Around this time every year, car journalists love rounding up the newest cars unleashed from the shackles of the infamous “25 Year Rule.” Like a young adult waiting until the magical age of 21, you can now indulge yourself in products the government deemed just too dangerous for you to consume a year ago. This year, you’ll be able to bring home some famed cars from your childhood, but don’t expect to pay under $10,000 for any of them. So, I’m going to do something different. Here are five cool cars that you can import this year that won’t require the sale of one of your organs.
Before I continue, I will reveal the most famous cars freshly eligible for importation without jumping through a bunch of hoops. You can now import a Nissan Skyline GT-R R34 without being all sneaky about it. You can then pair it with a TVR Tuscan Speed Six, a Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution VI, a Pagani Zonda C12, a Subaru Impreza WRX STI S201, and a Nissan Silvia S15.
I probably don’t have to tell you that most of the above list of cars will cost you a lot of money. To give you an example, back in October, a 1999 Nissan Skyline GT-R R34 rolled across the MIRIVE Saitama auction block with peeling paint, aftermarket wheels, crash damage history, and marks all over its condition inspection sheet. The inspection suggests the entire left side of the car had been replaced after the crash and the vehicle is still covered in imperfections. It earned a condition grade of R, a low grade often associated with crashed cars. It still sold for $78,361. Here’s the car below.
Nice and rare Skyline GT-R R34s sell for over $100,000 in Japanese auctions, get brought over to America, then are sold for even more money. Sorry, friends. Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution fans will be happy to hear that their dream cars haven’t become crazy unattainable yet. A 2000 Lancer Evolution VI with a condition grade of 4.5, the highest grade an old car can receive in Japan, sold for $23,880 back in November. Here’s that car below:
It’s a similar story for the Nissan Silvia S15. A pretty 1999 Nissan Silvia S15 Spec R Aero with a healthy report card grade of 4 and four-wheel-steering sold for $22,334 in November. Here’s that car below:
Spending $23,000 on a 25-year-old car an entire ocean away from home may not be a “deal,” but at least many enthusiasts could at least touch cars like these. Sadly, if you spent your childhood racing Nissan Skyline GT-R R34s in video games, those cars may remain out of your grasp. Don’t even ask about the Pagani Zonda C12. Those sold for $325,000 new and today, some collectors will pay a few million for them.
So, here’s the thing, I’m a cheapskate. All of you already know this. The most expensive vehicle I’ve paid cash for was a $8,500 Saturn Sky Red Line, and that made me feel like a Rockefeller. It’s unlikely I will ever exchange cash, drugs, alcohol, vintage phones, bottle caps, or any other form of currency for an imported Evo, let alone the Zonda. Instead, I like looking at the kinds of cars nobody cares about. You don’t have to pay a lot of money to own something weird and different in America!
[Note: Due to the closed nature of Japan’s auto auction networks, we are not able to provide links to sales statistics pages.]
Honda Z
If you’re an American, Honda Z will either refer to the tiny monkey bike of the 1960s or a slightly larger coupe from the same era. Honda arrived in America in 1959 and started making a name for itself with its glorious motorcycles. It took until 1969 for Honda to start giving its cars, and we first got the N600 sedan, which was followed up by the Z600 coupe. Both of these cars were kei cars in their Japanese homeland, but now they were available to frugal Americans.
The original Z cars are as cute as buttons and if you squint, look like an American pony car after a dip in an icy lake. As Hemmings writes, Honda’s creation of the N cars and the Z cars were a part of Japan’s plan to get its people off of motorcycles and into cars. Kei vehicles were cheap modes of transportation that achieved this goal while helping Japan’s car industry grow. Production of the original Z cars was from between 1969 to 1974, with exports ending in 1972. Yep, America got them just for a couple of years, but the cars did what they needed to. I recently saw a pristine Honda Z600 and now I need one in my life.
