Being an import car enthusiast is tough. You have to wait until your favorite ride turns 25 years old and then go through a whole importation process. But what if you don’t have to worry about any of that and could just buy forbidden fruit right now? That’s the opportunity being offered by a 2024 Suzuki Jimny for sale in Oklahoma. However, this thing is legally sketchy enough that maybe it should remain forbidden fruit.
This vehicle is being offered on consignment from Exotic Motorsports of Oklahoma. It caught the attention of David Faulkner from the Oppositelock Facebook group and now it’s on my desk. If a vehicle listing could speak this one would have a lot to say. This Suzuki Jimny is a 2024 model with all of 4,705 miles on its odometer and a clear green Oklahoma title. Yep, this is a very rare opportunity to own a brand-new car you’d otherwise have to wait over two decades to buy.
But wait, how on Earth did a brand new Jimny end up in the United States? And how does it have a title? I’ve been researching this vehicle for a few days and while I could likely explain the title, I’m not sold on how it got through the border.
Why Everyone Loves The Jimny
Our Lewin Day fell out of love with the Jimny, but it seems most other JDM vehicle fans can’t get enough of the pint-sized off-road warrior.
The Jimny’s story starts not with Suzuki but with the Hope Motor Company. This little firm was known for churning out three-wheelers during Japan’s recovery from World War II. Off-road vehicles became sizzling hot in popularity in Japan in the 1960s, with customers flocking to the Toyota FJ40 Land Cruiser, Mitsubishi’s version of the Jeep, and the Nissan Patrol. Suzuki felt left out of the action, but it had nothing in the cupboards to offer to off-roading enthusiasts.
That’s where the Hope Motor Company comes in. Hope developed a sort of mini “Jeep” off-roader in 1967 and put a handful on the road in 1968. The HopeStar ON360 looked like a scaled-down Jeep and was powered by a two-stroke air-cooled 360 cc Mitsubishi ME24 engine that made 20.7 HP and 23.6 lb-ft of torque. That morsel of power reached all four wheels for tiny off-roading fun. Depending on who you ask, the Hope Motor Company made anywhere between 15 and 40 ON360s before catching the attention of Suzuki.
At the time, Suzuki had its hands on a Steyr Puch Haflinger, which proved to be a capable off-road vehicle. However, it was also complex, and Suzuki didn’t like that. But Hope Motor Company figured out this 4×4 thing and placed it into a compact package.
The folks of Suzuki liked what was happening at Hope enough to buy the company, taking the HopeStar ON360 design with it. Suzuki then took the basic idea behind the HopeStar ON360, tossed the Mitsubishi engine in the trash, put a new body on it, and then put it into production in 1970 as the LJ10.
Suzuki capitalized on the fun factor and ruggedness of the LJ10 from the start. Just look at this reel:
Sure, the first Suzuki mini off-roaders had 359cc two-stroke engines that made just 25 HP and then 27 HP, but the buying public didn’t care. The Jimny and its derivatives were a smashing success as people couldn’t get enough micro-size fun. I mean, this thing was well-equipped, too. Early Jimnys had part-time four-wheel-drive, a low range gearbox, leaf springs, live axles, and simple worm and roller steering. The icing on the cake was the fact that it slotted into Japan’s Kei category and weighed just 1,301 pounds.
Basically, those first Jimnys were what everyone loved about off-roading, just in a size that made you feel like a kid again.
As for that name, it’s reportedly the amalgamation of “Jeep” and “Mini.” The Jimny has been loved so much all over the world that Americans even got it as the Suzuki Samurai. Americans adored the Samurai so much that the little Suzuki outsold Jeep two to one. Well, that was until the infamous Consumer Reports test, scandal, and subsequent several-year legal battle.
Now, you can enjoy the little off-roader again, maybe.
The Forbidden Fruit
This 2024 Jimny comes from the off-roader’s fourth generation. The new Jimny is something marvelous. Its style is both a clear nod to the past while staying firmly planted in the present day.
Even better is the fact that Suzuki hasn’t given up on its roots. The Jimny still has live axles and good old-fashioned part-time four-wheel-drive. You get to row through your own gears with a five-speed manual transmission and crawl your way around with a low range. Yet, the Suzuki isn’t entirely stuck in the past, either. You get tech like automatic emergency braking, a lane departure warning system, and a screen to play with.
