I just got back from a trip to Australia, which took me to five out of the total of eight states and territories (combined) in this huge, beautiful, friendly and amazing country. As a card-carrying gearhead, I couldn’t help but notice all the different vehicles they have “down under.” Many of these would have been hits here, yet somehow they never were imported.

There are different cars, trucks and even buses than we have here in the States, and many of them are cooler than the ones we get. Some have the same names as the ones sold in our market, but they are completely different, like a Honda Odyssey and some Toyota Corollas I saw. Others, like Ford Falcons and Plymouth Valiants, are different vehicles with the same names as models that were sold here. In fact, the good-looking recent-model Falcons sold in Oz kick the butt of the catfish-faced Tauruses that Ford sold in North America.

Some of the other models that I lusted after were crew-cab Land Rover turbodiesel Defender pickups, Toyota Land Cruiser 70 Series (FJ70, 75 and 77) and the long-wheelbase FJ45 diesels, both Holden Commodore and Ford Falcon Utes, Nissan Patrols and more.

Some others are models I’ve never seen or heard of. One was an older El Camino/Ranchero-type model with a Dodge nameplate on it that was just parked by the roadside. I snapped a picture of it which I’ve included. We’d love to hear from anyone who knows about this model.

I know my tastes in vehicles are fairly mainstream (for a guy) because most of my friends and acquaintances like similar types, and the models that I like tend to hold their values very well, often appreciating over time instead of depreciating.

How is it that all these cool vehicles are kept from the American market?

Are some weasely corporate bean counters keeping them from us, or spineless marketers who don’t think they’d sell? How is it that we got stuff like the Pontiac Aztec, the Cadillac Cimarron and Hugos instead?