Why doesn't Dodge sell righthand drive trucks?

'Cause I'm tellin' ya, from my experiences in England and Australia, they'd sell like hotcakes. I've only been in Oz for a few months, and I've had many conversations with Aussies about how cool they think my truck is (a 2001 Dakota SLT, 4x4, club cab, with a Line-X bedliner). Talked with an Aussie corrections officer for like a half-hour about how cool he thinks my truck is...

:sigh: Aussie guys lust after my truck more than me :( [but Hubby's happy with that].

Brits also loved my truck, but not nearly as much as the Aussies do. Might be because it's easier to park here (parking spots in England are made for minis, I think), and 4x4s are more a necessity here in the Outback.

My favorite moment though, was back in England. I was helping a friend move a childs' piano (they did the lifting, I just drove). I'd talked to this one college student guy about engine sizes, etc... when we got to the new place, they were standing there, and as I drove up, he asked me to rev the engine (4.7l v8, very very big by Brit standards). I did. Unfortunately, I missed the expression on his face, but everybody there started laughing, especially when he said, "Do it again! Do it again!" like he was about five.

Oh, and it's become a very popular vehicle with the under-15s here too, 'cause the parents are allowing them to ride in the bed when we're at the showgrounds [fairgrounds] moving stuff and hay for RDA.

Seriously, though, why don't they sell Dodge (Dakotas) overseas (outside of bases)?

jmc

Reply to
jmc
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Don't know about Oz but they wouldn't sell in England. Larger vehicles of any kind aren't very common. When I've visited England I saw very few passenger trucks on the highways. Travel trailers where a full size truck would be needed are also very rare in England. At over $6 a gallon who could afford them?

Reply to
miles

Maybe it the Aussies drove on the "right" side of the road.

Reply to
Trent

Don't know when you were there, but I just left... indeed, some years ago there weren't many, but I saw lots more this tour... I think in the north, anyway, they may do well enough. Saw lots more LandCruisers and RangeRovers this tour than last, and a goodly number of Mitsubishi Tritons and some Nissans as well...

Oz, though, would be an excellent market I think. Nearly everyone here owns a 4x4, at least here in the Outback, many are RR or LCs but there's a goodly number of utes (as pickups are called here) as well.

jmc

Reply to
jmc

(Apologies if this is a double post. Firefox weirded out on me for a second)

Suddenly, without warn>> 'Cause I'm tellin' ya, from my experiences in England and Australia,

Don't know when you were there, but I just left... indeed, some years ago there weren't many, but I saw lots more this tour... I think in the north, anyway, they may do well enough. Saw lots more LandCruisers and RangeRovers this tour than last, and a goodly number of Mitsubishi Tritons and some Nissans as well...

Oz, though, would be an excellent market I think. Nearly everyone here owns a 4x4, at least here in the Outback, many are RR or LCs but there's a goodly number of utes (as pickups are called here) as well.

jmc

Reply to
jmc

I was in southern England 2 years ago. Mostly around the Bristol area in south west England (was visiting Airbus). Out in the nearby countryside I saw very few trucks of any kind, mini or full sized and no

4x4's other than the AWD cars and mini SUV's. In talking to people they told me that very few people in England have large 4x4's, SUV's or full sized trucks. To them there just wasn't a need. 5th wheels and the like are almost unheard of there. There were many commercial 2+ ton trucks, but few passenger trucks.
Reply to
miles

That's OK... you still have a fan here... ;^)

Mike

I think the main reason is economic. It would be just too costly to engineer a RHD Dak and certify it to each country's requirements for such a small market. I do think it would go over much better in Oz tho'... the Brit's just don't have the infrastructure for vehicles of our size.

Mike

Reply to
Mike Simmons

Makes sense. Up in Yorkshire, saw a lot more 4x4s and mid-size SUVs, but there's a lot more farmers up there, hills, dirt roads, and generally more weather.

jmc

Reply to
jmc

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