“Kei” trucks were never intended for sale in America. Yet they fill a niche that the country’s manufacturers are failing to satisfy
Intrigued, Mr Morgan started researching. Within a few months, he drove to Newport, Virginia to pick up a 1997 Honda Acty, having spent a total of just $2,000 on importing it. He was delighted. Not only was it “dirt cheap”, but the Acty is less than five feet wide, and so can get into tight spaces a normal pickup cannot, like Mr Morgan’s barn. And unlike a side-by-side, it can also be driven legally on local roads. “They’re amazingly useful,” he says.
Kei trucks were never intended for sale in America. Most are right-hand drive, and they do not always have airbags or other safety features required in new cars. The bulk are imported under a rule that allows non-compliant vehicles that are older than 25 years to be brought into America, a carve-out intended originally for collectible vintage cars, although a few specialist dealers import newer ones too, for sale as off-road vehicles. They fill a niche American manufacturers are failing to.
As the demand grows, some worry that the loopholes that allow their import and use might be closed. Dealers increasingly report trouble getting the vehicles registered for road use, particularly in north-eastern states. Safety concerns are part of the reason. Mr Morgan admits his would be a “death trap” on a busy highway. But some fans suspect an auto-industry stitch-up to keep out cheap Japanese competition. If so, it would not be the first time.
This article appeared in the United States section of the print edition under the headline"What a Kei-motion"
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