Moroccan troops with some sort of Toyota, United States Marine Corps photograph.
Whatever that pattern is, they don't import it here. Universal (i.e., light small 4x4 trucks of the Jeep type) have gone from being a product offered solely by Willy, to being one, as I've noted before, that was offered by many manufacturers, to include Toyota, Rover, Nissan, and Ford, amongst others. Now the numbers have dwindled back down so that the only common one is the Jeep once again, now a Chrysler product, unless you include Toyota's somewhat larger option. Mercedes does make a Jeep type vehicle that's imported into the US, but you rarely see one. And I know at least Steyr makes one overseas. Jaguar, the current owner of the Rover brand, might as well.
No matter, it's Toyota that has the light military vehicle role all sewn up all over the glove. Every third world army everywhere, and every mobilized irregular guerrilla outfit, uses them too. They must be a fantastic light truck. While I know it'd be very politically incorrect, were I in the Toyota advertising department, I'd propose the slogan "Toyota Landcruiser: The prime mover of the third world army".
2 comments:
Funny! Yes, it's true, as I've read in other places as well--the Toyota is the vehicle of choice for insurgents, militias, etc. How amusing that the corporation can't market its product by the testimonials of these groups. But Toyota seems to be so successful in this sector that marketing isn't even necessary.
By the way, Pat, I wonder what year you would place the transition from SUVs as an unadorned practical 4WD to the bloated suburbanized version. I'm thinking sometime in the early 90s.
"By the way, Pat, I wonder what year you would place the transition from SUVs as an unadorned practical 4WD to the bloated suburbanized version. I'm thinking sometime in the early 90s."
Interesting question, and solid observation. Indeed, I've been lamenting how increasingly more urban SUV's have become, morphing back into essentially upright type cars with light four wheel drive. It's become pretty hard, really, to find a real 4x4 of the type that once existed, and even quite a few 4x4 pickups are light in comparison to their ancestors.
I'd also place the start of the transition around 1990, maybe a little later, or maybe a little earlier. Real 4x4s of the Jeep or Carryall type are pretty hard to come by now. When a 4x4 has an option called the "off road package", you have to start to wonder.
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