Curbside Classic: 1997 Honda Acty – The Mighty Atom

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– Posted on August 30, 2024

America loves pick-up trucks; the F-Series, Silverado and Ram were the number one, two and three best selling vehicles in 2023.  But if America is so rife with its own big pickup trucks, then what’s this little guy doing here? As it turns out, the American love of trucks takes many forms, and even goes beyond its own borders. My friends, let’s take a moment to talk about kei trucks, and why they’ve suddenly become so popular in a country where they were never sold new.

image credit: Wikipedia user Tokumeigakarinoaoshima

 

Kei-jidosha, more commonly known in the Anglosphere as ‘kei cars,’ are a class of ultra-compact cars from Japan. Kei cars exist to comply with standards set forth by the Japanese government that incentivize its citizens to own small cars, so that the limited space the country has isn’t taken up by large automobiles. Kei cars cannot be more than 11.2 feet in length, 4.9 feet in width, or 6.6 feet in height, and they must have engines that are no larger than 660cc in displacement, and produce no more than 63 horsepower. In return for these restrictions, kei cars are taxed at a much lower rate than larger cars, have lower insurance costs, and gain preferential access to certain parking spaces. As a result, they are very popular in Japan, accounting for about 1/3 of all new car sales there. The Honda N-Box, featured above, is Japan’s most popular new vehicle, and 7 of the top 10 best-selling cars in the country are kei cars.

As the restrictions set for kei cars only specify physical size and engine displacement, the cars themselves take many forms. Many kei cars are boxy van-style vehicles that try to take advantage of every available centimeter of space allotted to them, but some, like this Subaru Vivio, are hatchbacks. Others, such as the eternally-popular Suzuki Jimny, are tiny SUVs, and several automakers have sold sports cars in this size class as well. But kei cars aren’t limited to just passenger vehicles, as there is a healthy market in Japan for kei trucks as well.

Though they have to comply with the limitations of their size class, kei trucks are no less capable as work vehicles because of them. Kei trucks and vans are far and away the most numerous commercial vehicles found in Japan and are found all over Asia puttering away at work, day in and day out. And the majority of Japanese automakers either currently have a kei truck in their lineup, or have a long history of offering them. Because the maximum length of these vehicles is so small, most trucks this size have a cab-over configuration with midships engines, in order to maximize bed length.

Our featured truck is a second-generation Honda Acty. The Acty, short for ‘activity,’ was introduced in 1977, and Honda produced the second generation from 1988 to 1999. It was updated twice in its production run, and this model wears the face of the second revamp, introduced in 1996, which brought flush composite headlights with integrated clear turn signals. Power comes from a mid-mounted inline-3 that displaces a rip-snorting’ 656cc, and it produces an unfathomably-powerful 43 hp.

So why, then, would anyone in the US of A – the land of wide-open prairies and Interstate highways – want to own a kei truck? Especially when you have to go through an importer to get one? Well, consider the alternative – the full-size American pickup. We’ve got plenty of trucks to spare in Freedomland, but the majority of which are very large. A new base-model F-150 is 17.4 feet in length, and tips the scales at 4600 lbs. And that’s for a single cab with the smallest engine. Factor in options, a bigger power plant, and the crew cab that most pickup buyers want, and you’re looking at a truck that’s nearly 20 feet long and can come close to weighing 3 tons.

That’s a lot of truck, and honestly more truck than a lot of people want. Kei trucks are never longer than 11.2 feet, and rarely weigh more than a ton. And most of them still have a six-foot bed – longer than some full-size trucks have – and said beds often have fold-down sides to boot. Especially if you live in a city, a kei truck is an attractive proposition. That is the environment they were designed for, after all.

image credit: carbuzz.com

 

This is also not to mention how tall trucks have gotten in the American market lately, with a lot of that height coming from big wheels and tires and tall suspensions. I’m 5′ 6,” and most full-size trucks have their hoods, and bed walls, line up with my shoulders. This greatly impacts how easy it is to actually use the bed of a modern truck for, you know, truck stuff. And instead of lowering their trucks, automakers have instead introduced various fold-out aids to help owners get into their truck beds. Because nothing says ‘I’m a big tough truck owner’ more than needing a boost into your truck. Meanwhile, you can get a usable bed on a kei truck that’s actually at a usable height. This Acty has a payload rating of 750 pounds. The F-150 base model has over twice that, but again, you can get nearly a half-ton of cargo capacity in a vehicle smaller than a Mini Cooper.

Yes, mid-size and compact trucks have made a resurgence into the American market in recent years, likely partially as a result of how big full-size trucks have gotten. But that brings us to another factor for the kei truck’s sudden popularity in the US: price. The base-model F-150 I’ve been using as an example will run you at least $36,000 at a Ford dealership. And good luck finding one that cheap. The F-Series can retail well into $70k territory if you splurge on all the bells, whistles, and trim packages. The new Ford Maverick compact starts around $20k if you need a cheap new truck, but again, it’s rare to find base models at dealerships. Used trucks, as mentioned before, hold their value very well, and it’s difficult to find a pre-owned truck of any age in decent shape for less than 10 grand nowadays.

A kei truck, on the other hand, can be had for about $5000 all day every day. There are plenty of Honda Actys and other similar trucks available for roughly that price through importers, and like our featured truck, most of them are in pristine condition with low miles. This is because Japan has a vehicle taxation scheme that progresses with a car’s age. The older a vehicle is, the more expensive it is to keep on the road, regardless of condition. This means a lot of JDM (Japanese Domestic Market) cars get pulled off the road well before they’re used up, and then make their way to foreign markets. You know, like America.

Any JDM vehicle you find in the United States will be at least 25 years old, as that is how old a car must be before it can be imported to the US with no major restrictions. But due to the factors mentioned earlier, the majority of these vehicles are in great shape – far better than the average 25-year old USDM car. Beyond a small crack in the windshield and yellow-tinged headlights, this Acty appears to be flawless, at least cosmetically. And though many kei trucks are painted contractor-white, this one sports a lovely coat of chocolate-brown paint, accented with whitewall tires. More than likely its owner is a JDM enthusiast, but that hasn’t stopped literal boatloads of these tiny trucks from making their ways across the Pacific to be used for honest work. I see them relatively frequently in my city. I mean, how else are you going to get a good work truck for only a few grand in the current market?

With a kei truck, you also get famed Japanese build quality and reliability. These vehicles are also dead simple mechanically, due to their small size and workaday nature, and get great gas mileage, too. Parts might be hard to come by, but even if your Honda Acty is a JDM car, it’s still a Honda. It’ll probably still be working long after any human born in 1997 can.

The right-hand-drive steering wheel is another dead giveaway that this truck is far from its original home. The interior is spartan, as to be expected of any work vehicle, but like the rest of this Acty it’s in remarkable shape. Only a dash-mounted cell phone holder betrays that this truck isn’t still showroom-fresh in the late 90s. Unsurprisingly, this truck has a 4-speed manual, as every prancing pony is precious in a vehicle this puny. Sure, your shins are your crumple zone in the event of an accident, but seeing as how most American-bound kei trucks either live in cities or out on a farm, high speed collisions aren’t as much of a concern.

Kei trucks are just one part of a wave of JDM imports coming to America in recent years, as the Millenials and Gen Z kids who grew up watching anime and playing Gran Turismo can now legally import their favorite Japanese cars. Kei cars are slow, loud, and lack the creature comforts of modern cars, but that makes them like just about any other classic car. And even if you aren’t a gearhead, the prospect of a reliable sub-$10,000 work truck with a usable bed and low operating costs will keep these tough little buzzbombs coming to our shores for years to come.

Arigato, Acty-kun.