This 2024 Suzuki Jimny is a bit of a mystery. The selling dealership, Exotic Motorsports of Oklahoma, says the vehicle is legal to drive, but that seems to come with an asterisk. The dealership says the vehicle is on consignment and while it has a green Oklahoma title, the dealer says it doesn’t know how the vehicle got into the United States or how it got the title. When other enthusiasts asked the dealership about the vehicle’s legal status, it responded with the Rowan Atkinson “Magic” gif.
What is known is that the owner of the vehicle is an enthusiast with a love for off-roaders, usually of the right-hand-drive variety.
I can also tell you a bit about this SUV. This Jimny is an international model powered by a 1.5-liter K15B four-cylinder making 102 HP and 96 lb-ft of torque. That reaches all four wheels through a four-speed automatic. This Jimny is also a five-door and based on its MA code in its VIN, it was constructed in the India Maruti Suzuki plant.
While I could not pinpoint exactly where this Jimny came from, its instrument cluster is currently set to Spanish and reads in metric. Suzuki sold 1,000 examples of the Jimny 5-door in Mexico back in February of this year for 509,990 pesos or $27,753. The 5-door is about to go on sale again in the country. It’s possible that this Jimny was driven up from Mexico.
The U.S. does allow non-compliant vehicles to be in the country on a temporary basis, and that’s one way around trying to explain why you’re importing a brand-new non-compliant car. However, this is a risky move. In 2022, U.S. Customs And Border Patrol seized a new Jimny that was bought in Mexico, brought into United States territory with Mexican plates, and then resold.
As for titling, we don’t know for sure about this one, either. However, Oklahoma does offer a way to get a title for a vehicle that doesn’t have one. The document “Title 42 Possessory Lien Procedures on Vehicles, Manufactured Homes, Commercial Trailers, Boats, and Outboard Motors“ details the process of obtaining ownership of a vehicle for a vehicle that doesn’t have a title. Enthusiasts just call this “Title 42” and while it’s generally for tow yards and mechanics trying to take ownership of abandoned vehicles, enthusiasts also use Title 42 to get ownership paperwork for vehicles that have strange title situations.
Before you get too excited, this isn’t like how Vermont used to be. Yes, it appears Oklahoma is pretty lax when it comes to what vehicles it’ll title, but you still have to be a resident of Oklahoma to take advantage of Title 42. So it’s a bit more like how Vermont is today.
Sadly, we don’t know for sure how this Jimny got a title, but that doesn’t really matter. Importation is a two-pronged process involving both the federal government and the state government. As many enthusiasts have learned the hard way, it doesn’t matter if you have a squeaky clean state title if the feds didn’t give you the all-clear first.
There are relatively few ways to get a vehicle like this into the country legally. I’ve seen one person claim that the seller of this vehicle could have just converted the vehicle to U.S. standards. That’s not as easy as it sounds. You first have to petition the government and tell it what needs to be done to conform to U.S. standards. You then need to prove that the modifications you’ll add are adequate. That means crash testing or some other evidence to present to authorities. If you’re lucky, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration will give you the all-clear to import. And that’s just the safety part, we aren’t even talking about the EPA.
Don’t take it from me, here’s the word directly from the government’s mouth:
A vehicle that was not originally manufactured to conform to all applicable FMVSS cannot be lawfully imported into the U.S. unless it is first determined by NHTSA to be eligible for importation. The agency makes these decisions on the basis of petitions from [Registered Importers]. These are business entities that are specifically approved by NHTSA to import nonconforming vehicles and to perform the necessary modifications on those vehicles so that they conform to all applicable FMVSS. The petitions must specify that the vehicle is substantially similar to a U.S.-certified vehicle, or that the vehicle has safety features that comply with, or are capable of being altered to comply with, the FMVSS based on destructive test information or other evidence the agency deems adequate.
If you please the feds enough, your vehicle will be added to the exclusive list of non-conforming vehicles that the United States says are exempt from the 25-year rule after proper modification. Take note that no Suzuki Jimny is on this list, but the first-generation Smart Fortwo is.
What about the Show or Display exemption? Well, that’s for super rare and historically important vehicles. The Suzuki Jimny is a common vehicle sold everywhere in the world, well, everywhere but the United States and Canada. You won’t be surprised to find zero Jimny variants on the Show or Display list. Besides, a vehicle imported under that has extremely limited mileage restrictions, anyway.