In 1998, Honda brought back the Z nameplate, but for a completely different style of vehicle. The 1998 Honda Z was a kei-class SUV built by Yachiyo Industry Co. That’s cool enough until you learn that the engine is not up front, but placed in a mid-rear arrangement. Those side vents feed air to the 656cc triple that lives under the rear seats. The Honda Z also isn’t just tall for the heck of it, because it has four-wheel-drive with a viscous center differential.
Options include a turbo for the engine, but sadly, all of them came with a four-speed automatic. The naturally aspirated Z made 52 ponies while the turbo variant put out 64 HP. Production on these micro SUVs began in October 1998, so in reality, they didn’t start becoming legal until late last year.
That’s the funny thing about importation in the United States. Officially, it’s not just the production year that matters, but also the production month. A car made in June 1999 isn’t 25 yet. Keep that in mind when you read these sorts of lists. You may not be able to close the tab and buy the car you want yet. Some people buy the car anyway and hope that the agents reading the forms don’t care about production month, which does happen. Others just store their desired vehicle for a few months until there’s no question about when the car was built.
Anyway, let’s get down to what you’d pay for a cute SUV like the Honda Z. According to auction statistics I have access to, Honda Zs in condition grade 3.5 — driver-grade cars that are usually mechanically fine but will usually have minor cosmetic faults — can be purchased in auctions for $700 to $1,000. You’ll probably spend another couple of grand in fees, shipping, port costs, and paperwork, but you could probably get one landed in America for $3,000 or some ticks above that. That’s not a lot of cash for a weird little car you won’t often see in America. Since these aren’t kei trucks, some of the import-hating states in the East may even put plates on them.
Audi A2
Back in 2019, David Tracy blew my mind by introducing me to a compact Audi that I never knew existed. The Audi A2, at least to my eyes, looks a bit like what would happen if you took the Audi TT and stretched it out into a four-door economy car. I know, it really isn’t that, but that’s how I saw it. The A2 even had a different designer: Luc Donckerwolke.
The A2 was built for a future that never really came, a future where compacts were ridiculously efficient, aerodynamic, and spacious. We did get spacious tiny cars, as owners of Honda Fits and Smart Forfours could attest, but none quite as obsessive about getting everything into one package as the Audi A2.
Audi put practically supercar-levels of engineering into the A2. The vehicle bears Audi’s aluminum spaceframe plus aluminum body panels. At its lightest, an A2 weighs 1,973 pounds at its lightest, which is lighter than other vehicles in its class in its day. Audi didn’t stop there, as it carved out a 0.28 coefficient of drag through flush windows, slippery bodywork, and even a wing on the back meant to reduce wind turbulence. It even had a fake grille years before that would become the norm. Another feature is a service flap that allows you to top off the vehicle’s fluids without having to pop off the whole hood.
When you equipped an Audi A2 with a 1.2-liter 60 HP turbodiesel triple, you could score an impressive 78.4 mpg. Not even my 70 mpg Smart Fortwo diesel can regularly touch that. If you don’t care so much for fuel economy, the best gas engine was a 1.6-liter turbo four good for 109 HP and a 1.4-liter diesel triple good for 89 HP. The gasser still got a respectable 40 mpg while the faster diesel earned 54.7 mpg. Mind you, those fuel economy numbers are in US gallons, and this was back in 1999 and the early 2000s.
The best part is the fact that Audi managed to stuff a regular car’s interior in the A2. The rear floor sits really low, so everyone in the car can relax in a more normal seating position. The interior also boasted hidden storage solutions, detachable cup holders, and versatile rear seats that could be folded or removed so the vehicle’s owner could carry large items.
Unfortunately, that neat engineering resulted in a £13,150 car, or £16,600 for one with the larger diesel engine. That was more expensive than the competition and the engineering didn’t sway buyers. Instead, buyers who could have bought an A2 got themselves a Mercedes-Benz A-Class and Audi ended up selling about half of the A2s it wanted to. The car was a blunder for Audi and its balance sheet.
