deal.
I am interested by the foreign models that turn up here, however. To import a foreign car and upgrade it to U.S. specs must cost an arm and a leg.
Anyone seen a Renault (Dacia) Sandero? Just for the Top Gear reference.
Quote from: formulanone on July 05, 2017, 04:02:35 PM
Quote from: jakeroot on July 05, 2017, 01:47:29 AM
Realistically, cars from Mexico are kind of what I have in mind. Something like a VW Polo or Seat Ibiza would be awesome finds.
Here's the most exotic plate I could find in America: Bahrain...spotted in a garage in Southern California.
img
Have a SEAT:
img
Here's a Chevy (Opel) Corsa:
img
Current-gen Nissan March - I've seen these in Vermont with Canadian plates - but this is in Brownsville, Texas:
img
Spotted a Volkswagen Gol once, but didn't have a camera ready. Never saw a Polo in the flesh.
Hang around Texas much, and you'll find Mexican plates aren't terribly rare. But I do enjoy seeing these "exotics", as they can be as rare as many supercars in the US.
Nice! Great finds. The foreign, not-sold-in-USA "exotic" nature is exactly why I find them so interesting. Don't get me wrong, I love spotting something like a Touareg with the V10 TDI or an LFA, but these are cars that were sold in the US that I could, with the right amount of money, acquire legally regardless of age. That Ibiza or that March -- I couldn't legally ever own one, short of moving to Mexico. They aren't rare enough for the show-or-display law, nor old enough for the 25-year limit.
Quote from: corco on July 05, 2017, 05:04:46 PM
Not quite the subject of this thread, but I was in Eugene, Oregon back in May and saw this:
http://www.corcohighways.org/dodgeatosoregon.jpg
It's a Mexican market Dodge (Hyundai) Atos with Oregon plates! I have no idea how that one snuck by the DMV - it's completely not street legal to register in the United States. Pardon the bad picture - I was driving by it and grabbed my camera as I realized what I was seeing.
I should probably specify: cars that somehow squeaked by the DMV approval process, and are now registered here (even though they shouldn't be) do apply for this thread.
I'm not really sure what's going on in your image, but it looks like it's holding up traffic. Top speed of that thing looks to be about 20! :-D
I've actually seem something equally odd (although it was a far more "legal" vehicle due to similar Canadian regulations). A Mercedes B200 (W245) with California plates. The guy told me that he bought the car in Victoria, BC, and then paid some RI in California to bring it in for him. He wasn't very specific on the whole process, but it didn't sound legal to me...
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi.imgur.com%2FeqOE9d4.jpg&hash=0671a4130f1d368b84c3cfb72d97a4cf70597208)
Quote from: Takumi on July 05, 2017, 06:54:43 PM
Anyone seen a Renault (Dacia) Sandero? Just for the Top Gear reference.
It doesn't strcitly count, but in that Saint Pierre and Miquelon Street View link upthread, there's a Dacia Sandero right in the image. All he has to do is cross the water, and it'd count for this thread...
Quote from: ghYHZ on July 05, 2017, 03:18:09 AM
https://goo.gl/maps/Bcg1xwTJfHo
Quote from: Road Hog on July 05, 2017, 06:35:51 PM
Mexico probably shouldn't count as I see a Mexican license plate probably every other day, no big deal.
I was suggesting Mexico because I wanted newer cars that weren't sold in the USA or Canada. For example (as it relates to the comment above), the only legal way to spot a "Sandero" in the US is to either spot a Dacia with Saint Pierre and Miquelon (French) plates, or a Renault with Mexican plates. (Or, either of two with any foreign plate, imported by a diplomat, or, a foreigner who is on holiday in the US, and isn't keeping the car here).
Quote from: jakeroot on July 05, 2017, 07:32:15 PM
I've actually seem something equally odd (although it was a far more "legal" vehicle due to similar Canadian regulations). A Mercedes B200 (W245) with California plates. The guy told me that he bought the car in Victoria, BC, and then paid some RI in California to bring it in for him. He wasn't very specific on the whole process, but it didn't sound legal to me...
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi.imgur.com%2FeqOE9d4.jpg&hash=0671a4130f1d368b84c3cfb72d97a4cf70597208)
The B-Class was actually crash tested and certified for registration in the United States! Mercedes was considering actually selling it here and opted not to at the last minute (but I believe this only applies to 2006 Mercedes B-Classes).
Quote from: briantroutman on July 05, 2017, 05:18:53 PM
Quote from: corco on July 05, 2017, 05:04:46 PM
It's a Mexican market Dodge (Hyundai) Atos with Oregon plates!
The picture isn’t terribly sharp, but that looks like the Hyundai H emblem on the front. So for the rebadged “Dodge”, they don’t even do so much as hastily slap on a Dodge nameplate? That has to be a new low for laziness in badge engineering.
Yes. Many Dodge-badged Hyundais retained even the Hyundai logo and hubcaps. The only thing that made them different was a Dodge or "by Dodge" nameplate on the back.
For reference (not photographed in America), this is the final Hyundai-based Dodge Attitude
(https://scontent.fymy1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/17361535_10211529850098539_3230175338549124188_n.jpg?oh=0c7bf2ae36c790f0e6f578ebdebdae65&oe=5A0BA9F3)
(https://scontent.fymy1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/17308739_10211529854498649_8083879648102130826_n.jpg?oh=5801af94296d900bd6eb322d21689500&oe=5A01FB1D)
Quote from: corco on July 05, 2017, 07:46:56 PM
Quote from: jakeroot on July 05, 2017, 07:32:15 PM
I've actually seem something equally odd (although it was a far more "legal" vehicle due to similar Canadian regulations). A Mercedes B200 (W245) with California plates. The guy told me that he bought the car in Victoria, BC, and then paid some RI in California to bring it in for him. He wasn't very specific on the whole process, but it didn't sound legal to me...
http://i.imgur.com/eqOE9d4.jpg
The B-Class was actually crash tested and certified for registration in the United States! Mercedes was considering actually selling it here and opted not to at the last minute (but I believe this only applies to 2006 Mercedes B-Classes).
Oh nice! That makes sense. I still have yet to see more than just that one (in Tacoma).
Quote from: corco on July 05, 2017, 07:47:51 PM
Quote from: briantroutman on July 05, 2017, 05:18:53 PM
Quote from: corco on July 05, 2017, 05:04:46 PM
It's a Mexican market Dodge (Hyundai) Atos with Oregon plates!
The picture isn't terribly sharp, but that looks like the Hyundai H emblem on the front. So for the rebadged "Dodge" , they don't even do so much as hastily slap on a Dodge nameplate? That has to be a new low for laziness in badge engineering.
Yes. Many Dodge-badged Hyundais retained even the Hyundai logo and hubcaps. The only thing that made them different was a Dodge or "by Dodge" nameplate on the back.
For reference (not photographed in America), this is the final Hyundai-based Dodge Attitude
img's
Holy crap! That's hilarious! I've never seen anything like that.
Looks like some older versions (https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e6/2007-11_Dodge_Attitude.JPG) and some of the newer version had the "correct" RAM logo. The New Attitude, based on the Mirage, has the correct grill (https://s1.cdn.autoevolution.com/images/news/gallery/2015-dodge-attitude-is-a-reskinned-mitsubishi-mirage-photo-gallery_1.jpg).
Quote from: corco on July 05, 2017, 07:46:56 PM
Quote from: jakeroot on July 05, 2017, 07:32:15 PM
I've actually seem something equally odd (although it was a far more "legal" vehicle due to similar Canadian regulations). A Mercedes B200 (W245) with California plates. The guy told me that he bought the car in Victoria, BC, and then paid some RI in California to bring it in for him. He wasn't very specific on the whole process, but it didn't sound legal to me...
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi.imgur.com%2FeqOE9d4.jpg&hash=0671a4130f1d368b84c3cfb72d97a4cf70597208)
The B-Class was actually crash tested and certified for registration in the United States! Mercedes was considering actually selling it here and opted not to at the last minute (but I believe this only applies to 2006 Mercedes B-Classes).
I believe there's an electric version of the B-class that was sold in California for a couple years.
QuoteLooks like some older versions and some of the newer version had the "correct" RAM logo. The New Attitude, based on the Mirage, has the correct grill.
