3 ms·
> In Oregon, Kei cars are specifically illegal... That's what the OR DMV suggests, but this is their own made-up policy, not law. They didn't even bother putti
by nabilhat 3y ago
> In Oregon, Kei cars are specifically illegal...
That's what the OR DMV suggests, but this is their own made-up policy, not law. They didn't even bother putting it in writing until relatively recently. So far they've failed to put their actively enforced kei policy into Oregon law [0]. They simply decided to stonewall a subset of 80's and 90's Japanese cars.
It's not about safety, or emissions, or top speed, or size. Titling and registering underpowered microcars from not-Japan is quick and painless. Pre-80's kei is fine too. Multiple pre-'80's Subaru 360 and Mazda R360 literally-kei cars sport current Oregon license plates, also relatively more common eventually-kei pre-'80's examples like Honda N600/Z600/S600. Also kit cars, street rods, from-scratch homebuilt cars, and literal golf carts the DMV is explicitly happy to title and register [1]. All they're unilaterally regulating is the taint of one specific Japanese initiative that they don't like.
Just for fun, kei trucks now get a vaguely worded exception. So if you feel like a gamble it could be possible to buy one and legally drive it to your mailbox or tow behind your RV. Or you'll draw an uncooperative DMV employee, and depending on where you live, zoning or your HOA might force you to destroy it if they catch you keeping it quietly locked up in your garage. The DMV can create an illegal situation that you are liable for by refusing to title a car, even though the car itself isn't illegal by law.
Oregon DMV's policies have long been inconsistent, arbitrary, capricious, and some other things besides.
[0] https://www.oregonlegislature.gov/bills_laws/ors/ors801.html https://www.oregonlegislature.gov/bills_laws/ors/ors801.html
[1] https://www.oregon.gov/ODOT/DMV/Pages/vehicle/vehicletypes.aspx https://www.oregon.gov/ODOT/DMV/Pages/vehicle/vehicletypes.a...
- KRAKRISMOTT 3y agoAny bored billionaires here or NGOs willing to finance a suit?
- fragmede 3y agoBill Gates already did, for his Porsche 959, which was made illegal by the 1988 Imported Vehicle Safety Compliance Act. His lobbying resulted in the 1999 Show or Display law, which allows such vehicles, though they are limited to 2,500 miles per year.
- danuker 3y ago> Show or Display law Dammit. Even with his money he barely managed to scratch his own itch.
- tinus_hn 3y agoThese people follow different rules. Famously, Steve Jobs used a rule that allows a car to be driven without a license plate if it is newer than 6 months, and he just got a new one every 6 months to never have license plates.
- ilyt 3y agoEvery time when I think I have an idea on how much asshole and terrible human being he was tidbit like this comes out and deepens it...
- avery17 3y agoMy understanding is people kept stealing his license plate and he was getting so much trouble for it he just went with the loophole.
- burnished 3y agoThis just doesnt seem all that bad?
- Yizahi 3y agoI'm not sure what other event top poster was referring to, but I would consider driving a car without plates to be especially bad on it's own. That's like willfully excluding yourself from all the car related laws, can't be issued a speed ticket, can't be found after an accident, can't be ticketed for illegal parking and so on. The sheer arrogance of driving a car without plates or with fake plates or with plates illegally swapped from a different vehicle is infuriating. In my country this is done by the most sociopathic rich people there are - criminals "in law", some marginal parliament members, sons of oligarchs etc.
- FuriouslyAdrift 3y agoThese would all be covered by the federal 25 year rule… https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grey_import_vehicle https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grey_import_vehicle