Datsun trivia

[Coyote Chris]

In 1946, a Man called Honda took an army surplus generator and attached it to a bicycle.


Also, in 1946, Datsun /Nissan went back to making a whole series of pickups. You can see them all on Wiki. Very interesting. But right after getting into office, LBJ put a 25% "Chicken tax" on pickups/work trucks that are imported. That tax is still in effect. Today, US and off shore makers have various ways around the Chicken tax...but I dont think Datsun/Nissan from 1955-1997 ever did? Anyone know if that is true? I know Isuzu just renamed what their "Trooper" was.

 

[mikesim]

Over the years there have been various schemes/workarounds concocted by the manufacturers to avoid punitive tariffs or fuel economy restrictions that enabled them to competitively sell their products in the US. For example, the Japanese imported pickup truck beds into the US and they were taxed as auto parts. The truck chassis (sans bed) were then imported as chassis cabs/unfinished vehicles and taxed accordingly. At the port of entry the chassis cab and pickup box were assembled and voila! an un tariffed vehicle! Similarly, when Chrysler introduced the mini-van in 1984 it was classified as a truck to avoid the passenger car fuel economy restrictions and was able to be sold with the less stringent truck safety standards.

It seems that when Uncle Sam finds a new way to extract his pound of flesh the bright bulbs quickly find a way to circumvent the extraction..... some things never change.....

Mike

 

[Coyote Chris]

Over the years there have been various schemes/workarounds concocted by the manufacturers to avoid punitive tariffs or fuel economy restrictions that enabled them to competitively sell their products in the US. For example, the Japanese imported pickup truck beds into the US and they were taxed as auto parts. The truck chassis (sans bed) were then imported as chassis cabs/unfinished vehicles and taxed accordingly. At the port of entry the chassis cab and pickup box were assembled and voila! an un tariffed vehicle! Similarly, when Chrysler introduced the mini-van in 1984 it was classified as a truck to avoid the passenger car fuel economy restrictions and was able to be sold with the less stringent truck safety standards.

It seems that when Uncle Sam finds a new way to extract his pound of flesh the bright bulbs quickly find a way to circumvent the extraction..... some things never change.....

Mike

I like the examples in the article....two seats in the bed of the Subaru Brat and the seats in the Ford Transit built in Turkey.

 

[mikesim]

I like the examples in the article....two seats in the bed of the Subaru Brat and the seats in the Ford Transit built in Turkey.

I for one would love to see Subie bring back the Brat, but with seats in the pickup bed the NHTSA and Consumer Reports would have seven different types of conniption fits!! An AWD mini-truck! What's not to like?

Mike

 

[Coyote Chris]

I for one would love to see Subie bring back the Brat, but with seats in the pickup bed the NHTSA and Consumer Reports would have seven different types of conniption fits!! An AWD mini-truck! What's not to like?

Mike

NHTSA is unsafe at any speed. I think safety belts are a good idea. I dont like what is basically a non standard in headlight brightness and enforcement and air bags you cant turn off. Somehow, I cant find the piles of dead Japanese driving mini trucks?