Audi A2 production began in November 1999, which means you will likely want to wait a bit before trying to bring one in. I picked some early Audi A2s at random and it looks like you can get one for around $2,500 before importation costs. Not bad! Unfortunately, buying cars from Europe isn’t as easy as cruising Japan’s auctions, but an importer should be able to handle the legwork for you.
Toyota Crown Athlete
“Mercedes!” You tell me, “Enough with the tiny and slow cars!” I hear you. Thankfully, not every cheap car that you can import this year is tiny. The Crown is an important brand for Toyota. Its name is famous all over the world and enthusiasts love the affordable luxury offered by the sedans and wagons. Here’s what Toyota’s UK arm says about the vehicle:
The aftermath of World War II left the Japanese car industry facing total reconstruction. In an effort to re-establish the domestic passenger car industry and catch up with Western counterparts, some Japanese manufacturers entered into agreements to produce foreign-licensed designs. As examples of this, Isuzu formed an alliance with Hillman, Nissan did similarly with Austin, and Hino joined forces with Renault. But Toyota wanted to maintain its pre-war policy of self-reliance.
Toyota was convinced that by developing its own projects which incorporated technologies masterminded in-house it would have a head start over corporations copying the designs of others, no matter how good those designs might be.
[…]
The first Toyota Crown rolled off the production line at the Koromo plant (now Honsha plant) on 1 January 1955. Its mechanicals were tailored to meet the prevailing needs and road conditions in Japan, while the curvaceous shape and rear-hinged rear doors echoed the styling cues of the company’s first car, the Toyota AA.
The Crown has enjoyed 16 generations of development and Toyota says the Crown brand represents not just luxury, but staying ahead of the curve with innovation. In 1999, the Crown sedan entered its 11th generation while the Crown Estate entered its 10th generation. Toyota says the sedan lost its stylish four-door hardtop, leaving behind a standard four-door sedan. Changes brought to the wagon in 1999 include the removal of the third row of seats, making the Crown Estate strictly a five-seat affair. All examples come with an automatic transmission, though you can shift gears through buttons on the steering wheel.
Available features on Crowns of this era include a head-up display, traction control, stability control, power seats, dual-zone climate control, touchscreen infotainment, AWD, rear seat entertainment controls, and more.
The Crown was available in a variety of trim levels and your choice depended on what you wanted. If you want a formal ride, get a Crown Estate Royal or Crown Majesta. These are geared toward luxury and tech giving you assortments of the above features. The Majesta is the crown of the Crown featuring tech that you couldn’t get with other grades, such as radar cruise control, air suspension, a crosswind assist, and rear-wheel-steer.
For the sporting individuals among you, the Athlete will be your pick. That’s where you’ll find the shift buttons on the steering wheel, tinted windows, Xenon headlights, and oh yeah, an optional 3.0-liter 2JZ straight-six rated for 220 HP. The best part? It seems nobody wants these things. I found a 2JZ-equipped Crown Estate Athlete that sold last year for $1,357. The catch was that one had 115,000 miles. The nicest one I found that sold recently went for $4,176 and that one had half of the miles of the previous unit. Sedans are equally as cheap.
Unfortunately, there is a catch with the Crown. The sedan began production in September 1999 with the wagon following suit in December 1999. That means both will be a waiting game unless your importer knows a way around the production month limitation.
Hyundai Equus And Mitsubishi Proudia
For most people, “Hyundai Equus” translates to the nifty executive car that was unveiled in America in 2010. However, there is an earlier generation of Equus we did not get.
