Japanese auctions aren’t just populated with kei cars and boring commercial vehicles. For example, this 1993 Mitsubishi Canter Dekotora-style is a rig that can haul cars in extreme style.
I’m only days away from picking up my Honda Beat in Washington state. I’ve been laser focused on getting my current kei cars in my garage so I’ve stopped watching Japanese auctions. I almost missed one of the most amazing vehicles that I have ever seen. A reader sent me a link to the Import Guys (the importer handling my Honda Beat) auction highlights page, which features this epic Mitsubishi Canter that recently failed to sell at auction.
You know how you sometimes see some really decked out semi trucks going down the highway here in America? Well, truckers in Japan do the same thing, but crank it up to 11.
These trucks have murals, miles of stainless steel and gold, a blinding number of lights, gloriously tacky interiors and wacky body kits. Insider reports that Dekotora style can be traced back to a film series called Torakku Yarō, which features truckers driving outrageously decorated trucks all over Japan.
This Mitsubishi Canter is one of the milder Dekotora trucks that I’ve seen on the internet, but it’s still amazing and it can be imported into the United States.
As I mentioned, bidding ended at this auction about 10 hours ago and it didn’t sell. This generally happens when bidding doesn’t reach reserve price. The truck is most likely to be rolled back out onto the auction block in the next few days, which means that you’ll be able bid on it!
I pulled up its auction data for some sweet details. It’s a sixth-generation model with a 4D35 4.6-liter four-cylinder diesel engine and a five-speed manual transmission. It has all of 39,000 miles on the odometer and rates as a condition grade of 4. It has some minor corrosion noted on its auction inspection sheet, but otherwise the truck appears clean.
The Canter is absolutely covered in lights and that body kit has so much going on. In back, the truck has two murals. The flatbed has a set of ramps so you can load your favorite cars and carry them in style.
The absurdity doesn’t end in the interior, which is covered in a dazzling fabric and features one of those clear resin shift knobs. Even the steering wheel is done up in the design.
Minimum bid right before the auction ended was about $9,050. Shipping of a vehicle of this size is expensive–you can expect to pay about $5,000 in shipping. .
If you want the most awesome toy hauler on your block, you can place a bid by contacting an importer or signing up at one of the many auction house websites.
H/T – Matthew!
Leave a Reply
Leave a Reply
This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.
