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, commonly known as Isuzu (, ), is a Japanese multinational
automobile manufacturer The automotive industry comprises a wide range of companies and organizations involved in the design, development, manufacturing, marketing, and selling of motor vehicles. It is one of the world's largest industries by revenue (from 16 % such ...
headquartered in
Yokohama is the second-largest city in Japan by population and the most populous municipality of Japan. It is the capital city and the most populous city in Kanagawa Prefecture, with a 2020 population of 3.8 million. It lies on Tokyo Bay, south of To ...
,
Kanagawa Prefecture is a prefecture of Japan located in the Kantō region of Honshu. Kanagawa Prefecture is the second-most populous prefecture of Japan at 9,221,129 (1 April 2022) and third-densest at . Its geographic area of makes it fifth-smallest. Kana ...
. Its principal activity is the production, marketing and sale of Isuzu
commercial vehicle A commercial vehicle is any type of motor vehicle used for transporting goods or paying passengers. The United States defines a "commercial motor vehicle" as any self-propelled or towed vehicle used on a public highway in interstate commerce to ...
s and
diesel engine The diesel engine, named after Rudolf Diesel, is an internal combustion engine in which ignition of the fuel is caused by the elevated temperature of the air in the cylinder due to mechanical compression; thus, the diesel engine is a so-call ...
s. The company also has a number of subsidiaries and joint ventures, including
UD Trucks UD Trucks Corporation (UDトラックス株式会社, ''UD Torakkusu Kabushikigaisha'') is a Japanese company whose principal business is the manufacturing and sales of diesel trucks, buses, bus chassis and special-purpose vehicles. Its headquarte ...
,
Anadolu Isuzu Anadolu Isuzu (officially Anadolu Isuzu Automotive Industry & Trading A.Ş.) is a joint venture company based in Istanbul, Turkey. It is the collaboration between Anadolu Group, Isuzu Motors Co., Ltd., Itochu Co. and HICOM. Its main fields of o ...
(a Turkish joint venture with Anadolu Group),
Sollers-Isuzu JSC "ISUZU RUS" (АО ИСУЗУ РУС) is a commercial vehicle manufacturer with headquarters in Ulyanovsk, Russia. The company was founded in 2006 as a joint venture between OAO Sollers, which contributed with a share of 66%, Isuzu, which part ...
(a Russian joint venture with
Sollers JSC Sollers, formerly known as OAO Severstal-Auto, is a Russian company holding controlling blocks of shares of OAO Ulyanovsk Automobile Works (UAZ), Zavolzhye Motor Works (ZMZ) and OAO ZMA. The enterprises of Severstal-Auto are well-known automobi ...
- Production stopped in March 2022, Iusuzu stake transferred to Sollers in July 2023),
SML Isuzu SML Isuzu Limited (SMLI) is a commercial vehicle manufacturer established in 1983. SMLI produces and sells buses, ambulances and customized vehicles. Sumitomo Corporation and Isuzu Motors hold a 44% and 15% stake of the company respectively. ...
(an Indian venture formerly known as
Swaraj Mazda SML Isuzu Limited (SMLI) is a commercial vehicle manufacturer established in 1983. SMLI produces and sells buses, ambulances and customized vehicles. Sumitomo Corporation and Isuzu Motors hold a 44% and 15% stake of the company respectively. ...
),
Jiangxi Isuzu Motors Jiangxi Isuzu Motors Co., Ltd. is a joint venture between Isuzu and Jiangling Motors Corporation Group (JMCG). The venture is headquartered in Nanchang, Jiangxi province. It is focused on the production and sale of Isuzu pickups and their engi ...
(a Chinese joint venture with Jiangling Motors Company Group),
Isuzu Astra Motor Indonesia Isuzu Astra Motor Indonesia (IAMI) is a joint venture automobile and commercial vehicle manufacturer with headquarters in Jakarta, Indonesia. The company was founded in April 2008 and is the successor of the previous Isuzu manufacturer, ''Pantja ...
, Isuzu Malaysia ( Isuzu HICOM),
Industries Mécaniques Maghrébines The Industries Mécaniques Maghrébines S.A. (IMM) are a Tunisian car manufacturer headquartered in the city of Kairouan. The company was founded in 1982 by GM and other investors and closed for the first time in 1988; the plant was reopened in 199 ...
, Isuzu UK, Isuzu South Africa,
Isuzu Philippines Isuzu Philippines Corporation (IPC) is a subsidiary of the Japanese commercial vehicle manufacturer Isuzu Motors and headquartered in Biñan, Laguna, Philippines. The company was formed on August 7, 1995 with an investment of ₱1,000,000.000s. T ...
,
Taiwan Isuzu Motors Taiwan Isuzu Motors Co. (TIM; ) was founded December 1995 as a commercial vehicle manufacturer with headquarters in Taipei, Taiwan. The company is both the assembler and distributor of vehicles. The company is a joint venture between Isuzu owning 6 ...
,
Isuzu Vietnam Isuzu Vietnam Co. (IVC) is a manufacturer of commercial vehicles and motor vehicle dealer based in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. The company was founded on October 19, 1995, with a capital of US$15 million as a joint venture. Partners are the Japanese ...
,
Isuzu Motors India Isuzu Motors India Private Limited is a subsidiary of Isuzu Motors, Isuzu Motors Limited, Japan was established in August 2012 in India having its manufacturing plant in Andhra Pradesh, Sri City, now in Tirupati district, Andhra pradesh, Andhra ...
and BYD Isuzu. Isuzu has assembly and manufacturing plants in Fujisawa, which have been there since the company was founded under earlier names, as well as in the Tochigi and
Hokkaidō is Japan's second largest island and comprises the largest and northernmost prefecture, making up its own region. The Tsugaru Strait separates Hokkaidō from Honshu; the two islands are connected by the undersea railway Seikan Tunnel. The la ...
prefectures. Isuzu-branded vehicles are sold in most commercial markets worldwide. Isuzu's primary market focus is on commercial diesel-powered truck, buses and construction. Named after the
Isuzu River The is a river that has both its source and its mouth in the city of Ise, Mie Prefecture, Japan. The river is notable because it flows through Ise Grand Shrine and, due to its strong association with the Shrine, many songs and poems ...
, the
kanji are the logographic Chinese characters taken from the Chinese family of scripts, Chinese script and used in the writing of Japanese language, Japanese. They were made a major part of the Japanese writing system during the time of Old Japanese ...
of ''Isuzu'' (五十鈴) mean "fifty bells".