In the late 1990s, Hyundai and Mitsubishi joined forces to take down their rivals. Mitsubishi wanted a piece of the market the Toyota Celsior (Lexus LS400) had while Hyundai wanted to beat the SsangYong Chairman. Together, Hyundai and Mitsubishi minted an admirable vehicle. The top engine for this flagship was a 4.5-liter direct injection V8. Mitsubishi provided the GDI technology while Hyundai handled major engine components including the aluminum block, pistons, and connecting rods. Mitsubishi designed the automatic transmission, which was produced by Hyundai. The latter company also handled body stampings while Mitsubishi did the welds for its bodies.
Out of the other end came the Equus, the long-wheelbase Equus Limousine, and its Mitsubishi equivalents, the Proudia and Dignity, respectively. That V8 engine made 260 HP and sent it through the front wheels. Available features included Alcantara, Xenon headlights, parking sensors, seat heating and ventilation, rear seat displays, and more.
Hyundai considered bringing these to America and even exported one to send to American auto shows, but waited until the second generation to give it a try.
I couldn’t find any Hyundai Equus for sale, but the Mitsubishi Proudia does show up for sale in Japan sometimes. Recently, a decent one sold for $550. The Dignity is so rare I couldn’t find any sales data on it.
Holden Commodore
These lists are almost always populated with exciting cars that you can collect from Japan or Europe, but what about our friends down under? In 1997, the Holden Commodore entered its third generation. The first of these cars was given the VT code and was developed from the Opel Omega B.
Despite the Opel bones, the Holden was bigger and adapted to the needs of Australian car buyers. When Holden was done with the Commodore, the resulting vehicle was sleek with a little bit of muscle. If you didn’t know any better, I bet you didn’t notice that it started as a German car. The VT Commodore also wasn’t just a reskin. Holden spent $600 million over half of a decade to bring the Commodore into the future. Reportedly, the VT got Holden’s first all-new braking system in nearly 20 years. An emphasis was put on handling and safety, too. The VT was 30 percent stiffer than its predecessor, boasted MacPherson struts up front, and a semi-trailing arm independent rear suspension. Holden also baked in a new electrical system and powerful engines.
Said another way, Holden put in a ton of work to ensure the Ford Falcon didn’t get anywhere near Australia’s top car. Remember, this car also served as the platform for the great Holden Monaro/Pontiac GTO. So, why would you care about a car that you have been able to import for the past couple of years? One of the complaints about the VT was the fact that it was considerably heavier than its predecessor.
In 1999, Holden released the VT Series II, the last major update before moving to the Commodore VX update. Most of the changes to the Series II are minor and cosmetic. The major changes happened under the skin. The 5.0-liter Holden V8 option was replaced with an imported 5.7-liter LS1 V8. This engine was more expensive but produced 11 percent more power for an output of 295 HP.
At the time, Holden reportedly claimed that the Commodore HSV Clubsport with the LS1 V8 was the quickest car built in Australia. Another benefit of the Series II was a weight loss of roughly 66 pounds compared to a 1997 Commodore. The Clubsport hits 60 mph in 5.7 seconds and weighs 3,968 pounds.
Out of the vehicles on this list, the Commodore will be the most expensive. A pricing guide suggests that the cheapest Commodore Series II examples you can find will be under $10,000 USD, but they won’t be pristine examples. For example, here’s a VT Commodore Series II with the 5.7-liter V8 for about $7,393, but it will need maintenance done to it and you get an automatic transmission.
There you have it, five cool cars that you can enjoy without having to eat ramen for the foreseeable future. It can be disappointing to look at imported cars for sale and see asking prices you couldn’t swing without causing some sort of chaos in your life. While it’s unlikely the Nissan Skyline GT-R R34 will ever come down in value any time soon, you can still enjoy lots of import car fun.
Update: Before you embark on a quest to import a car from Japan’s auction system, I will issue a warning: While most cars will come with a handy inspection sheet, the accuracy of these inspections will range from spot-on to pretty far off. Thankfully, many importers and auction agents offer third-party inspection services. The extra cost may save you from buying a basket case!
