Copyright laws in other countries often aren’t as robust as they are here, which is how we ended up with several Chinese vehicles that look exactly like American and European models. Indian automaker Mahindra has long sold the Roxor, a surprisingly strong lookalike of the Jeep Wrangler, but it has faced a legal challenge from Fiat Chrysler Automobiles, Jeep’s parent company. The battle recently ended and didn’t go FCA’s way.

The courts ruled that Mahindra could Continue Selling the Roxor in the United States, but only the post-2020 version. The company made changes for that model year, making it slightly less Wrangler-esque. They argued that older models, which were much closer in appearance, were no longer on sale, and did not threaten FCA’s sales. The company can continue importing the vehicles for use in off-road situations. 

Mahindra isn’t a name Americans are used to seeing, and even as someone who has their head deep in the industry at all times, I was surprised to learn you can buy one here. At the same time, the Roxor isn’t street-legal because it’s missing many of the required components, such as turn signals, proper lighting, mirrors, and more. It’s probably possible to make one street legal, but for that effort, it’d probably be easier just to buy a Jeep.

[Image: Steve Labreca via Shutterstock]

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