The Citroën H-Type vans (most commonly the Citroën HY ), are a series of panel vans and light trucks , produced by French automaker Citroën for 34 years – from 1947 through 1981. They are notable for their industrial design , using many corrugated metal outer body panels to save material, weight, and costs. Early models of the uniquely styled trucks were just named Type H , but soon they were differentiated by a second letter, using the last four letters in the alphabet – except for the type HP for (flat-bed) pickups. Thus the vans were built as the types HW through HZ – with the majority of them built as Citroën HY .
65-603: (Redirected from H-type ) Type H or H-type may refer to: Citroën H-Type vans Type H plugs and sockets a type of Bronze Age sword the FBA Type H , a flying boat the Caudron Type H , any of a number of related airplane designs the Mann Egerton Type H , an aircraft Type H Tightlock couplers , in rail transport a Type H flash memory card
130-470: A sliding door on the side. There were short and long wheelbase models, and choice of short or longer rear overhang. The sides of the vans got varying treatments. The distinctive corrugated bodywork used throughout the period of production was inspired by German Junkers (Aircraft) who used this technique starting during the First World War until the 1930s, the three-engined Junkers Ju 52 being
195-522: A 25-percent tariff on commercial vehicles. The engine, gearbox and many smaller parts are shared with other Citroën models. The engine and gearbox are nearly identical to those in the Traction Avant and later the DS , only mounted with the engine in front of the gearbox. The headlights were identical to those of the 2CV , while speedometers were successively borrowed from the Traction Avant and
260-522: A change to RHT, but, a few years later, the government ordered it and it occurred on Sunday, 3 September 1967 at 5 am. The accident rate then dropped sharply, but soon rose to near its original level. The day was known as Högertrafikomläggningen, or Dagen H for short. When Iceland switched to RHT the following year, it was known as Hægri dagurinn or H-dagurinn ("The H-Day"). Most passenger cars in Iceland were already LHD. The United Kingdom
325-689: A clear view of other vehicles. The first keep-right law for driving in the United States was passed in 1792 and applied to the Philadelphia and Lancaster Turnpike . Massachusetts formalized RHT in 1821. However, the National Road was LHT until 1850, "long after the rest of the country had settled on the keep-right convention". Today the United States is RHT except the United States Virgin Islands , which
390-415: A newspaper said, "The cart was near to the right hand kerb. According to the rules of the road, it should have been on the left side. In turning sharp round a right-hand corner, a driver should keep away to the opposite side." That rule was codified when the first Highway Code was written in 1936. Samoa , a former German colony, had been RHT for more than a century, but switched to LHT in 2009, making it
455-409: A simple traffic light to do the switch, but there are also interchanges that enable the switch while keeping up a continuous flow of traffic. There are six road border crossing points between Hong Kong and mainland China. In 2006, the daily average number of vehicle trips recorded at Lok Ma Chau was 31,100. The next largest is Man Kam To , where there is no changeover system and the border roads on
520-644: A sixth of the world's land area, a quarter of its roads, and about a third of its population. In 1919, 104 of the world's territories were LHT and an equal number were RHT. Between 1919 and 1986, 34 of the LHT territories switched to RHT. While many of the countries using LHT were part of the British Empire , others such as Indonesia , Japan , Nepal , Bhutan , Macao , Thailand , Mozambique , Suriname , Sweden and Iceland (which use RHT since September 1967 and late May 1968 respectively) were not. Most of
585-470: A ten- shilling fine to anyone not driving or riding on the left side of the road within the county of the city of Dublin , and required the local road overseers to erect written or printed notices informing road users of the law. The Road in Down and Antrim Act 1798 (38 Geo. 3. c. 28 (I)) required drivers on the road from Dublin to Donadea to keep to the left. This time, the punishment was ten shillings if
650-606: Is LHT like many neighbouring islands. Some special-purpose vehicles in the United States, like certain postal service trucks, garbage trucks, and parking-enforcement vehicles, are built with the driver's seat on the right for safer and easier access to the curb. A common example is the Grumman LLV , which is used nationwide by the US Postal Service and by Canada Post . In Canada, the provinces of Quebec and Ontario were always RHT because they were created out of