What I recommend is finding something that other enthusiasts aren’t piling over themselves to buy. Everyone wants a Honda NSX, but nobody cares about the Honda Z. That means you can save some money and still get a cool car. If you need help, contact an importer, exporter, or auction agent. Personally, I’ve had great experiences with The Import Guys and Japan Car Direct. Good luck!
AWD Toyota Crown longroof? For cheap? Hnnnnnnnnnng.
The fact that it wasn’t available with a stick is one of the great tragedies of our times
No wonder Kirk van Houten couldn’t draw Dignity, he probably couldn’t find one either.
I’m surprised at how cheap the crowns still are in Japan, they’re starting to get expensive here in Australia (figure $20k Aus). Also slight correction; they came with a 1jz engine (2.5L turbo, and sounds better than the drony 2jz)
An obscure non-US Audi, what could possible go wrong………
As the former owner of a 600Z — I traded a 600 sedan for it back in ’72 — I can assure Mercedes that she wants one! It was an absolute blast to drive, and you could hare around flat-out without anyone else ever noticing.
Now, years after letting it go, I’d love to find another one. I’d also like to find a good source for parts, but that’s probably asking too much.
Thanks for the memories!
I just barely remember the little friendly refrigerator that was our Honda Z when we lived in Japan in ‘70. Didn’t have it long and soon went to a scooter. Even that wasn’t really necessary: on subsequent stays, we just used the excellent public transportation
As an owner of an A2, my advice would be: Don’t bother. It might seem quirky on paper, but in reality it drives and behaves pretty much like any other econobox. You’ll probably have similar ownership experience as Doug DeMuro had with his Mercedes-Benz A-class.
I agree insomuch as an A2 is not exactly exciting to drive. But I don’t think it should be called an econobox. Sure, it’s a subcompact car, but feels and drives much more significant than e.g. [insert any japanese or korean subcompact from the same vintage]. I mean, the purchase price alone disqualifies it.
That said, I would immediately swap my wife’s Yaris P1 for an A2.
I wanted an A2 for years, the nerdy engineering, efficiency of both fuel and space and futuristic styling appealed from the moment the concept was shown. Having owned one, I’d agree that the driving experience is dull, and with an appalling ride. An (1990s standard ) Audi interior with leather and Bose stereo in such a tiny car was nice and the novelty of the wipers gently rocking the car as they swept across the screen was always fun.
Mine was £1500 and 30miles away though, I definitely wouldn’t go through all the effort of importing etc just to have one. Just buy it’s more modern equivalent, the BMW i3, which is a better execution of the same concept.
Picked up my Honda Z Turbo a couple weeks ago in Shiga and drove it back home 8 hours to Tochigi. Great car! Compared to my N Box the ride quality is much better as the tires are much larger. Otherwise it has all the fun characteristics of a kei car which I love. Plan to import it to the US later this year when I move back (wish I could take the N Box too, maybe I’ll get one in 15 years). There’s usually about 30 Zs for sale in Japan at any given time, but half or more are crap. I recommend the turbo and spending at least $2000 on one to avoid problems.
Glad you chimed in!
I’m quite jealous as I haven’t been back since we last lived in Nagasaki in the late 70s. Was the licensing process as onerous as everyone says? School and endless fees and regulations, etc?
Generally regulations and endless procedures are part of Japanese life but for a select few US states they now allow a “transfer” of drivers licensure. Usually there’s classes, tests (which I have heard they automatically fail you on a couple times because no one “ can get it perfect their first time), etc but I’m from one of the few states that allow the transfer and I just had to spend an afternoon getting interrogated about my driving history (I was even asked how many questions I missed on my first driving exam 20 years ago lol). Getting a car is also similarly time consuming – took me 2 months to get the Z after I committed to buying it!
Thanks for the reply.
I asked because of an old website by a gaijin who documented his quite onerous process: he didn’t want to pay for the school, but by the end of the process said that it would likely be worth those fees.
