Date: Fri, 21 Jan 2011 09:58:11 -0800
Reply-To: Steven Johnson <sjohnso2000@GMAIL.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Steven Johnson <sjohnso2000@GMAIL.COM>
Subject: Re: Just like a Vanagon, but modern..
In-Reply-To: <4d38f050.467bdc0a.0c22.5132@mx.google.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1
I'm sure the reason is, indeed, monetary. Their marking folks probably
figured it wasn't
worth the investment to bring it here. There may be a large demand but
probably not
enough. Plus, all of the discussion of how people are packed into them
wouldn't go
well with the US safety standards folks....
Steven
On Thu, Jan 20, 2011 at 6:32 PM, Jeff Schwaia <vw.doka@gmail.com> wrote:
> Ah yes... good old "conspiracy theory".
>
> Do you really think Toyota wouldn't bring in the Hiace if they believed
> they
> could make lots of money off it?
>
> Yeah, right...
>
> Jeff
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Vanagon Mailing List [mailto:vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com] On Behalf Of
> Steven Johnson
> Sent: Thursday, January 20, 2011 9:09 AM
> To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
> Subject: Re: Just like a Vanagon, but modern..
>
> Zoltan's statement still holds true. Just because Toyota can now afford
> the
> big bribes like the rest of the US auto companies
> doesn't mean that what he said is wrong....
>
> Steven
>
> On Wed, Jan 19, 2011 at 11:00 AM, Jeff Schwaia <vw.doka@gmail.com> wrote:
>
> > Not really... there are relatively simple ways for manufacturers to get
> > around the "chicken tax". The most common is to ship incomplete vehicles
> > and finish the assembly in the USA. This is not as big of a deal as it
> > sounds. Look at the Sprinter. Do you think Dodge (now Mercedes) is
> paying
> > 25% import duty on those vans? Nope. They send them as incomplete
> vehicles
> > and then add the final bits (usually made in the USA) before sending them
> on
> > to their dealers.
> >
> > If Toyota, or any other mfg, believed it was financially viable, they
> would
> > do the same. As a matter of fact, Toyota was one of the first mfg's to
> > utilize the incomplete vehicle loophole with their small trucks. They
> would
> > ship them to California without the pickup beds. The beds were made in
> the
> > USA and attached at a processing plant in California. Viola! A Japanese
> > made truck without chicken tax...
> >
> > Jeff
> >
> >
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: Vanagon Mailing List [mailto:vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com] On Behalf
> Of
> > HotelWestfalia
> > Sent: Wednesday, January 19, 2011 10:33 AM
> > To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
> > Subject: Re: Just like a Vanagon, but modern..
> >
> > Almost anything that was or is not threatening the US vehicle sales was
> > allowed in with severe restrictions that did not apply to the locals. We
> > did not get Vanagons with diesel turbo, or with carburetors either.
> > The huge success of the HiAce was a serious threat to the local van
> > manufacturing. The unions ruled them out. The local manufacturers
> treated
> > the local market exactly as the drug dealers their own turf.
> > Z
> >
> >
> > ----- Original Message -----
> > From: "J Stewart" <fonman4277@COMCAST.NET>
> > To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
> > Sent: Wednesday, January 19, 2011 7:06 AM
> > Subject: Re: Just like a Vanagon, but modern..
> >
> >
> > > Still do, if you can call it that, the Sienna. More car like than van,
> > > though. Toyota's first mini van sold in the US (1983?) was cool
> looking,
> > > it too was Vanagon like only smaller, and even came as a 4X4.
> Mitsubishi
> > > had a nice looking small van back in the 80's as well.
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > Jeff Stewart
> > >
> > > Sorry, left off the link originally. Here it is:
> > > http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toyota_Hiace. According to this, the
> Toyota
> > > Hiace came in a camper version. Of course, Toyota sold vans in this
> > > country from long ago. Must be something other than emissions control
> > that
> > > kept these from being marketed here.
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > mcneely
> > >
> >
>
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