Apogee Posted 17September, 2016 Report Share Posted 17September, 2016 I've been browsing the Japanese used car websites and it seems that 99% of their used P-cars are LHD. Japan is a RHD country so what's up with that? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
James P Posted 17September, 2016 Report Share Posted 17September, 2016 Its a status thing for them... 2 of my 911's one past one current both delivered new to Japan in LHD Here is something i got of the net The simplest explanation is that the car was imported.However, it gets more complicated!Expensive new foreign cars are quite often supplied in LHD form, because the Japanese equate LHD with expensive imported cars. I've seen Mercs & BMW's that were supplied new in Japan as LHD, despite RHD versions of these car being easily available.So, you can have the rather ironic situation where a brand-new Jaguar (which was built in a country that also has RHD as standard) is supplied in Japan as a LHD vehicle, simply to highlight the fact that it is a prestige import! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Apogee Posted 17September, 2016 Author Report Share Posted 17September, 2016 Most bizarre - thanks for that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
itsujack Posted 17September, 2016 Report Share Posted 17September, 2016 Our 964 is a JDM car and factory RHD, you're right though the majority appear to be LHD. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tazzieman Posted 18September, 2016 Report Share Posted 18September, 2016 And as new cars (and new everything) are such a status symbol, they are ditched for newer models ASAP. But clearly the notion that LHD are somehow less safe is disproven , given the roads are the same as here. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KGB Posted 18September, 2016 Report Share Posted 18September, 2016 But clearly the notion that LHD are somehow less safe is disproven , given the roads are the same as here.Be careful with that assumption, the Japanese are 'Germans'. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Macca Posted 18September, 2016 Report Share Posted 18September, 2016 Its a status thing for them... 2 of my 911's one past one current both delivered new to Japan in LHD Here is something i got of the net The simplest explanation is that the car was imported.However, it gets more complicated!Expensive new foreign cars are quite often supplied in LHD form, because the Japanese equate LHD with expensive imported cars. I've seen Mercs & BMW's that were supplied new in Japan as LHD, despite RHD versions of these car being easily available.So, you can have the rather ironic situation where a brand-new Jaguar (which was built in a country that also has RHD as standard) is supplied in Japan as a LHD vehicle, simply to highlight the fact that it is a prestige import!100% Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JLD Posted 18September, 2016 Report Share Posted 18September, 2016 Yep, it's absolutely correct. You're deemed to be more successful if you drive a LHD car in Japan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
James P Posted 18September, 2016 Report Share Posted 18September, 2016 Yep, it's absolutely correct. You're deemed to be more successful if you drive a LHD car in Japan Its funny how they are viewed in Australia its never made sense to me Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tazzieman Posted 18September, 2016 Report Share Posted 18September, 2016 Its funny how they are viewed in Australia its never made sense to me You're more successful if you drive RHD Porsche ??? Ambidexerity is a useful trait Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LeeM Posted 18September, 2016 Report Share Posted 18September, 2016 Most of the people wanting to buy my LHD 912 were either Japanese, or expat Aussies living there, and they said the same thing re status symbol. Weird. Could have sold it 3 or 4 times to Japan, yet it became too hard dealing with people overseas Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coastr Posted 24September, 2016 Report Share Posted 24September, 2016 Australia had laws against importing cars, you had to have local content to avoid punitive taxation. Lhd cars were verboten for a very long time. I remember the first time I saw one - a ww2 jeep which had big 'caution - left hand drive' on the back.the punitive taxation also set price expectations which, coupled with the remaining protection means we still pay over the odds for European cars.i assume lhd = European = prestige never took root in oz due to protection of the local industry, which took every advantage it could to nobble imports. Unfortunately for them, the japs were also Rhd... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harvs11 Posted 24September, 2016 Report Share Posted 24September, 2016 Yep, it's absolutely correct. You're deemed to be more successful if you drive a LHD car in Japan warning...gross generalization ahead. It goes deeper than that. Younger generations in Japan are shunning traditional Japanese lifestyle and embracing all things Western. This includes clothing, food, pop culture (Disney) and of course cars. Spend some time there and you'll see a crazy mix of cultures. It's a fascinating place for people watching. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JLD Posted 25September, 2016 Report Share Posted 25September, 2016 warning...gross generalization ahead. It goes deeper than that. Younger generations in Japan are shunning traditional Japanese lifestyle and embracing all things Western. This includes clothing, food, pop culture (Disney) and of course cars. Spend some time there and you'll see a crazy mix of cultures. It's a fascinating place for people watching. you're right re Japanese culture, but the car thing is through all generations Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
firstone Posted 25September, 2016 Report Share Posted 25September, 2016 Shallow bastards. ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Airhead Posted 25September, 2016 Report Share Posted 25September, 2016 So what did they think of the first McLaren with its center seat? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OzJustin Posted 26September, 2016 Report Share Posted 26September, 2016 Yep, it's absolutely correct. You're deemed to be more successful if you drive a LHD car in Japan Thanks for clearing this up. I've often wondered myself. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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