Luc D is brilliant, but the A2 is not his finest hour.
The Honda N360 came before the N600. The N360 was made to take advantage of the kei car segment, with the N600 coming later for export markets.
Another fun fact: The N360 only has two cylinders kept in sync with a chain instead of a camshaft. Meaning they are extremely fragile, but also make funny noises you won’t get out of any other engine.
The Honda Z calls to me.
I would like a Nakaya-Tune Mitsubishi FTO from 1999 please
It’s certainly not a new addition to the list for 2024, but I have a friend in Mexico who is on the lookout for a nice 1999 Beetle for me.
To add a few 1999 Euro-cars to the list that are cheap and legal to import this year:
Peugeot 206
Peugeot 406 facelift
Renault Clio Mk2, Kangoo. Just one more year for the Scenic RX4.
Fiat Multipla, yes, that one.
Citroen Xsara Picasso
Honda HRV
VW Lupo
Warning: I strongly recommend never getting the first model year of European cars, especially French ones. Get one from the last year of production, when they have ironed out most of the manufacturing problems. (this generally applies to US cars, too)
Great article and choices- I would love any Holden especially a Ute…
Importer/Exporter? I’m calling George Costanza right now!
I think you mean Art Vandelay.
Holden VT Commodore was a ground breaking car in its day for the leap it took forward from the previous VP Commodore. The Series II VT Commodore fixed some of the quality issues that existed in the first edition (it was a little rushed) but meh, it was not much difference in the vehicle over all.
If your really keen on a car from down under then either wait a few years until you can get the VX series II when Holden spent time and money on improving the engineering under the skin of the Commodore especially around the tyre shredding rear suspension set up.
VT Commodore were wildly used as police cars but the highway patrol cars were lucky to get 10,000kms out of a set of rear tyres due to the flex in the toe settings of the semi independent rear suspension under hard acceleration. This was fixed with the VX series II with a extra brace to keep toe setting consistent under load, along with a bunch of real improvements to the car overall. Holden had money then and the best selling car in Australia so quality was able to be focused on.
If you can get a HSV (Holden Special Vehicles) you will not be disappointed but they are not plentiful. HSV to Holden is like M is to BMW in being a factory supported tuning house. HSV tightened, strengthened and improved the Commodore to create their HSV models so that it was not so much of a family cruiser more like a family race car. To achieve that they drew down heavily on the performance parts catalogue from GM, especially the Corvette pages. The vehicles they sold where at least 30% more to buy than a SS Commodore they were based on so they were a niche brand for a niche market.
With the demise of Holden in Australia these cars are highly prized now by Holden/HSV fans. The rarer, the better, and prices are only going up.
Source: am Australian
¡ʎɹoʇsᴉɥ pǝlᴉɐʇǝp ǝɥʇ ɹoɟ sʞuɐɥ┴
Did you not get the VR and VS Commodore in your part of Australia?
Yes. They preceded the VP which was mid model refresh of the same body shape….which was then replaced by the VT which was an all new body. When the VT was released it instantly made the VR,VS and VP look old and was a sales smash hit. Holden made a fortune out of the VT and it was the beginning of golden period for Holden.
I will point that the VR, VS and VP were all very lively in the rear and had touchy accelerator pedals. It made it incredibly easy to loose the back end in the wet.
I already bought my VU Ute with the LS1 – but unfortunately for me the utes based on this platform didn’t release until very late in 2000. My ute’s a Jan ’01 build.
Left it with family to do the circlework for me in my absence.
I’ve got the Pontiac badged version of the Monaro. I’ve been curious what the Aussie car media said about it at the time. I’ve found a little online, but if you’ve got any memories or knowledge you could point me at, I’d appreciate it.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Holden_Monaro
https://www.whichcar.com.au/article-search/keywords-Monaro
https://www.tradeuniquecars.com.au/feature-cars/1709/holden-monaro-cv8-z-review
https://www.uniquecarsandparts.com.au/car_info_holden_monaro
‘Wheels’ Magazine and the now defunct ‘Motor’ Magazine were the two motoring magazines at the time so try doing searches using those words and you may be able to pull more up.
