So you see different models sold in Europe or elsewhere yet not available in the states. Whats up with that?
Can't even get some of them because they're ot shipped here.  Seems like if you have to order a car then they can just ship it on a different vessel.

Lots of it has to do with emissions and safety equipment. I'd love to have a diesel Hilux or a diesel D90, but it's just not gonna happen any time soon.

Quoted: Lots of it has to do with emissions and safety equipment. I'd love to have a diesel Hilux or a diesel D90, but it's just not gonna happen any time soon.

+1

Also marketing strategy plays a factor.  Sometimes not enough 'market' for a certain type of vehicle (although I ALSO would like the option of a diesel).


As far as saefty equipment:

ALL TURN SIGNAL INDICATORS SHOULD BE YELLOW AND SIDEMARKERS MANDATORY !!!!!  [/rant]

Not that I want one-because I don't. But the Toyota Echo isn't being distributed in the states anymore. It is in Canada & Europe but not available here, anymore. All the emissions and safety standards are up to date but they feel the Corolla will provide better ride, moire room & about the same mileage  for just a little more $$$. I agree with them but many don't.  

Tag.. interesting question.

You should see all the cool 250-500cc motorcycle choices available overseas that we can't get here.  The manufacturers don't see a market, yet used bikes in that range sell so fast it's hard to find them sometimes.

Quoted: You should see all the cool 250-500cc motorcycle choices available overseas that we can't get here.  The manufacturers don't see a market, yet used bikes in that range sell so fast it's hard to find them sometimes.

A lot of countries have restrictions for beginner motorbike riders which limit the bikes the beginners can ride on public roads until they get a full licence. In most cases this will be a flat limit on the engine displacement, but in some cases it will be a power/weight limit so a larger bike with a low power engine is as legal as a smaller bike with a more powerful engine.

Then there are some countries that divide the bikes into different catagories based on engine displacement and each catagory needs a particular grade of licence. Japan is one of those countries. Want to ride a bigger bike? You have to qualify for the higher grade licence first. Some people never bother going beyond a particular grade, so there is a captive market in those countries for bikes in sizes that aren't typical in the US.

Here in Australia it varies a little on a state by state basis. Where I live, Victoria (and most other Aust states), riders are limited to a 260cc or smaller bike for the first few years. Once they have a full motorcycle licence, they can ride anything they want. New South Wales has a power/weight scheme for the first few years of riding and Queensland has a special scheme that allows you to get onto an unrestricted licence (ride any bike) in only a few months if you meet certain conditions. I have a friend who went through that scheme and was on the latest model Yamaha R1 in only a couple of months. He and I went riding through some nearby hills one day, he dropped it in a corner and literally knocked himself out for 5-10 minutes despite having an up to date full face helmet on. He's getting better with more experience, but he really did bite off more than he could chew for a while with that bike and his limited experience.

Market research and NHTSA regs, it costs a lot to get a car to market here and if it won't make a good profit then it ain't gonna show up.
Also americans are safety freaks. Many of those foreign couldn't pass a crash test if it were wrapped in thirty foot thick bubble wrap.

I would kill for a aussie market extended cab Land Cruiser pickup.

I don't have an answer, but I'd love to see the club cab (4 full size doors), 4x4, diesel Ford Ranger I saw in Germany.  I'm not 100% sure it was a ranger, because I had just come out of a pub, but it looked exactly like one.  If they had a truck like that in the US that could get high 20's to 30mpg, they would sell a shitload of them IMO.  Tacomas and rangers seem to be the most popular trucks used by mailmen around here.

I can think of various reasons why:
-The American arm of the manufacturers don't feel there will be a market for their foreign-market models here
-DOT and EPA regs, crashworthiness
-personally, the manufacturer big-wigs have their heads up their asses and can't deliver what the people want(GM this means you, you have a whole fleet of Aussie stuff you can send here(I read in Motor Trend that there are a lot of combinations out of one Aussie platform.)

I wouldn't mind the Holden Ute SS(a GTO with a pickup on the back they sell in Australia

Quoted: I would kill for a aussie market extended cab Land Cruiser pickup.

Would it bother you that I drove those? My aunte has a LC78 Troop carrier along with a couple hi-lux diesels that her ranch workers use.

Also owned a 88 Ford Falcon XF, 79 Holden Torana. Flipped a Holden Commodore at Cadler Park raceway, side swiped a wall at Cadler PArk testing a brand new 89 Nissan Skyline R32 GT-R and got the Falcon I was driving tangled up at Ipswitch on the 2nd lap in the first Australian race I was ever in

BTW I'm looking into trying to import a Toyota LC78 "pickup".

This is what I want. No frills, no yuppie crap like GPS, onstar, auto 4wd. Basically a pure work vehicle.

Quoted: I can think of various reasons why: -The American arm of the manufacturers don't feel there will be a market for their foreign-market models here -DOT and EPA regs, crashworthiness -personally, the manufacturer big-wigs have their heads up their asses and can't deliver what the people want(GM this means you, you have a whole fleet of Aussie stuff you can send here(I read in Motor Trend that there are a lot of combinations out of one Aussie platform.) I wouldn't mind the Holden Ute SS(a GTO with a pickup on the back they sell in Australiawww.holden.com.au//images/ute/ss_ute/overview/img_ModelHero.jpg

That's an economy of scale thing. Holden (the GM branch in Aus) and Ford-Aus both use a basic chassis/mechanical platform and then spin as many different vehicles as they can from that one platform (obviously Holden and Ford have their own seperate platforms). Aus is a small market so it's not cost effective to have to tool up multiple production lines for different chassis types just to cover different market segments. The other models under those brands that use a different chassis/platform are normally imports.

For Holden, the same chassis/platform is used for the GTO/Monaro, a 4 door sedan (multiple models with different interior & trim packages), station wagon, 2 door ute ("utility", a light pickup), and a 4 door crewcab ute.

How about a crewcab ute with an LS3(?) and constant all wheel drive?

Quoted: Quoted: I would kill for a aussie market extended cab Land Cruiser pickup. Would it bother you that I drove those? My aunte has a LC78 Troop carrier along with a couple hi-lux diesels that her ranch workers use. Also owned a 88 Ford Falcon XF, 79 Holden Torana. Flipped a Holden Commodore at Cadler Park raceway, side swiped a wall at Cadler PArk testing a brand new 89 Nissan Skyline R32 GT-R and got the Falcon I was driving tangled up at Ipswitch on the 2nd lap in the first Australian race I was ever in BTW I'm looking into trying to import a Toyota LC78 "pickup". This is what I want. No frills, no yuppie crap like GPS, onstar, auto 4wd. Basically a pure work vehicle. lc78.toyota.com.au/TWR/content/static/10052.jpg

bastard 100% on the overpriced pussified US market models