The major reason to sell them is specific to the US market anyway.
European countries adopted protectionist tariffs on chicken back in the 1960s. The US adopted counter-tariffs on light trucks. These counter-tariffs remain in force today. This makes domestically-produced light trucks artificially profitable in the US, which means US automakers have an incentive to advocate for policies (laxer emissions rules, more-stringent towing requirements than in Europe, etc) that encourage consumers to purchase pickups and especially larger, more-profitable pickups, as it’s very hard for foreign automakers to compete in this specific area.
The Chicken Tax is a 25 percent tariff on light trucks (and originally on potato starch, dextrin, and brandy) imposed in 1964 by the United States under President Lyndon B. Johnson in response to tariffs placed by France and West Germany on importation of U.S. chicken.[1] The period from 1961 to 1964[2] of tensions and negotiations surrounding the issue was known as the “Chicken War”, taking place at the height of Cold War politics.[3]
Eventually, the tariffs on potato starch, dextrin, and brandy were lifted,[4] but since 1964 this form of protectionism has remained in place to give US domestic automakers an advantage over imported competitors.[5] Though concern remains about its repeal,[6][7] a 2003 Cato Institute study called the tariff “a policy in search of a rationale.”[4]
it does make me laugh seeing Americans need a fifth wheel to move what I’ve seen a transit connect tow on its hitch. Or that time I saw a BMW 2 series convertible towing a caravan bigger than it.
That’s completely normal and safe. And Americans are lil’ bitches about towing, it would seem. Its either that or decades of automatic gearboxes zero tow rating has lead to the assumption you need a piggup trugg to move anything more than a utility trailer.
The major reason to sell them is specific to the US market anyway.
European countries adopted protectionist tariffs on chicken back in the 1960s. The US adopted counter-tariffs on light trucks. These counter-tariffs remain in force today. This makes domestically-produced light trucks artificially profitable in the US, which means US automakers have an incentive to advocate for policies (laxer emissions rules, more-stringent towing requirements than in Europe, etc) that encourage consumers to purchase pickups and especially larger, more-profitable pickups, as it’s very hard for foreign automakers to compete in this specific area.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chicken_tax
https://www.slashgear.com/1809287/chicken-tax-explained-history-current-impact/
it does make me laugh seeing Americans need a fifth wheel to move what I’ve seen a transit connect tow on its hitch. Or that time I saw a BMW 2 series convertible towing a caravan bigger than it.
That’s completely normal and safe. And Americans are lil’ bitches about towing, it would seem. Its either that or decades of automatic gearboxes zero tow rating has lead to the assumption you need a piggup trugg to move anything more than a utility trailer.