History

Isuzu Motors' history began in 1916, when Tokyo Ishikawajima Shipbuilding and Engineering Co., Ltd. planned a cooperation with the Tokyo Gas and Electric Industrial Company to build automobiles. The next step was taken in 1918, when a technical cooperation with Wolseley Motors Limited was initiated, yielding exclusive rights to the production and sales of Wolseley vehicles in East Asia from
knock-down kits A knock-down kit (also knockdown kit, knocked-down kit, or simply knockdown or KD) is a collection of parts required to assemble a product. The parts are typically manufactured in one country or region, then exported to another country or region ...
. In 1919 came the first ever Japan-produced passenger car, a Wolseley model, the Fifteen A9 15/40 НР at the Tokyo Ishikawajima Shipyard at the Fukagawa Factory. The Wolseley sourced CP
truck A truck or lorry is a motor vehicle designed to transport cargo, carry specialized payloads, or perform other utilitarian work. Trucks vary greatly in size, power, and configuration, but the vast majority feature body-on-frame construction ...
followed two years later; 550 of these were built by 1927. In 1923 Japan was devastated by the
Kanto earthquake Kantō (Japanese) Kanto is a simplified spelling of , a Japanese word, only omitting the diacritics. In Japan Kantō may refer to: *Kantō Plain *Kantō region *Kantō-kai, organized crime group *Kanto (Pokémon), a geographical region in the ' ...
which made the fledgling transportation infrastructure that was heavily reliant on government-owned
railroads Rail transport (also known as train transport) is a means of transport that transfers passengers and goods on wheeled vehicles running on rails, which are incorporated in Track (rail transport), tracks. In contrast to road transport, where the ...
unusable due to the twisted tracks. Heavy construction vehicles were imported from the United States companies GMC and
Ford Ford commonly refers to: * Ford Motor Company, an automobile manufacturer founded by Henry Ford * Ford (crossing), a shallow crossing on a river Ford may also refer to: Ford Motor Company * Henry Ford, founder of the Ford Motor Company * Ford F ...
to aid in recovery and reconstruction, and the company sought to contribute by producing locally built construction and heavy duty vehicles. In 1927 the company introduced its 2-ton load capacity "Sumida P-type truck" equipped with an A6 engine and a 1-ton vehicle "Sumida M-type No. 1 bus" equipped with an A4 engine. The name "sumida" was used from the
Sumida River The is a river that flows through central Tokyo, Japan. It branches from the Arakawa River at Iwabuchi (in Kita-ku) and flows into Tokyo Bay. Its tributaries include the Kanda and Shakujii rivers. It passes through the Kita, Adachi, Arakaw ...
as the factory at Fukagawa was close by. In 1929
IHI Corporation , formerly known as , is a Japanese engineering corporation headquartered in Tokyo, Japan that produces and offers ships, space launch vehicles, aircraft engines, marine diesel engines, gas turbines, gas engines, railway systems, turbochargers ...
, separated part of its manufacturing business and merged with DAT Automobile Manufacturing Inc. (a predecessor of
Nissan , trade name, trading as Nissan Motor Corporation and often shortened to Nissan, is a Japanese multinational corporation, multinational Automotive industry, automobile manufacturer headquartered in Nishi-ku, Yokohama, Japan. The company sells ...
) and changed its name to Jidosha Kogyo Co., Ltd. (''Automobile Industries Co., Ltd.'') The names used for the products of this company, marketed as "Sumida" and "Chiyoda", have special significance in Japan. Chiyoda is a district in Tokyo where the Imperial Palace is located, and Sumida refers to a river that flows through
Tokyo Tokyo (; ja, 東京, , ), officially the Tokyo Metropolis ( ja, 東京都, label=none, ), is the capital and largest city of Japan. Formerly known as Edo, its metropolitan area () is the most populous in the world, with an estimated 37.468 ...
approximately east of the Imperial Palace. In 1934 the Tsurumi Factory opened under company name Automobile Industry Co., Ltd. and in 1937 Automobile Industries was reorganized and formed into a new company, Tokyo Automobile Industries Co., Ltd. and was founded with a capital of ¥1,000,000. The company continued to manufacture heavy duty trucks and passenger busses, realizing the need to modernize the transportation infrastructure of Japan, and was one of the primary manufacturers for the
Imperial Japanese Army The was the official ground-based armed force of the Empire of Japan from 1868 to 1945. It was controlled by the Imperial Japanese Army General Staff Office and the Ministry of the Army, both of which were nominally subordinate to the Emperor o ...
along with
Mitsubishi Heavy Industries is a Japanese multinational engineering, electrical equipment and electronics corporation headquartered in Tokyo, Japan. MHI is one of the core companies of the Mitsubishi Group and its automobile division is the predecessor of Mitsubishi Mo ...
, and had a corporate allegiance to the Yasuda Zaibatsu. One of the vehicles it produced for the war effort was the Sumida M.2593 armored personnel carrier. In 1942, Hino Heavy Industries was split off from Tokyo Automobile Industries, becoming a separate corporation. After the
Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
, the company was finally renamed to Isuzu (after the
Isuzu River The is a river that has both its source and its mouth in the city of Ise, Mie Prefecture, Japan. The river is notable because it flows through Ise Grand Shrine and, due to its strong association with the Shrine, many songs and poems ...
) in 1949, following a meeting with the Japanese Government's Ministry of Trade and Industry (MITI).