715-693: Is LHT, but two of its overseas territories , Gibraltar and the British Indian Ocean Territory , are RHT. In the late 1960s, the British Department for Transport considered switching to RHT, but declared it unsafe and too costly for such a built-up nation. Road building standards, for motorways in particular, allow asymmetrically designed road junctions, where merge and diverge lanes differ in length. Today, four countries in Europe continue to use LHT, all island nations:
SECTION 10
#1732787243540780-507: Is different from Wikidata All article disambiguation pages All disambiguation pages Citro%C3%ABn H Van The Citroën H-types were developed as simple, low-cost, front-wheel drive vans after World War II , using the same design philosophy as on Citroën's 2CV , but featuring a frameless, unitary body-structure . A total of 473,289 of their variants were produced in 34 years in factories in France and Belgium. Like
845-434: Is still geared to LHT as its neighbours India, Bangladesh and Thailand use LHT. Most cars are used RHD vehicles imported from Japan. Afghanistan was LHT until the 1950s, in line with Pakistan (former part of British India). Although Portuguese Timor (present-day East Timor ), which shares the island of Timor with Indonesia , who is LHT, switched to RHT with Portugal in 1928, it switched back to LHT in 1976 during
910-426: Is the opposite: traffic keeps right, the driver usually sits on the left side of the car (LHD: left-hand drive), and roundabouts circulate anticlockwise. In most countries, rail traffic follows the handedness of the roads; but many of the countries that switched road traffic from LHT to RHT did not switch their trains. Boat traffic on bodies of water is RHT, regardless of location. Boats are traditionally piloted from
975-600: The Ami 6. While the derated "Traction Avant" 4-cylinder engine and the unsophisticated 3-speed gearbox (non synchromesh on first gear) offered only a modest top speed of just under 100 km/h, the chassis and suspension layout provided good roadholding qualities for a van of the era, especially on the short wheelbase version: low slung chassis, with very little overhangs, combined with sophisticated totally independent suspensions (the front ones used double torsion bars instead of conventional coil springs). With 35 hp (26 kW),
1040-634: The British Virgin Islands , and the United States Virgin Islands are LHD due to their being imported from the United States. Brazil , a Portuguese colony until the early 19th century, had in the 19th and the early 20th century mixed rules, with some regions still on LHT, switching these remaining regions to RHT in 1928, the same year Portugal switched sides. Other Central and South American countries that later switched from LHT to RHT include Argentina, Chile, Panama, Paraguay, and Uruguay. Suriname , along with neighbouring Guyana , are
1105-592: The Cape Colony (present-day South Africa and Lesotho ), as well as in British West Africa (present-day Ghana, Gambia, Sierra Leone and Nigeria); former British West Africa, however, has now switched to RHT, as all its neighbours, which are former French colonies, use RHT. South Africa, formerly the Cape Colony, introduced LHT in former German South West Africa , present-day Namibia , after
1170-561: The French Revolution . Scholars who have looked for documentary evidence of this story have found none, and contemporary sources have not surfaced, as of 1999. In 1827, long after Napoleon's reign, Edward Planta wrote that, in Paris , "The coachmen have no established rule by which they drive on the right or left of the road, but they cross and jostle one another without ceremony." Rotterdam had no fixed rules until 1917, although
1235-871: The Indonesian occupation of East Timor . In the 1930s, parts of China such as the Shanghai International Settlement , Canton and Japanese-occupied northeast China used LHT. However, in 1946 the Republic of China made RHT mandatory in China (including Taiwan ). Taiwan was LHT under Japanese colonization from 1895–1945. Portuguese Macau (present-day Macau ) remained LHT, along with British Hong Kong , despite being transferred to China in 1999 and 1997 respectively. Both North Korea and South Korea use RHT since 1946, after liberation from Japanese colonialization . The Philippines
1300-575: The Jensen H-type , a car H type Adelaide tram H1 type Adelaide tram Topics referred to by the same term [REDACTED] This disambiguation page lists articles associated with the title Type H . If an internal link led you here, you may wish to change the link to point directly to the intended article. Retrieved from " https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Type_H&oldid=1223422162 " Category : Disambiguation pages Hidden categories: Short description
1365-560: The Maghreb , where it is still used. Countries in these areas include Mali , Mauritania , Ivory Coast , Burkina Faso , Benin , Niger , Morocco , Algeria , and Tunisia . Other French former colonies that are RHT include Cameroon , Central African Republic , Chad , Djibouti , Gabon , and the Republic of the Congo . Rwanda and Burundi are RHT but are considering switching to LHT (see "Potential future shifts" section below). In
