It may not have escaped you that American pickup trucks are very large. Even the burgeoning mid-size segment now features trucks that would've passed as full-size 20 years ago. Not to disparage the trucks themselves—the current Ford Ranger is lightyears ahead of the Pinto-powered truck of not that long ago—but pickups in general have become so expensive and so unwieldy that it's opened up a market that manufacturers like Ford have taken advantage of with the Maverick.

But what if you could go even smaller?

Enter Kei trucks, an offshoot of Japan's kei cars, similarly restricted in size and engine capacity. But why would kei trucks attract any interest in the U.S. when side-by-sides can do the same job without all the import hassle? Because cheap side-bys run $12,000 and have all the cargo capacity of a golf cart and people aren't idiots. Why pay all that for limited capacity when an old Honda Acty with a proper bed can be had for $2000?

Well, looks like Americans are asking that very question. And they're coming up with answers, mainly in the form of Kei trucks that meet the 25 year import rules. But at the same time, they're running into registration issues—especially in the northeast. Is this an example of the usual state-level regulatory incompetence, or signs of a shadow campaign by Detroit's powers that be? Who knows! But it's at least a sign that an American market exists for small trucks that do big jobs.

Rural Americans are importing tiny Japanese pickup trucks [via The Economist]