(Carsales is our primary car advertising site for Aus) https://www.carsales.com.au/cars/?q=(And.(C.Make.Holden._.Model.Monaro.)_.Year.range(1997..).)
The Monaro in Australia was a performance hero car from Holden from the late 60s that was used in our touring cars races kinda like a Camaro/Mustang. It was dropped in favour of smaller bodied Torana for racing in the 70s but was never forgotten as Holdens big two door performance coupe.
My understanding of the story is that in the late 90’s and Holden are in a golden period. Resurrecting the Monaro by creating a two door Commodore gets put forward by marketing as an idea based on the reception from the 1998 Motor Show but get dismissed by Management (might have been GM management) as being ‘too expensive’ to build for how many they expected to sell compared to the other ‘special vehicles’ they were building at the time (ie Adventura LX8).
The idea does not go away and without management approval Holden employees start working on the project (quietly) in amongst the approved projects and figure out a way that Holden could build a two door coupe from the existing 4 door sedan in the most efficient way possible. To do this required bringing in expertise from around the Holden business…. all very much on the quiet.
Only once they have a fully developed engineering and business plan for this vehicle do they re-present it to the bosses with a development bill that amounts to small change. It gets approved, Monaro as a model is reborn and it is success overall, certainly from a marketing perspective.
Many thanks.
Japanese auction protip: Do not trust the inspection sheet. When my husband got his FD RX7, it was supposed to just have “scratch and dent” type issues and it came off the boat with a pretty hefty coolant leak and plenty of shoddy paintwork and rust repair. He wasn’t expecting perfection and the import company he used didn’t do anything shady, just wasn’t *quite* what the auction said.
Absolutely! Many importers and auction agents can arrange for a third-party inspection, which is something I will always recommend.
In my case, my Honda Beat was described as having crash damage to its core support. In reality, the “damage” was a slightly bent recovery hook. The core support was in fantastic shape. My Suzuki Every’s report overstated how bad the paint was, but understated how bad the rust was. So the van looked better than expected outside, but worse underneath. Nothing too bad, though.
I’m going to add an inspection recommendation to the piece!
I suspect anyone looking for a dirt-cheap 10th gen Crown Estate will be disappointed. As the last of the long-roof Crowns they have held their value much better than the sedans – I’d expect at least five figures for one in reasonable shape.
Also got a little thrill seeing the VT Commodore on the list, my first car was a 1999 in the mid-tier Berlina spec with the 3.8L V6. No repair on that car ever cost more than AU$200, whilst being RWD it was cathartic in a very teenage way to get the tail to kick out in the supermarket carpark at the end of a tough late-night shift.
Depends on where they look and what chances they’re willing to take. There’s sometimes a divide between auction pricing and what you’ll see at a dealership. Goonet shows a Crown Estate at a dealer for $14k while one of the more expensive recent auction sales was $5k. Of course, buying from the auctions can be a dice roll…
Here in the U.S., dealers like Duncan Imports love to scoop up auction cars for $5k before selling them for double the price when they land stateside. I reckon that selling JDM cars can be a lucrative business! I paid $1,900 for my Honda Beat in an auction, or $4,700 after all was said and done. Duncan had one with more miles and in worse shape for $10,000.
I suppose it depends on your expectations for condition and those sorts of things. I also tend to focus on the “landed and complied” price, rather than the auction price, as import duty and compliance work (plus shipping!) regularly doubles the sold price of the car – this may be less of an issue in the US.