SECTION 20
#17327872435401430-419: The starboard side (and not the port side like RHT road traffic vehicles) to facilitate priority to the right . Historically, many places kept left, while many others kept right, often within the same country. There are many myths that attempt to explain why one or the other is preferred. About 90 percent of people are right-handed , and many explanations reference this. Horses are traditionally mounted from
1495-541: The 1.8-litre Indenor TMD replaced it in 1964. In December 1966, the Indenor diesel was given a larger bore, increasing displacement to 1.95 litres and power to 57 hp (42 kW). The basic design changed very little from 1947 to 1981. Vehicles left the Citroën factory with only three body styles: the standard enclosed van, a pick-up version, and a stripped-down body which went to non-Citroën coach-builders and formed
1560-406: The 1934 Citroën Traction Avant , the H had a unitary body with no separate frame , front independent suspension , and front-wheel drive . For a commercial van, this combination provided unique benefits: a flat floor very close to the ground, and 6 ft (180 cm) standing height. Loading is by a combination of an upward-hinged tailgate with lower double half-doors at the rear, and optionally
1625-607: The HY 78 and HZ 78; now with the same alloy head as the type 72 it had 58 hp (43 kW) at 4,200 rpm. Diesel engines were also available, initially from Perkins beginning in 1961. This was replaced by the Indenor [ fr ] engine in March 1964. The Perkins 4/99 engine in the HYDI and HZDI produces 42 hp (31 kW); this increased to 50 hp (37 kW) when
1690-704: The Netherlands. At the Slough Trading Estate assembly facility (1926-1966), Citroën UK built a very small number of right hand drive versions. The German market however, was supplied by key competitors: the direct rival Volkswagen Type 2 ; plus the also front-drive DKW Schnellaster minivan . As with the Volkswagen, the H Van could not be competitive in the US after 1964, due to the Chicken tax ,
1755-545: The United Kingdom, Ireland (formerly part of the UK), Cyprus and Malta (both former British colonies). Many former British colonies in the region have always been LHT, including Australia, New Zealand, Fiji , Kiribati , Solomon Islands , Tonga , and Tuvalu ; and nations that were previously administered by Australia: Nauru and Papua New Guinea . Initially traffic was slow and very sparse, but, as early as 1856,
1820-462: The basis for the cattle-truck and other variants. The basic version had an overall length of 4.26 metres (14 ft 0 in), but vehicles were also available in a long wheelbase version with an overall length of 5.24 metres (17 ft 2 in). In September 1963 the earlier style rear window - a narrow vertical window with curved corners - was replaced with a square window the same height but wider, 45 cm (18 in) on each side. The bonnet
1885-593: The cities Milan , Turin , and Florence . In 1915, allied forces of World War I imposed LHT in areas of military operation, but this was revoked in 1918. Rome was reported by Goethe as LHT in the 1780s. Naples was also LHT although surrounding areas were often RHT. In cities, LHT was considered safer since pedestrians, accustomed to keeping right, could better see oncoming vehicular traffic. Finally, in 1923 Benito Mussolini decreed that all LHT areas would gradually transition to RHT. In spite of this, some Italian heavy commercial vehicles were right-hand drive until
1950-517: The countries that were part of the French colonial empire adopted RHT. Historical switches of traffic handedness have often been motivated by factors such as changes in political administration, a desire for uniformity within a country or with neighboring states, or availability and affordability of vehicles. In LHT, traffic keeps left and cars usually have the steering wheel on the right (RHD: right-hand drive) and roundabouts circulate clockwise. RHT
2015-419: The country. In a study of the ancient traffic system of Pompeii , Eric Poehler was able to show that drivers of carts drove in the middle of the road whenever possible. This was the case even on roads wide enough for two lanes. The wear marks on the kerbstones, however, prove that when there were two lanes of traffic, and the volume of traffic made it necessary to divide the lanes, the drivers always drove on
Type H - Misplaced Pages Continue
2080-427: The downtuned 1.9-litre 11D engine in the initial, cast-iron head variant offered more usable power than the 1.2 litre of its competitor, the 1950 Volkswagen Type 2 . Period brochures sometimes refer to the 11D engine producing 50 hp (37 kW); many sources indicate that power increased gradually throughout the 1950s as the quality of petrol and raw materials improved. In late 1963, the 1.9-liter, 11 CV engine
