My dream vacation (or one of them at least) is to fly to Europe, buy a car you can’t get in America, go on a massive road trip all over Europe and maybe Asia or wherever else I can go from Europe to see whatever I want to see and do whatever tourists do there, and then import the vehicle to America and road trip it across America to get back home again. Assuming I can do that. I’ve been thinking more about this lately because... I can’t go on vacations due to corona... so I’m dreaming. But that’s got me thinking about the best/most fun vehicle for the job. It would have to fit a few criteria...
1. Must be at least 25 years old to comply with U.S. import laws.
2. Must be something you couldn’t get in America, to make it worth importing.
3. Must be reliable enough/easy enough to fix/easy enough to find parts for that it could realistically survive such a massive trip without too many major problems.
4. Just enough luxuries not to be miserable.
5. Have enough space to carry luggage.
6. Some off-road capability would be nice, though its absence isn’t necessarily a deal-breaker.
7. Above all... It must be interesting!
Based on these criteria, I’ve considered a few different options, but I think a Mitsubishi Pajero may be one of the best.
Although they were sold in America for a while, there were a few body styles that the rest of the world got that America never got, so I could try to find one of those. They’ve got space for luggage, they’re reliable and common enough that repairs shouldn’t be a huge issue, they’ve got enough luxuries for the trip not to be miserable, they’re adventure cars so you can go anywhere and do anything in them, and the cool factor ain’t bad either.
But then again...
Renault 4s are everywhere, tough and durable, full of charm, and they have... space. You can put some things in ‘em. And luxuries? Bah! Who needs ‘em in a car like this? Same goes for speed. Pft, speed...
Or how about a Citroen DS Safari? It’s got lots of space, and the adjustable hydropneumatic suspension made these things decent rally cars back in the day, so it could probably do some limited off-roading. They’re... reliable-ish, and parts can be found... in some places. And they’re a lot more expensive than either of the other options... But hey, charm! Alright, fine. Maybe this one should stay in dreams. I still want it, though.
Any other ideas for vehicles that would be good for something like this?