Think of the savings if the Pentagon would have just bid out for a bunch of Toyota Hilux's (with rhino lining on the frame) or land rover Defenders instead of blowing all that money on the HMMV program. Instead, the government decided to ban import the Defender because it doesn't have an airbag, and the original concept of light pickup trucks like the Datsun and Hilux has been pushed out of the US marketplace entirely because of CAFE standards.
In 1988 I bought my first Toyota pickup truck. It was not called the Tacoma back then because they only made one pickup model.
In 1999 I bought my second Toyota pick up.
I did not trade in the 1988.
I advertised it locally.
I had two different guys who called and the first question they asked was: “will it pass inspection?” I said: of course it will. The first guy said, ok have a nice day.
When the second guy asked the same question, I asked why? He stated that he bought old Datsuns/Nissans and Toyota trucks and shipped them overseas. He shipped his to Central America. He stated that he could fit four into a container and sell them for about $4000 down there. He would buy them in the US for $1000. He also said that others guys sent them to Asia.
A couple years go by and the USA invades Afghanistan. What are all those Taliban dudes driving around? Old Toyota and Datsun pick up trucks with a machine gun in the back.
So, I made myself a bumper sticker on Zazzle.
Toyota Tacoma
Official Vehicle of the Taliban
I stuck it on the rear bumper of my 1999 Tacoma.