2145-629: The end of World War I . Sudan, formerly part of Anglo-Egyptian Sudan , switched to RHT in 1973. Most of its neighbours were RHT countries, with the exception of Uganda and Kenya, but since the independence of South Sudan in 2011, all of its neighbours drive on the right (including South Sudan, despite its land borders with two LHT countries). Although Portugal switched to RHT in 1928, its colony of Mozambique remained LHT because it has land borders with former British colonies (with LHT). France introduced RHT in French West Africa and
2210-558: The first territory in almost 30 years to change sides. The move was legislated in 2008 to allow Samoans to use cheaper vehicles imported from Australia, New Zealand, or Japan, and to harmonise with other South Pacific nations. A political party, The People's Party , was formed by the group People Against Switching Sides (PASS) to protest against the change, with PASS launching a legal challenge; in April 2008 an estimated 18,000 people attended demonstrations against switching. The motor industry
2275-570: The following were declared public holidays, to reduce traffic. The change included a three-day ban on alcohol sales, while police mounted dozens of checkpoints, warning drivers to drive slowly. Rwanda and Burundi , former Belgian colonies in Central Africa , are RHT but are considering switching to LHT like neighbouring members of the East African Community (EAC). A survey in 2009 found that 54% of Rwandans favoured
2340-577: The former Austrian Partition changed in the 1920s. Croatia-Slavonia switched on joining the Kingdom of Yugoslavia in 1918, although Istria and Dalmatia were already RHT. The switch in Czechoslovakia from LHT to RHT had been planned for 1939, but was accelerated by the start of the German occupation of Czechoslovakia that year. Similarly, Hungary switched in 1941. West Ukraine was LHT, but
2405-551: The former French colony of New France . The province of British Columbia changed to RHT in stages from 1920 to 1923, New Brunswick , Nova Scotia , and Prince Edward Island in 1922, 1923, and 1924 respectively, and the British colony of Newfoundland (part of Canada since 1949) in 1947, in order to allow traffic (without side switch) to or from the United States. In the West Indies , colonies and territories drive on
2470-532: The last decades of the twentieth century. In November 1969 the small parking lights were discontinued, the front indicators were recessed into the wings, and the shape of the rear wings was changed from semi-circular to rectangular. Rear hinged 'suicide' cab doors were used until the end of production in 1981, except on vehicles manufactured for the Dutch market where conventionally hinged doors were available from 1968. Citroën's teams worked on 8 projects and only
2535-446: The last one was developed, giving it its name : "H". Most Type H vans were sold as model HY . Other models include H (early versions), HX (lesser load capacity), HP (flat-bed pick-up), HZ , and HW (greater load capacity). For a time they were also sold as model 1600 . When used by the police, it was called "panier à salade" ("salad basket"). Vintage H vans are still a common sight in Europe and in cosmopolitan cities around
2600-505: The last to use this construction. Henry Ford adopted the same type of construction for the Ford Tri-Motor passenger aircraft. The ribs added strength without adding weight, and required only simple, low-cost press tools. The flat body panels were braced on the inside by 'top hat' box sections, installed at right angles to the ribs. The welded floor was strong enough to support a horse . Most H Vans were sold in France, Belgium and
2665-400: The late 18th century, right-hand traffic started to be introduced in the United States of America based on teamsters ' use of large freight wagons pulled by several pairs of horses and without a driver's seat; the (typically right-handed) postilion held his whip in his right hand and thus sat on the left rear horse, and therefore preferred other wagons passing on the left so that he would have
Type H - Misplaced Pages Continue
2730-526: The left, and led from the left, with the reins in the right hand. So people walking horses might use RHT, to keep the animals separated. Also referenced is the need for pedestrians to keep their swords in the right hand and pass on the left as in LHT, for self-defence. It has been suggested that wagon-drivers whipped their horses with their right hand, and thus sat on the left-hand side of the wagon, as in RHT. Academic Chris McManus notes that writers have stated that in
2795-488: The modern Fiat Ducato/Citroën Jumper/Ram ProMaster X290 platform, and a smaller HG version based on the Citroën Jumpy PSA EMP2 platform, both under license from Citroën. Right hand drive This is an accepted version of this page Left-hand traffic ( LHT ) and right-hand traffic ( RHT ) are the practices, in bidirectional traffic , of keeping to the left side and to the right side of
