Tuesday, October 29, 2024

I find the reasons that some things were built they way they were, interesting when it turns out that there were design decisions made based only on getting around tax laws (three wheelers) or import laws (the famous "Chicken Tax")

 

I just learned why it had those rear seats in the bed!

It was a way to get around the 25% “chicken tax” on trucks; with four passenger seats, it was no longer a truck, but an open air tourer, or something like that; a passenger car, in any case.

https://www.curbsideclassic.com/curbside-classics-asian/curbside-classic-1981-subaru-brat-with-third-eye-passing-lamp-a-brief-passing-fad/

If you haven't heard of the Chicken Tax before, I posted about it in 2011 https://justacarguy.blogspot.com/2011/09/chicken-war-and-chicken-tax-and-what.html

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3 comments:

  1. Oldtom98:47 AM

    Another item used was the CKD" or complete knockdown. When imported with the pickup bed no on the chassis, the vehicle entered at a lower tax rate. The bodies were put onto the pickups in The U.S.

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  2. Marc B9:56 AM

    Ford paid $365 million to settle a dispute from the way they imported Transit Connect vans with temporary seats to skirt the Chicken Tax.

    https://www.automotivedive.com/news/ford-chicken-tax-fine-justice-department-tariffs-cargo-vans/709965/

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Jesse7:38 PM

      I posted about that https://justacarguy.blogspot.com/2024/03/ford-transit-connect-vans-produced-in.html

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