Yep, though you'll note the hubcaps still have the Hyundai H, as does the steering wheel! The Miragittude is properly Dodged up.
Quote from: Takumi on July 05, 2017, 08:58:00 PM
Quote from: corco on July 05, 2017, 07:46:56 PM
Quote from: jakeroot on July 05, 2017, 07:32:15 PM
I've actually seem something equally odd (although it was a far more "legal" vehicle due to similar Canadian regulations). A Mercedes B200 (W245) with California plates. The guy told me that he bought the car in Victoria, BC, and then paid some RI in California to bring it in for him. He wasn't very specific on the whole process, but it didn't sound legal to me...
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi.imgur.com%2FeqOE9d4.jpg&hash=0671a4130f1d368b84c3cfb72d97a4cf70597208)
The B-Class was actually crash tested and certified for registration in the United States! Mercedes was considering actually selling it here and opted not to at the last minute (but I believe this only applies to 2006 Mercedes B-Classes).
I believe there's an electric version of the B-class that was sold in California for a couple years.
Still being sold, but it's only been on sale for like a year or two.
Quote from: corco on July 05, 2017, 10:04:49 PM
Quote
Looks like some older versions and some of the newer version had the "correct" RAM logo. The New Attitude, based on the Mirage, has the correct grill.
Yep, though you'll note the hubcaps still have the Hyundai H, as does the steering wheel! The Miragittude is properly Dodged up.
Wow. Change some badges, not others. That's not confusing for the consumer or anything.
I don't have a picture, but I saw a Switzerland (yes Switzerland) license plate near Mitchell SD in early May. By the time I figured out what it was, I had already passed the car.
The car looked like something you'd see on an African safari; Land Rover/Jeep like (but it definitely wasn't a Jeep).
Quote from: corco on July 05, 2017, 10:04:49 PM
QuoteLooks like some older versions and some of the newer version had the "correct" RAM logo. The New Attitude, based on the Mirage, has the correct grill.
Yep, though you'll note the hubcaps still have the Hyundai H, as does the steering wheel! The Miragittude is properly Dodged up.
That's the cheesiest case of badge engineering I've ever seen.
Looking back, Mitsubishi helped Hyundai with the Excel/Precis*, and Mitsubishi and Dodge have been part of the family tree for decades, so it almost makes sense.
* a running example might be rarer than anything I've posted so far.
Quote from: jakeroot on July 05, 2017, 07:40:30 PM
Quote from: Takumi on July 05, 2017, 06:54:43 PM
Anyone seen a Renault (Dacia) Sandero? Just for the Top Gear reference.
It doesn't strcitly count, but in that Saint Pierre and Miquelon Street View link upthread, there's a Dacia Sandero right in the image. All he has to do is cross the water, and it'd count for this thread...
Quote from: ghYHZ on July 05, 2017, 03:18:09 AM
https://goo.gl/maps/Bcg1xwTJfHo
He's already crossed the water.....that Street View image is on the ferry dock in Fortune, Newfoundland. Those vehicles are probably waiting to return to SPM and have been driven in Newfoundland and possibly onto mainland Canada....maybe even into the US.
Quote from: SD Mapman on July 06, 2017, 12:32:00 AM
I don't have a picture, but I saw a Switzerland (yes Switzerland) license plate near Mitchell SD in early May. By the time I figured out what it was, I had already passed the car.
The car looked like something you'd see on an African safari; Land Rover/Jeep like (but it definitely wasn't a Jeep).
Was it a Land Rover Defender?
(https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/41/2015_Land_Rover_Defender_%28L316_MY15%29_90_3-door_wagon_%282015-10-24%29_01.jpg/640px-2015_Land_Rover_Defender_%28L316_MY15%29_90_3-door_wagon_%282015-10-24%29_01.jpg)
I once saw a European-style plate here in Des Moines once. Didn't see which country it was from, nor did I have the time to grab a picture, but it was on a luxury car of some sort.
Still haven't any idea on why they would be here in the middle of Iowa, though.
Quote from: ghYHZ on July 06, 2017, 05:47:05 AM
Quote from: jakeroot on July 05, 2017, 07:40:30 PM
Quote from: Takumi on July 05, 2017, 06:54:43 PM
Anyone seen a Renault (Dacia) Sandero? Just for the Top Gear reference.
It doesn't strictly count, but in that Saint Pierre and Miquelon Street View link upthread, there's a Dacia Sandero right in the image. All he has to do is cross the water, and it'd count for this thread...
Quote from: ghYHZ on July 05, 2017, 03:18:09 AM
https://goo.gl/maps/Bcg1xwTJfHo
He's already crossed the water.....that Street View image is on the ferry dock in Fortune, Newfoundland. Those vehicles are probably waiting to return to SPM and have been driven in Newfoundland and possibly onto mainland Canada....maybe even into the US.
That probably explains the English street name and the Canadian flag on the store behind the view.
:pan:
Quote from: AlexandriaVA on July 05, 2017, 08:32:48 AM
NATO tags are more rare but easy to see around military bases where officers from NATO countries work at. Occasionally you'll see an un-plated foreign VIP car (e.g. like when the United States sends the presidential limosuine abroad in advance of a US president's visit to said country).
Some years ago, I saw a Land Rover with British tags (RHD too) on northbound I-295 in the District of Columbia. The driver was in uniform (looked like a naval uniform), and I wonder if he might have been headed to the Washington Navy Yard.
Quote from: jakeroot on July 05, 2017, 03:01:58 PM
Seeing a real Holden reminds me of all the fakes ones I see. The Chevy SS's rebadged as Holden's? They're pretty common in Seattle. Pretty cheap modification to get a unique car. I actually don't mind it.
Police in Maryland have a fair number of those Holdens rebadged as Chevy. State troopers with the big V8, some of the county and municipal police probably have the six cylinder version.
Quote from: cpzilliacus on July 07, 2017, 11:23:03 AM
Quote from: jakeroot on July 05, 2017, 03:01:58 PM
Seeing a real Holden reminds me of all the fakes ones I see. The Chevy SS's rebadged as Holden's? They're pretty common in Seattle. Pretty cheap modification to get a unique car. I actually don't mind it.
Police in Maryland have a fair number of those Holdens rebadged as Chevy. State troopers with the big V8, some of the county and municipal police probably have the six cylinder version.
I was thinking one step further. Chevy (right now) sells an "SS Sedan", which is a rebadged Holden Commodore. What I've been seeing is people re-rebadging them as Holden's again, replacing the Chevy logos with Holden logos.
The police are probably driving those "new" Caprice's, also rebadged Holden's (Washington State Patrol also uses the Caprice, but most local jurisdictions use Explorer's now). I don't think they're going to be buying them for much longer. Once Holden's Oz factory shuts, all of their domestic product will be history.
Quote from: jakeroot on July 07, 2017, 01:23:36 PM
I was thinking one step further. Chevy (right now) sells an "SS Sedan", which is a rebadged Holden Commodore. What I've been seeing is people re-rebadging them as Holden's again, replacing the Chevy logos with Holden logos.
Likewise, I've seen a few Saturn Astras with their Saturn badges replaced with Opel ones. (Not to mention all of the fake "Honda" Integras, "Toyota bBs" , and the like floating around.)
Quote from: jakeroot on July 07, 2017, 01:23:36 PM
Quote from: cpzilliacus on July 07, 2017, 11:23:03 AM
Quote from: jakeroot on July 05, 2017, 03:01:58 PM
Seeing a real Holden reminds me of all the fakes ones I see. The Chevy SS's rebadged as Holden's? They're pretty common in Seattle. Pretty cheap modification to get a unique car. I actually don't mind it.
Police in Maryland have a fair number of those Holdens rebadged as Chevy. State troopers with the big V8, some of the county and municipal police probably have the six cylinder version.
I was thinking one step further. Chevy (right now) sells an "SS Sedan", which is a rebadged Holden Commodore. What I've been seeing is people re-rebadging them as Holden's again, replacing the Chevy logos with Holden logos.
Kind of like the Pontiac G8s from a few years ago were.
Quote from: jakeroot on July 07, 2017, 01:23:36 PMThe police are probably driving those "new" Caprice's, also rebadged Holden's (Washington State Patrol also uses the Caprice, but most local jurisdictions use Explorer's now). I don't think they're going to be buying them for much longer. Once Holden's Oz factory shuts, all of their domestic product will be history.