2860-421: The offender was not the owner of the vehicle, or one Irish pound (twenty shillings) if he/she was. The Grand Juries (Ireland) Act 1836 ( 6 & 7 Will. 4 c. 116) mandated LHT for the whole country, violators to be fined up to five shillings and imprisoned in default for up to one month. An oft-repeated story is that Napoleon changed the custom from LHT to RHT in France and the countries he conquered after
2925-470: The one direction, and the side on which the vehicle in the rear overtakes the one in the front. For example, a driver in an LHT country would typically overtake on the right of the vehicle being overtaken. RHT is used in 165 countries and territories, mainly in the Americas , Continental Europe , most of Africa and mainland Asia (except South Asia ), while 75 countries use LHT, which account for about
2990-573: The only two remaining LHT countries in South America . LHT was introduced by the U.K. in British India (now India , Pakistan , Myanmar , and Bangladesh ), British Malaya and British Borneo (now Malaysia , Brunei and Singapore), as well as British Hong Kong . These countries, except Myanmar, are still LHT, as well as neighbouring countries Bhutan and Nepal . Myanmar switched to RHT in 1970, although much of its infrastructure
3055-502: The other side". It was later legislated as the London Bridge Act 1756 ( 29 Geo. 2 c. 40), which required that "all carriages passing over the said bridge from London shall go on the east side thereof" – those going south to remain on the east, i.e. the left-hand side by direction of travel. This may represent the first statutory requirement for LHT. In the Kingdom of Ireland , a law of 1793 (33 Geo. 3. c. 56 (I)) provided
3120-592: The rest of Ukraine, having been part of the Russian Empire, was RHT. In Italy, it had been decreed in 1901 that each province define its own traffic code , including the handedness of traffic, and the 1903 Baedeker guide reported that the rule of the road varied by region. For example, in Northern Italy , the provinces of Brescia , Como , Vicenza , and Ravenna were RHT while nearby provinces of Lecco , Verona , and Varese were LHT, as were
3185-714: The rest of the Netherlands was RHT. In May 1917 the police in Rotterdam ended traffic chaos by enforcing right hand traffic. In Russia, in 1709, the Danish envoy under Tsar Peter the Great noted the widespread custom for traffic in Russia to pass on the right, but it was only in 1752 that Empress Elizabeth officially issued an edict for traffic to keep to the right. After the Austro-Hungarian Empire broke up,
3250-596: The resulting countries gradually changed to RHT. In Austria , Vorarlberg switched in 1921, North Tyrol in 1930, Carinthia and East Tyrol in 1935, and the rest of the country in 1938. In Romania , Transylvania , the Banat and Bukovina were LHT until 1919, while Wallachia and Moldavia were already RHT. Partitions of Poland belonging to the German Empire and the Russian Empire were RHT, while
3315-582: The right-hand side. These considerations can also be demonstrated in the archaeological findings of other cities in the Roman Empire . One of the first references in England to requiring traffic direction was an order by the London Court of Aldermen in 1669, requiring a man to be posted on London Bridge to ensure that "all cartes going to keep on the one side and all cartes coming to keep on
SECTION 50
#17327872435403380-426: The road, respectively. They are fundamental to traffic flow , and are sometimes called the rule of the road . The terms right- and left-hand drive refer to the position of the driver and the steering wheel in the vehicle and are, in automobiles, the reverse of the terms right- and left-hand traffic . The rule also includes where on the road a vehicle is to be driven, if there is room for more than one vehicle in
3445-577: The same side as their parent countries, except for the United States Virgin Islands . Many of the island nations are former British colonies and drive on the left, including Jamaica , Antigua and Barbuda , Barbados , Dominica , Grenada , Saint Kitts and Nevis , Saint Lucia , Saint Vincent and the Grenadines , Trinidad and Tobago , and The Bahamas . However, most vehicles in The Bahamas, Cayman Islands , Turks and Caicos Islands and both
3510-464: The switch. Reasons cited were the perceived lower costs of RHD vehicles, easier maintenance and the political benefit of harmonising traffic regulations with other EAC countries. The survey indicated that RHD cars were 16% to 49% cheaper than their LHD counterparts. In 2014, an internal report by consultants to the Ministry of Infrastructure recommended a switch to LHT. In 2015, the ban on RHD vehicles
3575-769: The traffic code was changed in 1959. Portugal switched to RHT in 1928. Finland , formerly part of LHT Sweden, switched to RHT in 1858 as the Grand Duchy of Finland by Russian decree. Spain switched to RHT in 1918, but not in the entire country. In Madrid people continued to drive on the left until 1924 when a national law forced drivers in Madrid switch to RHT. Madrid Metro still uses LHT. Sweden switched to RHT in 1967, having been LHT from about 1734 despite having land borders with RHT countries Norway and Finland, and approximately 90% of cars being left-hand drive (LHD). A referendum in 1955 overwhelmingly rejected
