Someday, GM Will Own the Streets of Hanoi!

Murilee Martin
by Murilee Martin
someday gm will own the streets of hanoi

During my visit to Vietnam last month, I photographed many Honda Super Cubs, but I always kept one eye open for other interesting vehicles. I spotted a few Toyota Crown Royal Saloons, which was cool, but catching a [s]Geo[/s] Chevrolet Tracker at a Hanoi intersection was one of the weirder sightings. Studying the photograph later, I realized that three of the four (non-two-wheeled) vehicles in the frame were GM products that show the breadth of The General’s Asian empire. In the foreground, there’s a Chevrolet Matiz, made by Daewoo (I saw plenty of these things, badged as Pontiacs, when I visited Nayarit State in Mexico last year). Then there’s a Toyota Innova, which we can ignore. After that, the Tracker, made by Suzuki (yes, it has a snorkel). Then we’ve got a Daewoo bus in the background.

I think the GM product I saw in Hanoi that I’d most like to see sold in the United States is the Daewoo Labo Roach Coach; this thing seems to have about the same footprint as a Honda Fit, if it’s even that big. We need more Kei Truck Roach Coaches!


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  • SuperACG SuperACG on Apr 05, 2012

    I would totally drive that Daewoo Labo cross country outfitted as a camper van. All it needs is a small bed, hot plate, and cassette toilet! Although it likely has a small fuel tank, increasing range anxiety.

  • MrWhopee MrWhopee on Apr 05, 2012

    So, did you investigate just what that yellow kei food truck was selling? Was it any good? I'm thinking "Roach Coach" is an eerily appropriate name for the vehicle. BTW Daewoo seem to be making inroads with buses in Asia, my city used to have nearly exclusively Mercedes-benzes city buses, but nowadays it's a hodge-podge of brands (can't afford MBs anymore?), with a large numbers of it being Daewoo.

    • Murilee Martin Murilee Martin on Apr 06, 2012

      It was selling the usual noodles and Vietnamese coffee that you can get ever 15 feet in Hanoi. The generic term "Roach Coach" refers to the air horns on 1970s taco trucks in California, the ones that played "La Cucaracha."

  • Jeff S The question is how long will Ford offer the Mustang as a pony car? Dodge is sun setting the Challenger at the end of this year and it is doubtful if the Challenger will come back as an EV. Rumors are the Camaro name will be used on an EV and that will mostly likely be a crossover. There is not enough market for a Detroit muscle or pony car. It is sad to see not only the last of the cars like the Camaro and Challenger go but to see most cars go. Soon this site will have to change its name to The Truth About Trucks (TTAT).
  • Oberkanone Does GM build anything to compete with this? Does GM build any competent hybrids?
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  • Parkave231 Collector's Edition hood ornament or GTFO.
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