Correct, the Holdens that CP is referring to are indeed the Caprice PPVs; which is a larger vehicle than the Chevy SS/Holden Commodore/Pontiac G8. Also note: the Holden-based vehicles (SS & Caprice PPV) imported to the U.S. only have V8 engines; the V6 models, while available elsewhere, would've internally competed with the domestic Impala.
As stated in other-related threads; the only reason for the SS' & the Caprice PPV's very existence in the U.S. market was due to a contract agreement GM had w/Holden to sell a certain percentage of their (Holden) cars in the U.S. With Holden getting out the car-building business altogether; that agreement, along with the vehicles go
bye-bye.
Someone in my neighborhood of Tacoma, WA has somehow registered a Canadian Toyota Echo 5-door. No idea how this is possible. It's not 25 years old and it was never sold here. I highly doubt Toyota OK'd it, as I think would be required to import it. My guess? Just slipped through. After all, the Echo was sold here. Just not as a hatchback.
I thought it might have been a student, but a few blocks away, there is a VW Jetta with BC plates that has been parking on the street (moving a lot...not abandoned) for as long as I can remember (at least since last fall). To the best of my knowledge, students can keep their original plates, even if the car is from another country. Therefore, if this is a student, the change of plates was not warranted. Still, it could be the case.
The license plate pattern (BP......) is new, so this was just recently registered.
(https://i.imgur.com/uDC344r.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/EuD6cRW.jpg)
Quote from: briantroutman on July 07, 2017, 01:44:09 PM
Quote from: jakeroot on July 07, 2017, 01:23:36 PM
I was thinking one step further. Chevy (right now) sells an "SS Sedan", which is a rebadged Holden Commodore. What I've been seeing is people re-rebadging them as Holden's again, replacing the Chevy logos with Holden logos.
Likewise, I’ve seen a few Saturn Astras with their Saturn badges replaced with Opel ones. (Not to mention all of the fake “Honda” Integras, “Toyota bBs”, and the like floating around.)
/me hides his fake Toyota Aristo
(https://thepracticalhoon.files.wordpress.com/2020/07/img_4358.jpg)
Actual JDM cars have become fairly common in Virginia. I occasionally see Nissan Skylines and Laurels, Toyota X chassis (continuation of what we knew as the Cressida) and JDM-badged versions of cars sold here like the Toyota Soarer (Lexus SC) and Nissan Silvia (240SX) and cars like the Supra and Land Cruiser that were sold here in smaller numbers or with different engine/drivetrain configurations. (Did you know that the mid-90s Toyota Celica has a 250 HP turbo AWD rally car variant called the GT Four? Now you do. (https://www.japaneseclassics.com/vehicle/1994-toyota-celica-gt-four-wrc/)) There are a few local dealers like Japanese Classics and Duncan Imports that specialize in bringing cars over and getting them registered in the US.
Of the couple I had seen in the US, one was a Pontiac Sunrunner (Chevy Tracker) and the Acura version of the early-2000's Honda Civic, vehicles exclusive to Canada.
I was looking for a used truck a couple of years ago and bumped up across a Ford that was originally registered in Ontario. The paper trail included a "normalization certificate" issued by the US DOT, followed by a registration in Indiana. Why someone would go through paperwork and taxes to bring a F150 that is identical to one you could just buy (other than the metric gages) I do not understand.
Quote from: SectorZ on August 06, 2020, 07:33:12 AM
Of the couple I had seen in the US, one was a Pontiac Sunrunner (Chevy Tracker) and the Acura version of the early-2000's Honda Civic, vehicles exclusive to Canada.
The latter sounds like the Acura EL, which was later renamed the Acura CSX. I remember seeing the EL on a trip to Mont-Tremblant in 2001 or 2002 (maybe both, as I went skiing there in both of those years) and wondering what it was, and when I investigated online after getting home I quickly determined it wasn't worth the trouble to try to import one.
Acura CSX on M-59:
(https://live.staticflickr.com/284/19122396480_555cc8c02d_c.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/v8Mhg3)
Not sure on the plate by the angle, but I spotted a Nissan Figaro in Houston - though my guess is that it was a JDM import, not a Mexican-import:
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/48192107472_d5bc897f65_b.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/2gqz9yG)
Mercedes-Benz B250, found near Austin, Texas; the B-class wasn't available in the US:
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50195662177_c4d347f355_c.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/2jtBTzk)
Audi A1, found in San Antonio:
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50195421701_af6023cd57_c.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/2jtAE6c)
Nissan Micra - found near Burlington, Vermont:
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50195696892_553cfc229f_c.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/2jtC4TS)
Quote from: jakeroot on August 05, 2020, 08:46:04 PM
Someone in my neighborhood of Tacoma, WA has somehow registered a Canadian Toyota Echo 5-door. No idea how this is possible. It's not 25 years old and it was never sold here. I highly doubt Toyota OK'd it, as I think would be required to import it. My guess? Just slipped through. After all, the Echo was sold here. Just not as a hatchback.
You know, I've seen one or two of those as well; I've had to do double-takes because the Vitz/Yaris wasn't sold that way in the US but I'm not entirely sure.
I think (but can't confirm) that Canada's 15-year-rule for imports, then importing it to the US, allows one to bypass the 25-year-rule we have in the States. But don't quote me on that, ask an expert.
Quote from: formulanone on August 06, 2020, 09:59:24 AM
Quote from: jakeroot on August 05, 2020, 08:46:04 PM
Someone in my neighborhood of Tacoma, WA has somehow registered a Canadian Toyota Echo 5-door. No idea how this is possible. It's not 25 years old and it was never sold here. I highly doubt Toyota OK'd it, as I think would be required to import it. My guess? Just slipped through. After all, the Echo was sold here. Just not as a hatchback.
You know, I've seen one or two of those as well; I've had to do double-takes because the Vitz/Yaris wasn't sold that way in the US but I'm not entirely sure.
I think (but can't confirm) that Canada's 15-year-rule for imports, then importing it to the US, allows one to bypass the 25-year-rule we have in the States. But don't quote me on that, ask an expert.
Digging around online, it looks like the Canadian-Market Echo hatchback was certified for sale in the USA (kind of like the Mercedes B-Class), but just never was, so it meets all applicable safety standards/etc and would be legal to import outside of the 25 year rule. There are anecdotal stories of folks importing them as recently as 2003 as new cars.
I'm not sure about the 15/25 year loophole - I would be surprised if it works because I would expect people would be taking advantage of it. At least in this part of the country, ex-JDM 4WD Mitsubishi vans are quite popular but are all 25 years old. They're also very popular in BC but are ten years newer, and I haven't heard of an importer attempting to import vans to BC and then to the USA - not to say it can't happen, but that seems like a good business opportunity if it's possible to do so. I see roughly one unique JDM van every week down here, and in recent trips to BC you see even more of them.
^ The current generation Mazda 2 is also certified for sale in the US, but is currently only sold in Puerto Rico. One could bring one over to the mainland easily, if you really really wanted to.
I've got plenty of photographs of JDM vehicles from car shows I've been to in recent years. I'll post some here tonight.
Quote from: SP Cook on August 06, 2020, 09:42:42 AM
I was looking for a used truck a couple of years ago and bumped up across a Ford that was originally registered in Ontario. The paper trail included a "normalization certificate" issued by the US DOT, followed by a registration in Indiana. Why someone would go through paperwork and taxes to bring a F150 that is identical to one you could just buy (other than the metric gages) I do not understand.
When I was looking to buy a used truck, one of the local 'stealerships' around here offered me a low-mileage Ram pickup that looked like it had been beaten to shit. I pulled a Carfax on it and discovered it had been built in Warren, Michigan, originally registered in Jonquiere, QC and then (re)imported into the US. Needless to say, I passed on this one.
A number of years ago, when getting across the border was easier, I spotted a car at a dealership in Windsor. I went inside and spoke with a salesman who matter-of-factly informed me that they could not sell me a vehicle under any circumstances, because there was no way it could be registered in Michigan, and the trade-in I was going to offer was worthless in Canada. I didn't buy a vehicle. that day, either.
As promised, here are some of my foreign market car sightings. All are from around Richmond unless otherwise noted.