3640-399: The world, serving as stylish food trucks evoking a retro continental image to the business. Vintage versions are available as non-operating static displays or upgraded with modern engines and power steering. Italian coachbuilder Fabrizio Caselani of FC Automobili has resurrected the classic design with in honor of the H van's 70th anniversary in 2017, and produces with a body kit based on
3705-580: The year 1300, Pope Boniface VIII directed pilgrims to keep left; however, others suggest that he directed them to keep to the right, and there is no documented evidence to back either claim. The UK introduced LHT in the East Africa Protectorate (present-day Kenya ), the Protectorate of Uganda , Tanganyika (formerly part of German East Africa ; present-day Tanzania ), Rhodesia (present-day Zambia / Zimbabwe ), Eswatini and
3770-399: The year Japan's first railway was introduced, built with technical aid from the British – that this unwritten rule received official acknowledgment. Gradually, a massive network of railways and tram tracks was built, with all railway vehicles driven on the left-hand side. However, it took another half-century, until 1924, until left-hand traffic was legally mandated. Post- World War II Okinawa
3835-523: Was also opposed, as 14,000 of Samoa's 18,000 vehicles were designed for RHT and the government refused to meet the cost of conversion. After months of preparation, the switch from right to left happened in an atmosphere of national celebration. There were no reported incidents. At 05:50 local time, Monday 7 September, a radio announcement halted traffic, and an announcement at 6:00 ordered traffic to switch to LHT. The change coincided with more restrictive enforcement of speeding and seat-belt laws. That day and
3900-579: Was formalized, RHD vehicles such as public buses were still imported into the Philippines until a law passed banning the importation of RHD vehicles except in special cases. These RHD vehicles are required to be converted to LHD. Japan was never part of the British Empire, but its traffic also drives on the left. Although this practice goes back to the Edo period (1603–1868), it was not until 1872 –
3965-584: Was lifted; RHD trucks from neighbouring countries cost $ 1,000 less than LHD models imported from Europe. Although many LHT jurisdictions are on islands, there are cases where vehicles may be driven from LHT across a border into a RHT area. Such borders are mostly located in Africa and southern Asia. The Vienna Convention on Road Traffic regulates the use of foreign registered vehicles in the 78 countries that have ratified it. LHT Thailand has three RHT neighbours: Cambodia, Laos, and Myanmar. Most of its borders use
SECTION 60
#17327872435404030-448: Was modified to give two additional rectangular air intakes at the lower edges, one for a heater, the other a dummy for symmetry. In early 1964, the split windscreen used since 1947 was replaced with a single windscreen, while in late 1964 the chevrons on the radiator grille, previously narrow aluminum strips similar to those on the Traction Avant , were replaced with the shorter, pointed style of chevrons as used on most Citroën vehicles in
4095-661: Was mostly LHT during its Spanish and American colonial periods, as well as during the Commonwealth era . During the Japanese occupation , the Philippines remained LHT, as was required by the Japanese; but during the Battle of Manila , the liberating American forces drove their tanks to the right for easier facilitation of movement. RHT was formalized in 1945 through a decree by president Sergio Osmeña . Even though RHT
4160-433: Was replaced with a downsleeved version with an alloy, crossflow head . The bore was reduced from 78 to 72 mm (3.1 to 2.8 in) and it was accordingly called the type 72. The new engine produced 45 hp SAE (33 kW) at 4,200 rpm, which allowed for a higher top speed while also reducing the tax burden (down to 9CV) and improving fuel economy by 15-20 percent. The 1.9-litre engine reappeared in late 1966 for
4225-949: Was ruled by the United States Civil Administration of the Ryukyu Islands until 1972, and was RHT until 6 a.m. the morning of 30 July 1978, when it switched back to LHT . The conversion operation was known as 730 ( Nana-San-Maru , which refers to the date of the changeover). Okinawa is one of only a few places to have changed from RHT to LHT in the late 20th century. While Japan drives on the left and most Japanese vehicles are RHD, imported vehicles (e.g. BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Porsche) are generally bought as LHD since LHD cars are considered to be status symbols. Vietnam became RHT as part of French Indochina , as did Laos and Cambodia . In Cambodia, RHD cars, many of which were smuggled from Thailand, were banned in 2001, even though they accounted for 80% of vehicles in
#539460