I do know of a couple of ways this vehicle could have been imported. A couple of years ago, I wrote a history on the 25-year rule, and one of my sources, one of the importers who fought the law back in the 1980s, explained one way to beat import laws. He explained how ultra-wealthy customers would import vehicles under a one-year tourist visa and then intentionally let them expire. They’d then have a lawyer work out a deal where they’d pay an outrageously expensive fine in exchange for the car not getting crushed. However, he warned that the money involved is so insane that we’re talking about vehicles worth several hundred thousand dollars here, not a lowly Suzuki Jimny.
A famous museum that I will not name informed me of another way to get a non-conforming vehicle through, and that’s by being a real museum. So there are ways around the rules, but none of them are easy or cheap.
Rolling The Dice?
Now, we like to be fair to people here, so it’s entirely possible the seller of this vehicle took advantage of one of the holes in import law and somehow it’s all kosher. With that said, the seller wants $54,995 for this Suzuki Jimny, which is nearly twice what a standard 5-door Jimny is worth and still at least $10,000 more than a fully loaded Jimny in some markets.
Keep in mind that you’ll be getting a vehicle that, while “new,” will have no warranty and no parts available in the United States. You will have a hard time finding a shop to work on it and your experience with your insurance company may vary. You’ll be buying an orphan.
But for some people, that may be worth it. Other 2024 Suzuki Jimnys aren’t going to be legal to import for another 25 years, and that’s a long wait. So, I would understand. Apparently, this dealership has also sold other “new” Jimny consignments too, so this isn’t even the first time. Still, before you depart with a huge pile of cash you should ask for some sort of proof that the vehicle is here legally. The feds do not care how much you pay for a car when they come to take it from you, and you won’t get a refund. So, be careful out there!
(Images: Exotic Motorsports of Oklahoma, unless otherwise noted.)
Around 2016 I saw a Euro market B8 VW Passat in Washington state with Michigan plates. It was so chic and elegant! The car must have been connected with either a US automaker or dieselgate EPA testing but it really made me wonder if the 25 year rule was implemented so we can’t have nice things.
Interesting, the first gen Jimnies (Jimnys?) look like they use the spare tire as the passenger seat headrest. Never seen that configuration anywhere else
i own one of these, a 3-door manual. for 20k USD, it’s a really cool, capable vehicle for what it is. for 50k+ and questionable legality, it’s absolutely not worth it at all
Right, when it debuted in Mexico 3 years ago it was a great deal at $20K.
Moreover the 3dr is a more compelling product than the 5 door unless you want to carry passengers. J-VIN, lighter, better fit and finish, lower price, better fuel economy and better offroad breakover angles are hard to overcome by a 5dr with 4 spd autotragic/100hp carrying 2800 lbs + passengers
i own one of these, a 3-door manual. for 20k USD, it’s a really cool, capable vehicle for what it is. for 50k+ and questionable legality, it’s absolutely not worth it at all
Right, when it debuted in Mexico 3 years ago it was a great deal at $20K.
Moreover the 3dr is a more compelling product than the 5 door unless you want to carry passengers. J-VIN, lighter, better fit and finish, lower price, better fuel economy and better offroad breakover angles are hard to overcome by a 5dr with 4 spd autotragic/100hp carrying 2800 lbs + passengers
***VERMONT REGISTRATION PROCESS UPDATE!!!***
The previous all-by-mail, from-anywhere process as we knew and loved died last year. The standard was changed for “resident only” (i.e. you must have a VT DL) as of 7/1/23.
Then the standard changed AGAIN, this year. They decided they’re printing titles for EVERYTHING. (Which subsequently means they’re requiring them.) So, they’d gone from one of the most lax, to one of the most strict.
TEMPORARILY, this “new process” was rescinded for purposes of internal reorganization but will be ending (presumably for good) 6/28/24.
It’s not too hard to get a new DL in another state, but in light of the fact that this program is changing so radically I decided against it. RIP VTDMV.
***VERMONT REGISTRATION PROCESS UPDATE!!!***
The previous all-by-mail, from-anywhere process as we knew and loved died last year. The standard was changed for “resident only” (i.e. you must have a VT DL) as of 7/1/23.
Then the standard changed AGAIN, this year. They decided they’re printing titles for EVERYTHING. (Which subsequently means they’re requiring them.) So, they’d gone from one of the most lax, to one of the most strict.
TEMPORARILY, this “new process” was rescinded for purposes of internal reorganization but will be ending (presumably for good) 6/28/24.
It’s not too hard to get a new DL in another state, but in light of the fact that this program is changing so radically I decided against it. RIP VTDMV.
What a great-looking little design. Time for Adrian or the Bishop to do a breakdown of this. Well proportioned.