The big one, the Nissan Skyline GT-R. This was taken at an open house at Japanese Classics. This is the R32 generation of Skyline, sold between 1989 and 1993 (and another year in GT-R form)
(https://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/image/upload/mnfonmipka8stxqhipk6.jpg)
The next generation of Skyline, the R33, was produced between 1993 and 1998, though the GT-R didn't debut until 1995. This is a 1993 coupe. (I can say this with certainty because this photo was taken in 2018.)
(https://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/image/upload/k2exwtjetfxnxzu7gevj.jpg)
These are some 1993 R33 sedans. I like the coupe better.
(https://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/image/upload/jik1sj8tzoh5kaa323bf.jpg)
The black car is a Nissan 180SX, basically equivalent to the early 1990s 240SX hatchback but with a different engine. The yellow car is a Honda Beat, which I'll cover more later. Cars & Coffee Richmond, January 2020.
(https://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/image/upload/q3nffyb1qkjqer5gj6mt.jpg)
Nissan Gloria. Midsize RWD sedan. Also Cars & Coffee, but 2019?
(https://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/image/upload/yxydlojadvgmomzoypvg.jpg)
Two Honda Beats. They're kei cars, which are a size of car in Japan limited by dimensions and engine size. The Beat is a mid-engined roadster, powered by a 660cc 3-cylinder engine making a whopping 64 HP. Doesn't sound like much, but they weigh next to nothing and by all accounts the Beat is a hoot to drive, though I merely sat in the yellow one. A successor, the Honda S660, is currently sold in Japan, but like the Beat it's a bit small for your typical American landscape.
(https://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/image/upload/iviywdevr3fk9ocayobx.jpg)
A bit of a change up here. This Honda Del Sol is a US-market car, but has been converted to have the JDM retractable targa top called the Trans Top. The owner said it was a very difficult swap to do.
(https://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/image/upload/s0xriszj3zglim4tyovv.jpg)
A first generation Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution. While these debuted in 1992 in Japan, we didn't get them until the eighth iteration of the Evo, as it's known for short, in 2003.
(https://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/image/upload/vyjdwatr317di1hz2muk.jpg)
Local brewery Trapezium Brewing uses Mitsubishi Delica company vans.
(https://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/image/upload/da1mqke1gpscfqdvpgar.jpg)
This heavily modified Acura Integra is another US car that's been modified to have some Japan-exclusive stuff on it. In September 1995, the car got its first of two facelifts. Outside Japan, it was very minor, but in Japan, the car got a new front end that was more in line with the Accord and Prelude of the time, as the "bugeye" front wasn't popular there. (This update also introduced the hardcore Type R trim, which wouldn't show up outside Japan until two years later.) The car on the left is a Toyota Celsior, the equivalent of the Lexus LS.
(https://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/image/upload/iw1n9kwhbb9kmb0eagxv.jpg)
Early 90s Toyota Celica GT Four. This generation was sold in very small numbers in the US under the name "All-Trac" , but the following generation is much more heralded.
(https://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/image/upload/pqftvo22ad0ltolx0gbz.jpg)
Toyota Sera. Looks interesting but is a Tercel/Paseo underneath.
(https://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/image/upload/slprpvnlzhnhze03idjv.jpg)
1st generation Toyota Aristo (Lexus GS). Unlike my 2nd gen's rebadge, this was a JDM import. It came with the same legendary 2JZ-GTE twin turbo inline-6 engine as the 4th gen Supra, which actually debuted in the Aristo first.
(https://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/image/upload/si4mwhhvpemwmcc4oarp.jpg)
Some Toyota JZX90s. These were analogous to the Cressida that was sold in the US until 1992, but in Japan were sold with three different names and for longer: Mark II, Chaser, and Cresta. The Mark II was the most common of the three, while the Chaser and Cresta were the respective sportier and more luxurious versions. All have minor differences. In this photo, the car on the left is a Cresta while the right is a Mark II.
(https://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/image/upload/kqmurdgusp3b64attrur.jpg)
The same Cresta. This generation of the X chassis was sold between 1992 and 1996 in Japan, with another one following it from 1996 to 2000 when the Chaser and Cresta were discontinued. The Mark II had an additional generation sold between 2000 and 2004 in sedan form and 2002 to 2007 in wagon form. There was also a short-lived successor to the Chaser and Cresta called the Verossa, but its controversial styling (https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/04/Toyota_Verossa.jpg/1024px-Toyota_Verossa.jpg) saw it have slower sales than the equivalent Mark II.
(https://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/image/upload/v1la6l248jz01dm2aksz.jpg)
A Chaser of the same generation.
(https://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/image/upload/spwus18f2l02rfocswpu.jpg)
Three Mark II's for sale. The white one in the middle was a non-turbo base model.
(https://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/image/upload/st3lqzz8zifp84vbfmgo.jpg)
Lastly, this Mustang race car, owned by DJR Team Penske, is used in Australia's Supercars racing series, but was on display at Virginia International Raceway last year.
(https://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/image/upload/e2vjnegfoegihzntzwm5.jpg)
I don't know if this actually counts. It's my own thread but I don't remember if it's within any rules I half-assed set.
I spotted a Renault Sandero (James May voice) in Boulder, CO: https://goo.gl/maps/6E2WQg7w2jxdem747
Has to be a Mexican plate.
(https://i.imgur.com/h0nqHEY.png)
Great news!
https://youtu.be/ylxcU7E8if0
Quote from: jakeroot on September 12, 2020, 02:42:00 AM
I don't know if this actually counts. It's my own thread but I don't remember if it's within any rules I half-assed set.
I spotted a Renault Sandero (James May voice) in Boulder, CO: https://goo.gl/maps/6E2WQg7w2jxdem747
Has to be a Mexican plate.
(https://i.imgur.com/h0nqHEY.png)
I've tried my best to identify the plate through the Google-blur. I agree that it's probably a Mexican plate, because I can discern that the serial number format matches that used in Mexico based on the image below.
(https://i.imgur.com/yelGaCb.png)
My tentative guess is that it's from the state of Querétaro, 2008-2016 issue, with a colored registration sticker in the bottom-left corner. I'm not 100% certain, though, because (1) the sticker appears to be yellow but I can't find a picture online of Querétaro having used yellow stickers, and (2) the GSV shot is from three years after that license plate series ended.
The first guess that immediately came to mind was the current Chihuhaua series, but the color of the bottom-left corner doesn't seem to match the federal seal that would be in that location.
It's also possible the car has a license plate frame, so who knows?
Saw an Isuzu with Aguascalientes plates back when I visited NM two years ago. Other than that the next closest thing I've seen is a Manitoba plate.
I've spotted a few JDM-spec GT-Rs over the years; here's an R32 outside of Charlotte:
(https://live.staticflickr.com/1866/30874620658_3919ae379b_b.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/P3hv4Q)
I have a photo of an R33 which I spotted outside Wetupka, Alabama but haven't gotten around to posting it yet.
Quote from: I-55 on September 14, 2020, 02:18:22 PM
Saw an Isuzu with Aguascalientes plates back when I visited NM two years ago. Other than that the next closest thing I've seen is a Manitoba plate.
This thread isn't about license plates. It's about vehicle models.
The Renault Sandero wasn't mentioned because it had Mexican plates, but rather because it isn't sold in the US or Canada.
I've spotted a few illegal JDM imports here in NJ over the years. Usually the typical infamous not 25 year old Skylines. The weirdest one by far was a Nissan Pulsar GTI-R hatchback.
BTW, importing a car that isn't 25 years old into the USA is very difficult and they will crush your car into a cube and make your life miserable if you attempt to bypass the official system of having a registered importer modify the car for US safety and emissions standards.
Quote from: NJRoadfan on September 21, 2020, 08:24:50 PM
BTW, importing a car that isn't 25 years old into the USA is very difficult and they will crush your car into a cube and make your life miserable if you attempt to bypass the official system of having a registered importer modify the car for US safety and emissions standards.
Is that even technically feasible? Last I checked, the only way to import a car less than 25 years old is either for show and display (rare option), or for temporary usage (which should require foreign registration). Modifying the car for US safety and emissions standards requires, at the very least, crash-testing the vehicle at extreme expense, and then I don't even know how many other modifications. It has been done (Skyline GT-R at some point?) but is normally prohibitively expensive and far beyond what most people would ever want to do.
