Why you cant buy a truck from Europe? Chickens

[Steve S 3]

You know why you can't get European trucks in the US? A ridiculous tax that came about over a fight about chickens. No joke



after WWII, the US found that we'd become really good at factory farming, and as such could really crank out some chickens, at rates never before known.

Chicken prices plummeted, and European chicken-gorging reached new heights. This started rounds of accusations ? the Dutch claiming chickens were being dumped on the market below cost, the West Germans going all the way and suggesting American chickens were artificially plumped with arsenic (some sort of were), it was a mess.



Eventually, it all ended with a bunch of import restrictions on American chickens into Europe, causing a 25% loss of business for US chicken exporters.

American retaliated in 1963 with a the tariff on potato starch, brandy, dextrose, and a 25% tax on light trucks.

Interesting that the Subaru Brat got around the tax by adding those jump seats!

 

[H D]

I can see where that would stifle competition, but some have gotten around it by building here; others could, too. Heck, even the Tacoma is pretty large now. I do believe there is some legitimacy to the demand excuse.



CAFE standards are still more to blame for enormous trucks, though, IMO.

 

[Johnny O]

This is a pickup truck I saw in Italy. i don't think I'd want one.



[Broken External Image]:

 

[Ken Hibbs]

there are several like that in this area, but not street legal, mostly used by farmers and hunters and some just for play:fire:

 

[blksn8k]

While the chicken tax might prevent some manufacturers from importing trucks, if they really wanted to sell a particular truck in the US they can get around the tax by simply building the vehicle here. The T6 Ranger is a good example. With all of Ford's resources they could easily add a production line at one of their existing plants. A good candidate for that would be their Kansas City plant where the full-size Transit van is currently produced. The Transit shares the 3.2L in-line 5 cyl diesel with the T6 Ranger and there are probably other drivetrain parts that could be interchanged between the two.

Unless Ford begins to see a significant drop in F-150 sales that can be directly attributed to increased sales of mid-size trucks like the Colorado, they will never bring the Ranger to the US for fear of it pirating sales from their full-size sales king F-series. It obviously doesn't matter that they could possibly increase their overall annual sales by 70,000 or more units.



As long as they can continue selling full-size trucks to people who don't need them that is exactly what they intend to do. :sad:

 

[Mark K 2]

I had a Ford dealer tell me to expect a new US Ranger in April 2016. The Chevy Colorado sales are making an impact at Ford, she says.

 

[blksn8k]

She also wants you to buy a Ford and not a Chevy.

 

[John G]

11,409 is the monthly sales of Tacoma

8,147 for the Chevy Colorado plus the GMC Canyon.



Ford F150 sold 54,370 in its first month.



I'd say that Ford is probably losing some sales to Toyota and Chevy, especially in locations like Southern California where a small pickup is likely to sell better.



article about Colorado sales

 

[blksn8k]

If I had to choose between the two from GM I would have to pick the Canyon. It looks more like a truck whereas the Colorado can't seem to decide if it wants to be a truck or a Malibu with a bed hung on the back. That being said, I would have a hard time getting past my fear of GM electronics. They must be importing that stuff from England. :grin:

 

[Steve S 3]

I'm holding out for the new Honda Ridgeline. The quirky (ugly) version that it replaces is one of the few sporty small 'trucks' I would want to buy- the others being the Tacoma (X-Runner if it had 4 doors) and the Nissan Frontier, maybe the . I really don't want an F150 way to big and too common. Man, I sure could go for an old Dodge Rampage or an El Camino right now. Maybe I should just chop one of the new Explorers into a Sport Trac or import a Ranger; not sure which would be harder.

BTW, I saw one of those 'Golf cart' trucks on the road in New Smyrna Beach Fl this weekend. Not sure if was street legal or not. It's Florida so you can get away with a bit more than some places.

 

[Gavin Allan]

Isuzu imported Rodeos into the US without a backseat to avoid the tariff. Once here, an American company supplied the dealers with back seats to install to complete the assembly so they could be sold.

 

[Johnny O]

If you'd see my house, an F-150 would not only not fit in my garage, it wouldn't even fit in my driveway.