The things is they aren’t even that small. I visited my friend in Japan on a ski trip and he owns one of these trucks. It fit the two of us in the front seats extremely comfortably, and we put my ski bag and all my gear in the bed with tons of room to spare. It was way more comfortable than traveling with the same gear in a sedan would have been. It feels like we only have a problem with it in America because our roads and our vehicles are so goddamn gigantic.
That is because those classic models are grandfathered in. Cars without safety features already were registered and existed when the laws were created, and it was easier for the DOT to just allow all vehicles manufactured prior to the law requiring safety equipment to remain the way they were and be allowed on the street.
The things is they aren’t even that small. I visited my friend in Japan on a ski trip and he owns one of these trucks. It fit the two of us in the front seats extremely comfortably, and we put my ski bag and all my gear in the bed with tons of room to spare. It was way more comfortable than traveling with the same gear in a sedan would have been. It feels like we only have a problem with it in America because our roads and our vehicles are so goddamn gigantic.
I think the real issue is the lack of safety features our vehicles are required to have. I want a kei truck so damn bad.
That can be said about almost all classic cars. Like the article pointed out, you can still register and drive a Ford Model T in the state.
That is because those classic models are grandfathered in. Cars without safety features already were registered and existed when the laws were created, and it was easier for the DOT to just allow all vehicles manufactured prior to the law requiring safety equipment to remain the way they were and be allowed on the street.