Quote from: jakeroot on September 21, 2020, 08:39:54 PM
Quote from: NJRoadfan on September 21, 2020, 08:24:50 PM
BTW, importing a car that isn't 25 years old into the USA is very difficult and they will crush your car into a cube and make your life miserable if you attempt to bypass the official system of having a registered importer modify the car for US safety and emissions standards.
Is that even technically feasible? Last I checked, the only way to import a car less than 25 years old is either for show and display (rare option), or for temporary usage (which should require foreign registration). Modifying the car for US safety and emissions standards requires, at the very least, crash-testing the vehicle at extreme expense, and then I don't even know how many other modifications. It has been done (Skyline GT-R at some point?) but is normally prohibitively expensive and far beyond what most people would ever want to do.
It's been done with the Skyline and a few other cars (Paul Walker bought an Audi RS6 Avant in Japan and had it modified to US standards, as the regular RS6 was sold in the US for one year). However, the less than legal ways involve knowing someone in Florida (where titling/registration laws are lax) who knows someone in the Bahamas (where they drive on the left so JDM imports aren't exactly unheard of).
Quote from: Takumi on September 21, 2020, 09:41:08 PM
Quote from: jakeroot on September 21, 2020, 08:39:54 PM
Quote from: NJRoadfan on September 21, 2020, 08:24:50 PM
BTW, importing a car that isn't 25 years old into the USA is very difficult and they will crush your car into a cube and make your life miserable if you attempt to bypass the official system of having a registered importer modify the car for US safety and emissions standards.
Is that even technically feasible? Last I checked, the only way to import a car less than 25 years old is either for show and display (rare option), or for temporary usage (which should require foreign registration). Modifying the car for US safety and emissions standards requires, at the very least, crash-testing the vehicle at extreme expense, and then I don't even know how many other modifications. It has been done (Skyline GT-R at some point?) but is normally prohibitively expensive and far beyond what most people would ever want to do.
It's been done with the Skyline and a few other cars (Paul Walker bought an Audi RS6 Avant in Japan and had it modified to US standards, as the regular RS6 was sold in the US for one year). However, the less than legal ways involve knowing someone in Florida (where titling/registration laws are lax) who knows someone in the Bahamas (where they drive on the left so JDM imports aren't exactly unheard of).
I find it interesting that Walker simply registered the car in Arizona to avoid having issues with modifying the car. Gotta love how some states just don't give a damn. I tried to find an update on that RS6 but cannot find anything within the last five years. I sure hope CBP didn't find out about it, since the few photos online show a definitely-not-modified RS6 Avant.
The 2003 RS6 Avant is on the official list as a registered importer petitioned and got the modified vehicle approved: https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2006/04/25/E6-6135/decision-that-nonconforming-2003-audi-rs6-and-rs6-avant-passenger-cars-are-eligible-for-importation
Whole list is here: https://www.nhtsa.gov/sites/nhtsa.dot.gov/files/documents/elig120115.pdf
Everything you wanted to know about imports here: https://www.nhtsa.gov/importing-vehicle
Getting a car imported like the RS6 Avant, that already had a conforming US model (in this case the A6 Avant for safety and RS6 sedan for engine emissions), is considered relatively easy compared to something like a Nissan Skyline, which had no in-market equivalent.
Quote from: NJRoadfan on October 02, 2020, 10:56:05 AM
Whole list is here: https://www.nhtsa.gov/sites/nhtsa.dot.gov/files/documents/elig120115.pdf
I've seen that list before, but wasn't sure what to make of it. At least for models that were also concurrently sold here (the vast majority of the vehicles listed).
For example, if I want to important a German-spec BMW X5 built between 01 Jan 2003 and 31 Dec 2004, I can do that? No questions asked?
Quote from: jakeroot on October 02, 2020, 02:17:11 PM
Quote from: NJRoadfan on October 02, 2020, 10:56:05 AM
Whole list is here: https://www.nhtsa.gov/sites/nhtsa.dot.gov/files/documents/elig120115.pdf
I've seen that list before, but wasn't sure what to make of it. At least for models that were also concurrently sold here (the vast majority of the vehicles listed).
For example, if I want to important a German-spec BMW X5 built between 01 Jan 2003 and 31 Dec 2004, I can do that? No questions asked?
Short answer, no. You’d have to go through the same hoops that the RS6 importers did: get the particular vehicle certified for US safety and emissions standards. Most of these changes are minor, but not really worth the effort for something that was sold here in decent numbers. I see some oddballs in the list that were sold here, like the 2007 Dodge Durango, and various Hondas such as Accords*. I have to assume that’s to have Canadian or other North American market examples able to be brought over the border legally.
*the notable exception is the RHD 1994-97 Accord listed within. Those were actually built in Ohio and exported to Japan!
Quote from: Takumi on October 02, 2020, 02:32:30 PM
Quote from: jakeroot on October 02, 2020, 02:17:11 PM
Quote from: NJRoadfan on October 02, 2020, 10:56:05 AM
Whole list is here: https://www.nhtsa.gov/sites/nhtsa.dot.gov/files/documents/elig120115.pdf
I've seen that list before, but wasn't sure what to make of it. At least for models that were also concurrently sold here (the vast majority of the vehicles listed).
For example, if I want to important a German-spec BMW X5 built between 01 Jan 2003 and 31 Dec 2004, I can do that? No questions asked?
Short answer, no. You'd have to go through the same hoops that the RS6 importers did: get the particular vehicle certified for US safety and emissions standards. Most of these changes are minor, but not really worth the effort for something that was sold here in decent numbers. I see some oddballs in the list that were sold here, like the 2007 Dodge Durango, and various Hondas such as Accords*. I have to assume that's to have Canadian or other North American market examples able to be brought over the border legally.
*the notable exception is the RHD 1994-97 Accord listed within. Those were actually built in Ohio and exported to Japan!
So what exactly is the purpose of that list, if the process for import is still convoluted and potentially expensive and time-consuming? Is the list basically just the vehicles you can
attempt to important, and those not on the list will never even be considered, even if it could be modified for safety and emission standards? NHTSA sure is weird.
For example: the E53 X5 and the RS6 Avant are both on there. Great. But the Citroen C4 Cactus is not. So can I never even attempt to import a C4 Cactus? I was under the impression I could important any vehicle I wanted, assuming that I could afford to crash test it
and modify the engine to meet US emission standards.
Quote from: jakeroot on October 02, 2020, 05:40:18 PM
Quote from: Takumi on October 02, 2020, 02:32:30 PM
Quote from: jakeroot on October 02, 2020, 02:17:11 PM
Quote from: NJRoadfan on October 02, 2020, 10:56:05 AM
Whole list is here: https://www.nhtsa.gov/sites/nhtsa.dot.gov/files/documents/elig120115.pdf
I've seen that list before, but wasn't sure what to make of it. At least for models that were also concurrently sold here (the vast majority of the vehicles listed).
For example, if I want to important a German-spec BMW X5 built between 01 Jan 2003 and 31 Dec 2004, I can do that? No questions asked?
Short answer, no. You’d have to go through the same hoops that the RS6 importers did: get the particular vehicle certified for US safety and emissions standards. Most of these changes are minor, but not really worth the effort for something that was sold here in decent numbers. I see some oddballs in the list that were sold here, like the 2007 Dodge Durango, and various Hondas such as Accords*. I have to assume that’s to have Canadian or other North American market examples able to be brought over the border legally.
*the notable exception is the RHD 1994-97 Accord listed within. Those were actually built in Ohio and exported to Japan!
So what exactly is the purpose of that list, if the process for import is still convoluted and potentially expensive and time-consuming? Is the list basically just the vehicles you can attempt to important, and those not on the list will never even be considered, even if it could be modified for safety and emission standards? NHTSA sure is weird.
For example: the E53 X5 and the RS6 Avant are both on there. Great. But the Citroen C4 Cactus is not. So can I never even attempt to import a C4 Cactus? I was under the impression I could important any vehicle I wanted, assuming that I could afford to crash test it and modify the engine to meet US emission standards.
The vehicles on the list have already had all that legwork done; they’ve been approved to be importable, provided they’re modified to meet US standards. If you want to import a Citroen C4 Cactus without waiting 25 years, you’d have to submit evidence that it can be modified to fit US standards, and then have a government-approved company actually do that. It would then be added to a revision of that list.
