When I was a kid, family trips to Europe would always blow my mind — not the architecture, not the museums, not the languages. The vans! They have such tiny little vans!
It was so bizarre seeing people working out of upright, compact work vans, running through dense cities and narrow streets. Nothing stood out as strong a difference between America and Europe as their small work machines compared to our big box trucks and pickups.
But Ford Transit Connects have been on sale in the US for a few years now, and we're starting to see more and more full-size Transits and Fiat vans (badged as Rams) as well.
And that's just part of a larger trend towards globalization in this country's car dealerships. We have more worldwide cars on sale here, like the teeny Fiat 500 and Smart, and we have more worldwide engines, like Ford's 1.0 liter and diesels from expensive German makes. America's
The American market is becoming increasingly global or decreasingly unique, depending on your perspective. When do you think the process will be complete?
Photo Credit: Raphael Orlove, Ford Transit Connect taxi pictured, the de-facto replacement for the very blue-blooded Crown Vic.
Contact the author at raphael@jalopnik.com.