What a great-looking little design. Time for Adrian or the Bishop to do a breakdown of this. Well proportioned.
Yeah, Florida is pretty loosey goosey with their laws but I’m not risking it, especially the price. I remember seeing a fifth gen Patrol over a decade ago with Florida plates driving through the mountains. I have no idea how it got here. It’s like like the Chevy Orlando that wasn’t sold here but it was manufactured to meet American safety and emissions standards. I’m not gonna lie, I’m still a bit interested in that.
Yeah, Florida is pretty loosey goosey with their laws but I’m not risking it, especially the price. I remember seeing a fifth gen Patrol over a decade ago with Florida plates driving through the mountains. I have no idea how it got here. It’s like like the Chevy Orlando that wasn’t sold here but it was manufactured to meet American safety and emissions standards. I’m not gonna lie, I’m still a bit interested in that.
Aside from the fact that I think the 25-year import ban is of questionable logic, I also wonder if, with the proliferation of EVs in the marketplace, this ban will eventually be lifted, since there will be no emissions about which to worry (as long as the manufacturer can prove sufficient safety via crash testing).
When I was a kid, I wanted a Samurai. Thankfully, I’m no longer young and stupid.
Well, young.
Protectionism is likely the primary justification of the 25y rule, with the EPA/NHTSA/IIHS being secondary.
It actually came from the European automakers, primarily Mercedes-Benz, if I recall.
For a while in the 80s, you could buy some European cars more cheaply by buying it in Europe and having it shipped over. There were a bunch of importers who specialized in changing out the things needed for the US (speedometer/odometer in miles, US-spec headlights, things like that), and even with all that, the cost was lower than buying from a US dealer. Mercedes-Benz (and some other companies, I’m sure) lobbied the feds to put a stop to this, and that’s where the 25-year rule came from.
Aside from the fact that I think the 25-year import ban is of questionable logic, I also wonder if, with the proliferation of EVs in the marketplace, this ban will eventually be lifted, since there will be no emissions about which to worry (as long as the manufacturer can prove sufficient safety via crash testing).
When I was a kid, I wanted a Samurai. Thankfully, I’m no longer young and stupid.
Well, young.
Protectionism is likely the primary justification of the 25y rule, with the EPA/NHTSA/IIHS being secondary.
Oh, yeah, that dealership routinely has those for sale. That said, I’ve never seen a Jimny out and about, so I’m not sure who is buying them or where they’re going. Possibly out-of-state, or maybe they’re being (legally) used as farm vehicles.
Oh, yeah, that dealership routinely has those for sale. That said, I’ve never seen a Jimny out and about, so I’m not sure who is buying them or where they’re going. Possibly out-of-state, or maybe they’re being (legally) used as farm vehicles.
Is the restriction on OWNING <25yr imports or REGISTERING them for use on public roads?
There are enough ranches and estates in this country that a wealthy owner could fully enjoy it on their private property and never once need to title it. Or trailer it to a friend’s ranch like a SxS. It would just disappear from view, IOW.
Not my choice of vehicle if I had this option, but hey, if you’ve got that kind of cheddar, maybe you like to slum it now and again.
Exactly this. I have 80ac and bought a basic kawasaki mule SX XC, but those fancier SxS routinely get up into the $30ks and $40ks. A kawasaki ridge with AC is like $35k out the door. Even my mule, at the low dollar end, gave me the conundrum of “this new mule, or a 1994 wrangler or 1998 ranger that I could also drive down the road for building materials and DQ chicken strip country basket?” The prices bleed into the normal car and truck market pretty quickly. When available, a toyota IMV 0s would be awesome as an OHV. It wouldn’t matter to me I couldn’t legally drive it on the highway, I’d just putter around my property. Now $55k for a jiminy seems steep to me, but some folks have tens of millions and hundreds or thousands of acres.
Suzuki has to be looking into selling these for that reason like the Mahindra Roxor right? The motorcycle dealerships could handle the handful of these they would sell.
The restriction largely focuses on how the vehicle is imported. If the Jimny was illegally imported (just driven across the border as a personal vehicle) then the feds don’t really care how the vehicle is used afterward, they’ll consider it to be illegal. Of course, hiding it away on a ranch should take you under the radar, but you never know.
With that said, you can import vehicles to be used in the manner you’re describing. You can buy a brand new 2024 Kei truck in America, but it’ll have a 25 mph speed limiter and an off-road-only restriction.