That said, many of the vehicles on that list are now old enough to be imported without having to modify them. Once a vehicle hits 25 years old, it’s allowed to be imported as is, hence the 90s JDM boom going on right now.
Oooh, a Citroen XM is available to import. Get that Estate model, so people don't think you just have a quirky Saturn SL1.
Quote from: formulanone on October 02, 2020, 08:21:36 PM
Oooh, a Citroen XM is available to import. Get that Estate model, so people don't think you just have a quirky Saturn SL1.
I find it amusing that Citroen still sold the 2CV, a car that was designed in the 1930s, when the XM came out.
Quote from: formulanone on October 02, 2020, 08:21:36 PM
Oooh, a Citroen XM is available to import. Get that Estate model, so people don't think you just have a quirky Saturn SL1.
The XM along with the XM Break were imported to the US by a small outfit called CX-Auto. Citroen was very proud of the XM's headlights. The lenses were precision designed by computer for maximum output. CX Auto needed FMVSS 108 compliant headlights to certify the car in the US...... so they stuck in headlights from a Pontiac Grand Prix, which mostly fit the frontend of the XM!
It wasn't a hot seller though, since it was very expensive. CXAuto had to buy the cars retail in Europe and ship them over. Citroen wanted nothing to do with CXAuto's attempt to import their cars into the US and did everything they could to make things miserable.
Nowadays you could just buy one and bring it over as is. Well, provided you can find one that's still running.
Headed up I-45 on Tuesday night, I saw an Audi (not sure what model, think it was a coupe) with German plates - no second American plate - come by me pretty fast somewhere between Corsicana and Ennis.
Quote from: TravelingBethelite on November 26, 2020, 11:36:39 PM
not sure what model
So you're not sure it qualifies for this thread?
↓ OP ↓
Quote from: jakeroot on July 05, 2017, 01:47:29 AM
Have you ever seen a vehicle that was never sold in the US or Canada, but ...
Quote from: kphoger on November 27, 2020, 12:58:24 PM
Quote from: TravelingBethelite on November 26, 2020, 11:36:39 PM
not sure what model
So you're not sure it qualifies for this thread?
↓ OP ↓
Quote from: jakeroot on July 05, 2017, 01:47:29 AM
Have you ever seen a vehicle that was never sold in the US or Canada, but ...
Yes, granted I know very little about the infinite idiosyncrasies of the global automotive economy. Not sure where this would be more appropriate...
Quote from: TravelingBethelite on November 27, 2020, 04:26:34 PM
Quote from: kphoger on November 27, 2020, 12:58:24 PM
Quote from: TravelingBethelite on November 26, 2020, 11:36:39 PM
not sure what model
So you're not sure it qualifies for this thread?
↓ OP ↓
Quote from: jakeroot on July 05, 2017, 01:47:29 AM
Have you ever seen a vehicle that was never sold in the US or Canada, but ...
Yes, granted I know very little about the infinite idiosyncrasies of the global automotive economy. Not sure where this would be more appropriate...
I don't know that there's a good old "license plate spotting" thread on the forum yet. There are a few similar ones (the closest one I know of being
Good roads for license plate spotting (https://www.aaroads.com/forum/index.php?topic=22075.msg2295143#msg2295143)), but there might not be a thread yet for people to just post their best finds.
Question about your find: did the plate have a blue "D" band on the right side, or did it have a red band with date stamp on the right side? The former is a regular German license plate, but the latter is an export plate–of the type my son spotted here in Wichita a year or two ago.
Quote from: kphoger on November 27, 2020, 04:33:56 PM
Quote from: TravelingBethelite on November 27, 2020, 04:26:34 PM
Quote from: kphoger on November 27, 2020, 12:58:24 PM
Quote from: TravelingBethelite on November 26, 2020, 11:36:39 PM
not sure what model
So you're not sure it qualifies for this thread?
↓ OP ↓
Quote from: jakeroot on July 05, 2017, 01:47:29 AM
Have you ever seen a vehicle that was never sold in the US or Canada, but ...
Yes, granted I know very little about the infinite idiosyncrasies of the global automotive economy. Not sure where this would be more appropriate...
I don't know that there's a good old "license plate spotting" thread on the forum yet. There are a few similar ones (the closest one I know of being Good roads for license plate spotting (https://www.aaroads.com/forum/index.php?topic=22075.msg2295143#msg2295143)), but there might not be a thread yet for people to just post their best finds.
Question about your find: did the plate have a blue "D" band on the right side, or did it have a red band with date stamp on the right side? The former is a regular German license plate, but the latter is an export plate–of the type my son spotted here in Wichita a year or two ago.
It was the regular German license plate, with blue band and "D".
Quote from: formulanone on September 14, 2020, 02:28:07 PMI have a photo of an R33 which I spotted outside Wetumpka, Alabama but haven't gotten around to posting it yet.
Here it is; I think it's a rare spot in the suburbs of Montgomery, Alabama:
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50474981516_b83e5638a7_b.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/2jUitu1)
Quote from: formulanone on November 27, 2020, 06:48:44 PM
Quote from: formulanone on September 14, 2020, 02:28:07 PMI have a photo of an R33 which I spotted outside Wetumpka, Alabama but haven't gotten around to posting it yet.
Here it is; I think it's a rare spot in the suburbs of Montgomery, Alabama:
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50474981516_b83e5638a7_b.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/2jUitu1)
Now that's an oddball. From the one angle it almost looks like it's an R33 front clip put on an R32, something I've seen before with the next-gen R34. Also odd that it has a Euro plate.
Quote from: Takumi on November 27, 2020, 09:06:34 PM
Now that's an oddball. From the one angle it almost looks like it's an R33 front clip put on an R32, something I've seen before with the next-gen R34. Also odd that it has a Euro plate.
As far as the plate, it's the original number plate from its registration in the UK. First registered in the UK in January 1995, according to the DVLA. You can look up the plate
here (https://vehicleenquiry.service.gov.uk/).
Quote from: jakeroot on November 30, 2020, 11:59:46 PM
Quote from: Takumi on November 27, 2020, 09:06:34 PM
Now that's an oddball. From the one angle it almost looks like it's an R33 front clip put on an R32, something I've seen before with the next-gen R34. Also odd that it has a Euro plate.
As far as the plate, it's the original number plate from its registration in the UK. First registered in the UK in January 1995, according to the DVLA. You can look up the plate here (https://vehicleenquiry.service.gov.uk/).
Closest guess would be someone visiting and training at nearby Maxwell Air Force Base...
Quote from: formulanone on December 01, 2020, 06:50:36 AM
Quote from: jakeroot on November 30, 2020, 11:59:46 PM
Quote from: Takumi on November 27, 2020, 09:06:34 PM
Now that's an oddball. From the one angle it almost looks like it's an R33 front clip put on an R32, something I've seen before with the next-gen R34. Also odd that it has a Euro plate.
As far as the plate, it's the original number plate from its registration in the UK. First registered in the UK in January 1995, according to the DVLA. You can look up the plate here (https://vehicleenquiry.service.gov.uk/).
Closest guess would be someone visiting and training at nearby Maxwell Air Force Base...
I'm not sure your point. The number plate on the front of that R33 is simply vanity: it was left as a tribute to the car's past life in the UK. You can search up the plate as I mentioned; it has not been taxed and its MOT expired several years ago. But that was, in fact, the original plate for that R33.
I suspect Japanese plates are more common on R33's, but this particular R33's connection to Japan is limited to manufacturing only: it spent its whole life in the UK, so the plate is from the UK instead.
Quote from: jakeroot on December 01, 2020, 05:57:09 PM
Quote from: formulanone on December 01, 2020, 06:50:36 AM
Quote from: jakeroot on November 30, 2020, 11:59:46 PM
Quote from: Takumi on November 27, 2020, 09:06:34 PM
Now that's an oddball. From the one angle it almost looks like it's an R33 front clip put on an R32, something I've seen before with the next-gen R34. Also odd that it has a Euro plate.
As far as the plate, it's the original number plate from its registration in the UK. First registered in the UK in January 1995, according to the DVLA. You can look up the plate here (https://vehicleenquiry.service.gov.uk/).
Closest guess would be someone visiting and training at nearby Maxwell Air Force Base...
I'm not sure your point. The number plate on the front of that R33 is simply vanity: it was left as a tribute to the car's past life in the UK. You can search up the plate as I mentioned; it has not been taxed and its MOT expired several years ago. But that was, in fact, the original plate for that R33.