Etymology

The word Isuzu translated into English means "fifty bells"—hence the focus on "bell" in both the later Bellel and the
Bellett Bellett is an English surname. Notable people with the surname include: * John Gifford Bellett (1795–1864), Irish writer and theologian * Wally Bellett (born 1933), English footballer * James Bellett Richey (1834–1902), British politician See ...
. The name was used from the
Isuzu River The is a river that has both its source and its mouth in the city of Ise, Mie Prefecture, Japan. The river is notable because it flows through Ise Grand Shrine and, due to its strong association with the Shrine, many songs and poems ...
that flows near to the
Ise Grand Shrine The , located in Ise, Mie Prefecture of Japan, is a Shinto shrine dedicated to the sun goddess Amaterasu. Officially known simply as , Ise Jingū is a shrine complex composed of many Shinto shrines centered on two main shrines, and . The Inn ...
, one of Japan's most sacred and revered shrines.


Post World War history

Truck and bus production of the TX40 and TU60 series and the Isuzu Sumida bus resumed in 1945, with the permission of the occupation authorities. and has remained the primary focus of manufacture for the company, along with
diesel engine The diesel engine, named after Rudolf Diesel, is an internal combustion engine in which ignition of the fuel is caused by the elevated temperature of the air in the cylinder due to mechanical compression; thus, the diesel engine is a so-call ...
production. In 1958 a factory was built at
Fujisawa, Kanagawa is a city in Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 439,728 and a population density of 6300 persons per km². The total area of the city is . Geography Fujisawa is in the central part of Kanagawa Prefecture. It f ...
, and in 1959 the
Isuzu Elf The is a medium duty truck produced by Isuzu since 1959. Outside Japan it is known as N series and Q Series. The range was originally mainly available in Japan and other Asian countries. Australia was another important market for the Elf and N ...
was introduced as a medium duty
cab over Cab-over, also known as cab over engine (COE), cab forward (U.S.), flat nose (Canada), or forward control (UK), is a body style of truck, bus, or van that has a vertical front, "flat face" or a semi-hood, with the cab of the truck sitting a ...
commercial truck which is still in production, and was also shared with the
Isuzu Journey The Isuzu Journey (kana:いすゞ・ジャーニー) is a minibus produced by the Japanese manufacturer Isuzu since 1970, and in 1973 in its current somewhat larger format. The range was primarily available as a city bus and a tourist coach. ...
bus. Isuzu continued to maintain its market presence by providing commercial vehicles by introducing the Isuzu TY in 1966. The company is one of the primary manufacturers of commercial duty trucks and busses for public transportation, to include the
Isuzu Cubic The Isuzu Cubic (kana:いすゞ・キュービック) was a rigid bus, heavy-duty single-decker bus built by Isuzu between 1984 and 2000. The various models of the vehicle were primarily available as a city bus configuration, either a bus manufact ...
,
Isuzu Gala The Isuzu Gala (kana:いすゞ・ガーラ) is a heavy-duty truck, heavy-duty Rigid bus, rigid coach (bus), tourist coach produced by Isuzu through the J-Bus joint venture.
and the
Isuzu Erga The Isuzu Erga (kana:いすゞ・エルガ) is a heavy-duty single-decker bus produced by Isuzu through the J-Bus joint venture. It is primarily available as a public bus in either a complete bus or a bus chassis. It is built by J-Bus from Jap ...
along with the
Isuzu Giga The Isuzu Giga ( ja, いすゞ・ギガ) is a line of heavy-duty commercial vehicles produced by Isuzu since 1994. Outside Japan it is known as Isuzu C/E series. It was formally known as the Isuzu Heavy-Duty Truck'. Between 1994 and 2016, it wa ...
.


Corporate partnerships

Beginning in 1953 the
Hillman Minx The Hillman Minx was a mid-sized family car that British car maker Hillman produced from 1931 to 1970. There were many versions of the Minx over that period, as well as badge-engineered variants sold by Humber, Singer, and Sunbeam. From the m ...
passenger car is produced under license of
Rootes Group The Rootes Group or Rootes Motors Limited was a British automobile manufacturer and, separately, a major motor distributors and dealers business. Run from London's West End, the manufacturer was based in the Midlands and the distribution and dea ...
giving the company a passenger car to compete with other Japanese manufacturers, realizing that their resources were limited and therefore sought out international partnerships. The Minx remained in production until 1962, after the 1961 introduction of Isuzu's first passenger car, the Bellel, and later the sports coupe
Isuzu 117 Coupé The Isuzu 117 Coupé is a compact (car), compact Grand tourer, Gran Turismo type 2-door fastback coupé which was produced by the Japanese automobile manufacturer Isuzu between 1968 and 1981. 117 was a codename for a common development program of ...
. Being a small producer making cars which were somewhat too large and pricey for the Japanese market at the time, Isuzu spent some time looking for a commercial partner. Under pressure from MITI, who were attempting to limit the number of automobile manufacturers in Japan, a cooperation with
Fuji Heavy Industries is a Japanese multinational corporation and conglomerate primarily involved in both terrestrial and aerospace transportation manufacturing. It is best known for its line of Subaru automobiles. Founded in 1953, the company was formerly named ( ...
(
Subaru ( or ; ) is the automaker, automobile manufacturing division of Japanese transportation conglomerate (company), conglomerate Subaru Corporation (formerly known as Fuji Heavy Industries), the Automotive industry#By manufacturer, twenty-first ...
) began in 1966. This joint sales-service collaboration was seen as the first step towards an eventual merger. The
Subaru 1000 The Subaru 1000 is the first and only front wheel drive Subaru produced by Fuji Heavy Industries that was in the Japanese government "compact car" classification starting in 1966. Previous Subaru models such as the Subaru 360 and the Sambar had b ...
was even shown in Isuzu's 1967 annual vehicle brochure, as a suitable complement to the larger Isuzu lineup. This tie-up was over by 1968, when an agreement with
Mitsubishi The is a group of autonomous Japanese multinational companies in a variety of industries. Founded by Yatarō Iwasaki in 1870, the Mitsubishi Group historically descended from the Mitsubishi zaibatsu, a unified company which existed from 1870 ...
was formed. This ended even more quickly, by 1969, and the next year an equally short-lived collaboration was entered with
Nissan , trade name, trading as Nissan Motor Corporation and often shortened to Nissan, is a Japanese multinational corporation, multinational Automotive industry, automobile manufacturer headquartered in Nishi-ku, Yokohama, Japan. The company sells ...
.
Ruiz The Spanish surname Ruiz originates from the Germanic personal name " Hrodric" which is composed of the elements "Hrōd", meaning "renown", and "rīc", meaning "power(ful)", thus "famous ruler". