The increasing popularity of kei-class vehicles in North America is something that makes us very happy. We are used to seeing them come through one-at-a-time, but @EliteVancouverMotors in Canada is now presenting an entire collection of 10 tiny right-hand-drive Japanese-market utility vehicles (a free BaT hat to the first person who can guess how many shipping containers they filled). The lineup is made up of kei trucks and vans (the pint-sized workhorses built to fit Japan’s 660cc kei-class limit) from Honda, Suzuki, and Daihatsu. Since the threshold for importing foreign vehicles into Canada is 15 years from the date of manufacture (versus 25 for the US), there are newer models than we’re used to seeing here on BaT. Even better, every vehicle is being offered at no reserve.

Auctions from this collection will begin going live on October 23. A preview of the vehicles on offer continues below.

2010 Honda Acty Dump Truck 4WD 5-Speed

Introduced in December 2009, the fourth-generation Acty was the final chapter for Honda’s kei truck, which bowed out in April 2021 as the last pickup in its class with an engine in the rear. This 2010 example carries the HA9 chassis code, which designates the four-wheel-drive version, and power comes from the E07Z inline-three rated at 44 horsepower and paired with a five-speed manual. It trades the standard flatbed for a hydraulic dump bed with fold-down sides, a headache rack, and a tailgate hinged at both the top and bottom, and rides on 12″ steel wheels. The cabin is appointed with air conditioning, a heater, and an AM/FM radio.

2001 Honda Vamos 4WD 5-Speed

Honda first used the Vamos name on a quirky open-bodied utility truck in 1970, and revived it in 1999 for a an upscale take on its Acty kei van. Like the Acty, it carries its 656cc inline-three beneath the cargo floor, (accessed by a panel in the rear), and this 2001 example pairs that engine with a five-speed manual and full-time all-wheel drive. With dual-sliding doors, woodgrain trim, air conditioning, and a Japanese-market Carrozzeria touchscreen, this Vamos provides a few more amenities than the average JDM microvan.

2006 Honda Acty Dump Truck 4WD 5-Speed

This 2006 Acty comes from the third generation of Honda’s kei truck, which ran until the 2009 redesign. It’s the dump-bed version, featuring a hydraulic bed with fold-down sides, a tailgate, and a headache rack. This little jobsite hero uses a 656cc inline-three to drive all four wheels through a five-speed manual transaxle and Honda’s Real Time four-wheel-drive system. Oh, and it has air conditioning—not always a given, though most trucks in this collection are so equipped.

29k-Kilometer 1997 Honda Acty Dump Truck 4WD 4-Speed

This 4WD 1997 Acty also has fold-down bed sides a hydraulic tilting bed. It’s kitted out for maximum utility with a headache rack and a tailgate hinged at both the top and bottom. Its a lower-mileage example with just 29k kilometers (~18k miles) on the clock and comes with A/C, a stereo, and 15″ wheels that are  probably easier to re-shoe than the stock 12″ rims.

51k-Kilometer 1998 Honda Acty SDX Pickup 5-Speed

This 1998 Acty SDX features Real Time four-wheel drive and keeps it simple with a headache rack, a work light, drop sides, a radio, and a cabin heater.

No Reserve: 1991 Honda Acty Street G 5-Speed

The Acty Street van was a more people-friendly take on Honda’s kei truck platform, able to carry four individuals and a surprising amount of  stuff. This 1991 example is powered by a 656cc inline-three rated at 38 horsepower and 40 lb-ft of torque, and a five-speed manual transaxle sends power to the rear wheels. It’s finished in Blade Silver Metallic (NH95M) over brown cloth and features front window visors, mud flaps, a rear wiper, front disc brakes, air conditioning, and an AM/FM/cassette stereo.

61k-Kilometer 1990 Honda Acty SDX Pickup 4WD 5-Speed

Japan raised the kei-class displacement limit from 550cc to 660cc in 1990, and Honda wasted no time fitting their Acty models with a 38-horsepower 656cc inline-three. This SDX variant is equipped with a five-speed manual transaxle and Honda’s Real Time four-wheel-drive system, and features folding bed sides, a work light, A/C, and a cassette stereo.

26k-Kilometer 1995 Suzuki Carry Pickup 4WD 4-Speed

Suzuki has carried the Carry since 1961, and this 1995 four-wheel-drive pickup comes well equipped for rough terrain: its 657cc inline-three and four-speed manual are backed by a dual-range transfer case, a locking rear differential, and electronically locking front hubs engaged by a button in the cab. Finished in white over beige cloth, it features a headache rack, a bed with fold-down sides and tailgate, window visors, front disc brakes, and a factory radio, and two additional spare tires ride in the bed. The odometer shows 26k kilometers (~16k miles).

34k-Kilometer 1998 Suzuki Carry Pickup 4WD 5-Speed

This 1998 Carry is another farm crawler that pairs its 657cc inline-three with a five-speed manual, and features an extra-low gear and a single-speed transfer case, along with electronically locking front hubs. Finished in white over gray cloth and vinyl, it features window visors, a headache rack, fold-down bedsides, a lined bed, and a factory radio. It shows 34k kilometers (~21k miles).

2009 Daihatsu Hijet Dump Truck 4WD 5-Speed

Honda and Suzuki don’t get to have all the fun. Daihatsu’s Hijet nameplate dates back to 1960, and this 2009 dump-bed pickup is powered by a 658cc KF-VE DOHC inline triple paired with a five-speed manual and selectable four-wheel drive. Finished in white over gray patterned cloth, it carries a lined hydraulic dump bed with fold-down sides and tailgate, operated by a floor-mounted lever in the cab. Air conditioning, a radio, window visors, and mud flaps round out the equipment—that’s a lot of features boxed up in a very efficient package!

The full list of vehicles from this collection is below.  Links to live auctions will be added as they become available.

  • 61k-Kilometer 1990 Honda Acty SDX Pickup 4WD 5-Speed
  • 1991 Honda Acty Street G 5-Speed
  • 26k-Kilometer 1995 Suzuki Carry Pickup 4WD 4-Speed
  • 29k-Kilometer 1997 Honda Acty Dump Truck 4WD 4-Speed
  • 34k-Kilometer 1998 Suzuki Carry Pickup 4WD 5-Speed
  • 51k-Kilometer 1998 Honda Acty SDX Pickup 5-Speed
  • 2001 Honda Vamos 4WD 5-Speed
  • 2006 Honda Acty Dump Truck 4WD 5-Speed
  • 2009 Daihatsu Hijet Dump Truck 4WD 5-Speed
  • 2010 Honda Acty Dump Truck 4WD 5-Speed

Make sure to subscribe to the Collections category to be notified of future collection announcements and when their associated auction listings go live!