I suspect Japanese plates are more common on R33's, but this particular R33's connection to Japan is limited to manufacturing only: it spent its whole life in the UK, so the plate is from the UK instead.
Ah, I see.
Just saw "1995 Nissan Purple" but didn't look further to see that it was an expired registration.
Maxwell AFB actually does training for some international visitors' pilots. So I figured they get to export them, similar to how NATO-plated vehicles can be applied on service members' US vehicles which are shipped abroad...then winding up back in the US:
(https://live.staticflickr.com/4562/37733301024_db8e0d2014_b.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/Zun2MA)
Well, I knocked something off my bucket list: I bought a foreign market car today. Say hello to my 1992 Toyota Aristo twin turbo. This was sold in the US, sans turbos, as the Lexus GS300 from 1993 to 1997, but this particular example lived in Japan until early this year. I bought it from a local dealer that specializes in bringing in imported vehicles from Japan, and saw quite a bit of their eye candy today. While it looks as plain as can be, it shares a drivetrain with the 1993-98 Supra.
(https://opposite-lock.com/assets/uploads/files/1609365160983-b27e1293-8843-49fd-9017-4891458041a7.jpeg)
(https://opposite-lock.com/assets/uploads/files/1609365159811-008dbba6-e1ae-4cc3-b9bb-1bd09bce6765-resized.jpeg)
Well, that's definitely cool! I remember when most people didn't care about Lexus SC 300s. Just some boring rich guy's car. Then about 10 years after they came out people were like, "Uhh, you know that's a Supra?" Which means the SC 400 is a V8 Supra!
There's a guy that drives an R32 Nissan Skyline who works at the military recruitment office next door to where I work. I first saw the car about 5 years ago driving around town and was floored considering it's in a town of 40,000 in a border county to Appalachian Ohio. The only other one I've seen was in Haarlem, Holland.
Thanks. I'm having fun with it. It's very fast, though I haven't pushed it all the way yet...too much traffic at the moment.
Another interesting tidbit I found out today: the Japanese-market 1994-97 Honda Accord wagons were built in Ohio and exported to Japan, and carry these Honda of America and US Wagon badges on them.
(https://opposite-lock.com/assets/uploads/files/1609382304614-c3a4bc6f-55d2-478f-9b85-defd624d0e88.jpeg)
I love a good sleeper! Very nice purchase.
I'm guessing "U.S. WAGON" would have been a mark of shame in 1990s Japan.
Quote from: jakeroot on December 30, 2020, 10:47:59 PM
I love a good sleeper! Very nice purchase.
I'm guessing "U.S. WAGON" would have been a mark of shame in 1990s Japan.
I always thought it was an odd choice to delegate JDM Accord production to Ohio for that generation, but oddly enough they sold decently. One of the wagons there inexplicably had Acura badges on it. I know there's a USDM subculture in Japan like there's a JDM subculture in North America, but there was no Acura equivalent of that particular Accord. The TSX didn't show up for almost a decade.
I guess that Accord would be JIM (Japanese Import Market) then, wouldn't it?
The general term for those vehicles is a "captive import (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Captive_import)". Ford tried it with the Sierra here in the USA in the 80's, but branded them Merkurs.
The later "bigger" USDM Honda Accord/Acura TL was sold in Japan as the Honda Inspire, while the smaller Asian/European market Accord was sold as the Acura TSX here. Honda has since realigned the Accord to be the same car worldwide.
Quote from: NJRoadfan on January 01, 2021, 03:18:55 PM
The general term for those vehicles is a "captive import (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Captive_import)". Ford tried it with the Sierra here in the USA in the 80's, but branded them Merkurs.
I've always taken the term "captive import" to mean something slightly different than that.
Staying within the Ford universe, a more apt example would be the 1970s Ford Courier compact pickup, a Mazda B-series truck designed and built by Mazda in Hiroshima but sold at Ford dealers in the U.S. with Ford badges and an F-100-like grille. The premise is for Ford to plug a gap in its product lineup with a foreign-made product–and ideally, Clem and Bubba won't even realize that their new "Ford" pickups are Japanese.
Merkur was arguably the opposite. Yes, the cars were foreign-built and filled gaps in Ford's U.S. model lineup (i.e. sporty European sedan/coupe), but they actually
were Fords. And Ford contrived the name "Merkur" in the hopes that yuppies who preferred BMWs–and wouldn't be caught dead in a Mercury (let alone a Ford)–might not realize that their XR4Ti or Scorpio was a Ford.
Quote from: Takumi on December 30, 2020, 09:18:57 PM
Well, I knocked something off my bucket list: I bought a foreign market car today. Say hello to my 1992 Toyota Aristo twin turbo. This was sold in the US, sans turbos, as the Lexus GS300 from 1993 to 1997, but this particular example lived in Japan until early this year.
I used to have a '94 GS 300 (I swapped out the wheels when the paint flaked off):
(https://live.staticflickr.com/3393/3333797330_6ea7c0dc7c_c.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/65AzNj)
The 2JZ inline-6 motor had a nice torque bump at around 3000 RPM. I miss this car sometimes, but it was getting expensive to maintain on a budget and was offered good money for it.
Quote from: jakeroot on January 03, 2021, 12:45:43 PM
Quote from: formulanone on January 03, 2021, 11:25:58 AM
Quote from: jakeroot on January 02, 2021, 10:46:43 PM
Quote from: formulanone on January 02, 2021, 08:34:03 PM
2JZ
Is there a more beloved three-character combination?
911, for various reasons.
true.
Both are great. I missed the boat on relatively affordable 911s, but this was probably my last chance to get a relatively affordable turbo 2J. Everything 90s and JDM has been skyrocketing the past year or two. 4-5 years ago, you could get a decent Skyline GT-R for around 20-25 grand. Now, that money gets you the lesser GTS-T.
Quote from: formulanone on January 02, 2021, 08:34:03 PM
Quote from: Takumi on December 30, 2020, 09:18:57 PM
Well, I knocked something off my bucket list: I bought a foreign market car today. Say hello to my 1992 Toyota Aristo twin turbo. This was sold in the US, sans turbos, as the Lexus GS300 from 1993 to 1997, but this particular example lived in Japan until early this year.
I used to have a '94 GS 300 (I swapped out the wheels when the paint flaked off):
(https://live.staticflickr.com/3393/3333797330_6ea7c0dc7c_c.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/65AzNj)
The 2JZ inline-6 motor had a nice torque bump at around 3000 RPM. I miss this car sometimes, but it was getting expensive to maintain on a budget and was offered good money for it.
My 2004 GS300 has a normally asipirated 2J. It's a solid engine.
Quote from: jakeroot on January 02, 2021, 10:46:43 PM
Quote from: formulanone on January 02, 2021, 08:34:03 PM
2JZ
Is there a more beloved three-character combination?
Obligatory
(https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/564x/1d/4f/f7/1d4ff730865cb616decc2887b74caaa4.jpg)
I have seen a Mexico City plated Nissan Rogue in Niagara Falls. It was a surprise to see a MX City plate all the way in Niagara, but unfortunately, the vehicle is a vehicle that is sold in Canada and the US.
Mazda 2 (DY) spotted around Huntsvile...these weren't sold in the US (we received the DE starting in the 2008 model year).
I don't think I've seen them around in Canada, so I wonder if it came in as a gray-market import from Mexico?
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50876326506_b9f3e743d0_b.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/2kvLtnd)
Quote from: formulanone on January 25, 2021, 10:42:20 PM
Mazda 2 (DY) spotted around Huntsvile...these weren't sold in the US (we received the DE starting in the 2008 model year).
I don't think I've seen them around in Canada, so I wonder if it came in as a gray-market import from Mexico?
Looks like it's old enough to have been able to be imported to Canada via their 15-year exemption, so it could have crossed from up north.
How about a domestic car spotted in the USA with foreign plates? :crazy: Yes, you read that correctly.
On June 22, I spotted a LHD Honda Pilot in the parking lot of this Jimmy John's (https://goo.gl/maps/YoERiBzZdyLdKrDy8) in Wichita Falls, TX. It had license plates from East Anglia, UK.
This means that–assuming it wasn't originally from the UAE or some crazy scenario like that–the owner had the vehicle shipped overseas, registered it in England, and then later had it shipped back to the USA.
