Back in 1996, the Setesdal fire department bought a Toyota Hilux. 29 years later, it has just 11,000 kilometers and has ended up in a bidding war.
The price of a 1996 Toyota Hilux, which has barely covered 11,000 kilometers, has skyrocketed in a fierce bidding war.
The vehicle, which was originally purchased by Setesdal Fire Department on March 1, 1996, has functioned as a combined fire engine and emergency vehicle at Rysstad Fire Station. Equipped with blue lights and a siren, the Toyota Hilux has had a quiet life with few calls.
Under the long hood is a 2.4-liter diesel engine with just 83 horsepower, mated to a five-speed manual gearbox. On the other hand, both car and engine are known for being impossible to wear out.
– The reason for the low mileage is that Rysstad fire station is a so-called part-time station, which does not have that many calls over the course of a year, says fire inspector Ole Alexander Pettersen at Setesdal Fire Department to Norwegian TV2 .
After 29 years in the fire service's service, it's time to sell the Hilux. The car, which appears almost unused, is up for sale on Finn.no, where the ad has attracted a lot of interest.
The Toyota Hilux was offered to the highest bidder for over 75,000 Norwegian kroner, but this amount quickly turned out to be far too low.
The bids poured in, and already on January 3, the highest bid reached 250,000 Norwegian kroner. At the time of writing, the bid has reached 270,000 kroner – almost four times the asking price. This corresponds to 171,000 Danish kroner.
– I'm not sure, but I think the list price was from 240,000 Norwegian kroner when it was new, says fire inspector Pettersen to the media.
The daily update of the ad with the highest bid has attracted a lot of attention. Several media outlets, including Norwegian TV2, have received tips from readers about the unusual bidding war, which is scheduled to end on January 17. The replacement for the Hilux? Incidentally, it's a Mercedes Vito.
This is not the first time that a cult Toyota has appeared in Norway. Last August, car dealer Robert, for example, had a HiAce with just 3,500 kilometers on the clock for sale. Read more about that car here .
