Ries
Diamond
- Joined
- Mar 15, 2004
- Location
- Edison Washington USA
Did the vehicle cargo actually originate in the US or in the far east? I'd expect a RORO rather than a container ship as shown, if the battery wasn't disconnected??
None available in the US now - and it seems an unlikely preference for thieves, but the Hilux is one of the most stolen vehicles down here and extremely popular in Africa....which gives me cause to think that's where they might end up. On the other hand, Nth American product would seem an unlikely preference for sale over there. I'd just imagine the looks on faces if something like an F450 monstrosity turned up on the docks.
A workshop fire nearby killed several hundred grand worth of historic cars via trickle charging a light weight battery. I'm circumspect even leaving a drill or trouble light Li-ion unattended now!
These cars were all used US automobiles.
There is a separate trade route for used Japanese cars.
A lot of the used Japanese ones go to gigantic used car lots on the Arabian peninsula, then go in onesies and twosies, by Dhow, down the Red Sea to Mombasa and points south.
No, we never had Hiluxes here.
But, interestingly enough, and contrary to your theory, there is a thriving trade in used US "full" sized pickups, particularly to countries who have grown to love them after capturing them from US troops.
This story is quite ironic, and not at all unusual- A texas plumbers Ford shows up being driven by Daesh, in Syria, with his logo still on the door.
Money doesnt care about your politics. Profit is profit.
Plumber sues auctioneer after truck shown with terrorists - CNN
Also funnily enough, there is a larger and larger flow of used Japanese vehicles from Japan to the USA, as Japanese mandatory inspections usually make a car too expensive to keep after 7 years or so.
I own both a japanese tractor and a japanese forklift, too old and funky for Japan.
But I have friends who drive "gray market" used Japanese cars, as long as they are over 25 years old, you can license them in the US. So things like Toyota Land Cruiser Prado's, which were never sold here, are showing up, along with Nissan Figaros and older drifting favorite sports cars. There is a guy in my area who I see pretty often driving a tiny Japanese cabover 4 door flatbed fire truck, with its original japanese fire logo in gold leaf on its bright red paint job.
Yes, you definitely need a JDM kei-sized fire truck - Hagerty Media
So, on the one hand, we have the African market buying F150s and Buicks and Hondas from Ohio, and then we have the US market buying 360 cc Kei cars from Tokyo.
The country that loves big cars imports teeny ones, and the countries that have very little money import anything cheap that can be made to run.