I'm assuming the owner is in the military–Wichita Falls having an Air Force base and all. But that still seems kind of odd. When servicemen have their vehicles shipped overseas, don't they typically keep them registered in the States? Why would someone register it in the foreign country? Really unexpected...
I saw a European-licensed vehicle in downtown Minneapolis once, where the longer and narrower plates stuck out from behind their Minnesota plates.
Saw an Opel Calibra imported from Poland today, at Cars & Coffee Richmond. The owner was...obnoxious.
closest I could get to posting it here, but it still has the Polish plates and import stuff on it (https://www.reddit.com/r/carscirclejerk/comments/x4z27j/went_to_a_car_show_this_morning_saw_a_90s_opel)
On I-135 in Wichita (the Canal Route), I just spotted an older model RHD Honda sedan with pre-2001 UK number plates from Liverpool.
It's not unusual to see Mexican plates in states along the Mexican border, but it is where I live. For at least the past month, there's been a suburban with Mexican plates ("EDOMEX," which I understand is the area around Mexico City) parked at the condos near my neighborhood. I assume someone drove a long way for a visit and is in no hurry to leave. Only the second time I've ever seen a Mexican-plated vehicle in the DC area.
Quote from: 1995hoo on October 31, 2023, 04:01:43 PM
("EDOMEX," which I understand is the area around Mexico City)
The state of México also includes cities such as Toluca, Atlacomulco, and Ixtapan de la Sal. But yes, in general, it wraps around the northern part of Mexico City.
Quote from: 1995hoo on October 31, 2023, 04:01:43 PM
I assume someone drove a long way for a visit and is in no hurry to leave.
I'm not as familiar with the legal ins and outs of Mexican-plated cars in the USA as I am with that of US-plated cars in Mexico but, not knowing anything about your neighbors, it seems equally probable that the vehicle's owner might be living here on a visa or is in the process of moving here. In fact, I recently spotted a work truck/van here in Wichita with Mexican plates and a magnetic business sign on the door with a local Wichita phone number.
To flip the scenario around: our best friends live in Mexico full-time (albeit on back-to-back-to-back 180-day tourist cards), 300 miles south of the border, and their vehicle is US-plated. There's a ministry we've worked with there in the past that has two vans on the property—one with Mississippi plates and one with US plates.
All that is to say, I imagine that, in the USA, there are likewise several scenarios in which a Mexican citizen can legally live in the USA with a Mexican plated vehicle.
Seen an increasing number of Japanese imported kei trucks, some with their original plates displayed. The domestic market really should manufacture a few, especially given their advantages in cities.
Quote from: kphoger on October 31, 2023, 03:58:55 PM
On I-135 in Wichita (the Canal Route), I just spotted an older model RHD Honda sedan with pre-2001 UK number plates from Liverpool.
Correction. I didn't dig into the number scheme enough. It was actually from Brighton, registration date 1992-1993.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53158162609_e77ca64f92_5k.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/2oZptJZ)
Citroën Jumper (UK) with a German plate. Spotted off the Alaska Highway at Kluane Lake (Yukon).
Here's a few more I've spotted...
Saw an R33 sedan in Kauai last June:
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53006939426_9bda1c537b_b.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/2oL3qmJ)
Toyota Estima Hybrid in Calgary:
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/48796465901_99922b50d8_b.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/2hkYDgB)
Subaru Sambar in Lumberton, Mississippi:
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53191834332_c5babe5507_b.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/2p3o4aW)
Possibly another Sambar (with custom fender flares), this one near Iuka, Mississippi:
(https://live.staticflickr.com/1874/43794684285_a3de8e804c_b.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/29HZcRx)
Daihatsu Hijet off-road conversion in Lenoir City, Tennessee:
(https://live.staticflickr.com/8791/17301302036_e4dfd6c274_c.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/smRGjY)
Suzuki Alto Works on I-405 north of Los Angeles:
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52804688767_0d400c56c2_b.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/2osaQhp)
Suzuki Cappucino on Edmonds-Port Townsend Ferry:
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51582342779_1f667076fe_b.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/2mA9Zpz)
Quote from: Bruce on October 31, 2023, 05:28:32 PM
Seen an increasing number of Japanese imported kei trucks, some with their original plates displayed. The domestic market really should manufacture a few, especially given their advantages in cities.
New passenger vehicles have to meet new vehicle safety standards, which would be impossible for a cheap small utility truck. This is one reason for the rise of utility vehicles, which don't have to meet those standards (but also generally are not road-legal either). Also, manufacturers here don't want the roads flooded with cheap trucks from India or China cutting into their profit margins for $100,000+ trucks.
Vehicles old enough to qualify for import (1998 models and older) don't have to meet safety standards but ARE road legal, because they're considered classics. Also, old enough to hardly be compelling competition for new trucks.
One side-effect of all this - a lot of local municipalities are legalizing road use of ATVs and UTVs. Those tend to be on lower-speed local roadways, not on state or federal highways. A lot of them can be spec'd out and used like the Kei-car mini-trucks. And while they can get stupid expensive (some are over $40,000), you can pick up a new one for under $10,000. For a lot of folks, that's a more sensible purchase than a 25 year old Japanese kei-truck.
This thread certainly got an unexpected revival.
Quote from: formulanone on October 31, 2023, 09:25:44 PM
Here's a few more I've spotted...
Saw an R33 sedan in Kauai last June:
https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53006939426_9bda1c537b_b.jpg
I've noticed the R33 sedan is a popular purchase among Japanese-based US military, I see a
ton of them here in Okinawa. The R34 is obviously most sought-after, but logically much harder to come by these days and are also way more expensive.
Quote from: Bruce on October 31, 2023, 05:28:32 PM
Seen an increasing number of Japanese imported kei trucks, some with their original plates displayed. The domestic market really should manufacture a few, especially given their advantages in cities.
Much like the R33 sedan I mentioned above, kei trucks are very popular purchases among military here in Japan. Many (especially older models) are easily found with stick-shifts, are relatively cheap, and often eligible for import back to the US. And I understand their popularity, they are remarkably versatile, can carry a lot, are easy to park, and crazy cheap to run.
This all said,
older kei cars are miserable to drive. Several of my coworkers have kei cars, and they're just so slow, with awful automatic transmissions. Newer models are significantly better; my girlfriend has a Suzuki Hustler turbo mild-hybrid, and it actually scoots along really well. Edit to add: the older stick-shift kei cars are amazing and unrelated to my concerns.
I would like to see smaller kei-car type vehicles in the US, but the idiotic CAFE standards need to be addressed first so that they make sense to manufacture. Though even that may be a stretch, as the kei market outside of Japan really doesn't exist, even in countries with an ostensibly similar urban fabric (such as South Korea, Taiwan, or Philippines).
Quote from: kphoger on October 31, 2023, 05:20:28 PM
Quote from: 1995hoo on October 31, 2023, 04:01:43 PM
I assume someone drove a long way for a visit and is in no hurry to leave.
I'm not as familiar with the legal ins and outs of Mexican-plated cars in the USA as I am with that of US-plated cars in Mexico but, not knowing anything about your neighbors, it seems equally probable that the vehicle's owner might be living here on a visa or is in the process of moving here. In fact, I recently spotted a work truck/van here in Wichita with Mexican plates and a magnetic business sign on the door with a local Wichita phone number.
....
And I assume you would be more knowledgeable than I am about such issues. I've never seen the vehicle's owner, so I really have no idea what the circumstances might be. If the vehicle had Maryland plates, I'd likely report it to the Fairfax County Department of Tax Administration as a probable tax evader because it's not at all unusual for people to live in Fairfax County but register their cars at a relative's house in Maryland to evade paying personal property tax. But I'm not inclined to do that for a vehicle from Mexico unless it's there for the better part of a year, simply for the reason that I suggested before that if someone drove that far, I'm inclined to give the person the benefit of the doubt.
(The county does investigate the reports and does add vehicles to the tax rolls when they find someone is living here but didn't register the car. A guy who used to live on our block once left a profane note on my wife's car because he didn't like the way she parked. He had an immobile car parked in his driveway with expired out-of-state plates, so to get back at him for the note, I reported his immobile car as a tax evader. Not only did the county add it to the tax rolls, they fined him $100 for not having obtained Virginia license plates within the required amount of time.)