With that factored in I’d expect a Crown Estate Athlete 2.5 turbo, with around 100,000km and a good auction grade to start in the low 20s AUD landed and complied, or around USD13k. Of course I imagine you could get a lower-spec model with a few dents and scratches cheaper, but my argument would be: why bother going to the hassle of importing something like that? Horses for courses I suppose!
This is true. I’m 35 minutes from Duncan Christiansburg, so there are plenty of their cars here. I’ve talked to several different guys who had to do a fair bit to their Kei trucks to get them safely on the road. OTOH, there’s nothing like spending a Saturday afternoon after C&C wandering through their warehouses uttering shrieks of delight & drooling on the cars
I have an irrational love of the Audi A2. It’s like the love child of a minivan and a TT. I miss the days when Audi did weird shit like this and cramming a V10 into the RS6.
I’m with you. The A2 is just so odd and quirky, but still wholly likable. It’s a shame that when Audi was at its best design-wise, which was the late-90s and early-2000s, it was also at its peak of unreliability.
It’s just so cheerful! I like happy cars. We have enough angry cars.
Exactly! We have too many angry, intimidating, or over-styled cars these days. Bring back the fun, happy cars!
Honorable mentions:
A great note about the Suzuki Every is that even high-trim examples are cheap in the auctions. Nobody wants them!
Which is odd to me, as it’s probably the only kei car you can easily find engine parts for in America. Just head on down to your local Artic Cat dealer and every part you’ll ever need is right there!
I love all the Kei’s- Beats, Altos, and Toppos. Why does NY have to be a bag of D’s? Maybe its time to sell out to a Montana LLC.
I was going to get an MT LLC; I currently have an NY-registered kei car but I would like to replace it with an Alto Hustle or a Toppo instead. Sadly I have to pay $8K to get my kids into camp next summer, so my savings are more or less evaporated now.
Part of me wants to find a few friends to.go in on it with- i dont see why multiple people couldnt.
I was just thinking of that – I would be interested, but not if it meant that someone else could somehow end up with my titles. I mean, I met you on the internet, so I am sure you’re trustworthy.
Thats the caveat ti me as well- who is on the title.
Tuscan Speed 6?! Time to dust off my PS2!
TVR made such delightfully hoonable machines… I’d love to drive one some day.
They’re unapologetically absurd and dangerous. How could you NOT want to drive one?!
And made by these evil magic clowns in Blackpool! Hell yes I’d do some clowning with one!
They appeal to me in the same way that stuff like Vipers, Hellcats, heck even a Carrera GT does. There’s something about giving a chassis an irresponsible amount of power and basically nothing else that makes my monkey brain tingle with joy.
What makes the TVR stand out from the others mentioned is that it has a Miata-like weight and a small road footprint. Its driving dynamics are probably going to be much more to my liking than the others. I like what Vipers and Hellcats stand for, but they’re just too damned big and heavy for my tastes.
The best of all worlds would be a TVR streamliner powered by a big V8 or at least an inline-6, that still gets excellent fuel economy when driven according to traffic law(or close to it) in spite of its absurd amount of power on tap. Or hell, even an EV version, as long as the weight is kept below 2,500 lbs.
Related to the Audi A2 with the 1.8L TDI, is the VW Lupo 3L. They shared the same platform and had similar efficiency, although the Audi A2 was IMO the superior of the two machines.
The fuel economy of these cars is excellent.
I immediately thought of you when I saw the weight of the A2. But the drag coefficient isn’t any better than the ‘87 XT. Is it the height?
The diesel engine really helps its economy. The A2’s CdA value isn’t anything special(the 1st gen Honda Insight is more slippery by far). A Loremo LS with a diesel engine has about half the CdA value and gets nearly double the mpg compared to the A2.
The Honda Z is a pretty nice car. But if you are into that class, I personally prefer the Suzuki Kei of the late 1990’s and early 2000’s:
https://carfromjapan.com/cheap-used-suzuki-kei-1998-for-sale-65730fcff426de18cc55911a
Crown for me please! In BRG if possible…