Date:         Tue, 28 May 2002 20:59:38 +1200
Reply-To:     Andrew Grebneff <andrew.grebneff@STONEBOW.OTAGO.AC.NZ>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Andrew Grebneff <andrew.grebneff@STONEBOW.OTAGO.AC.NZ>
Subject:      Re: Best van ever designed (PICS 1)
In-Reply-To:  <000501c20578$13b26cf0$c8231a42@gumby>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" ; format="flowed"

Images sent in 2 batches, as several servers refuse to accept more
than about 3 images at a time, as I've found before... they reject my
images and send them back to me, the bastards, wasting my money
loading them back onto my computer!

>Pic please.
>
>Toyota had (here in the US) a Vanagon-esque thing  they sold as a
>"Toyota Van", clever moniker. It was great. I was limousine driver for a
>Hilton Hotel while in College, and this type of van was our shuttle to
>carry folks to the airport/back. Very handy.
>
>Pax--
>
>G. Matthew Bulley
>Mount Olive, NC

The van marketed in USA was the small one, the Liteace (also sold as
Townace and until a few years ago Masterace, depending on trim
levels. Available as RWD, part-time 4WD, carb or EFI gas, diesel,
turbodiesel, basic or luxury, one wheelbase only; also cab/chassis
version). The Hiace is much bigger, about Vanagon-sized, though the
early version (1960s) was barely larger than the Liteace; it grew
over 4 generations).

>Thanks for the generous offer, but why torment us Yanks with something we
>could never have . . . legally.  Your description of the Hiace, yesterday,
>piqued my curiosity.  A search return much information about the Hiace from
>Nepal and other exotic locales.  It might as well have come from the moon.  I
>have to agree with you assessment, it appears to be one hell of a car.
>
>Given that my fellow Americans, taken as a lot, are a bunch of insipid
>lemmings, there is no possibility that a hightop, 4WD Hiace will ever make it
>to the showroom floor in the Good Ol' USA.  Pity, that.
>
>Rich

I'm a nasty teasing tormentor, so here the images are; all I have are
the basic MWB 2WD version (most are white) and a full-time 4WD SWB
3.0 EFI turbodiesel Super Custom (interior shots are of the latter).

>sure just for fun drop me an image, regrettably the cooler vehicles
>never seem to make it to the U.S.  perhaps..overregulation??

I think it's the manufacturer making the decisions. Why didn't Toyota
market it there? I dunno; it's not because they don't make an LHD
version, because it's sold in LHD China. Marketers. Shoot 'em.

>I would like to see some picts. your always mentioning the Hiace but I have
>no clue what your talking about

OK, here you go...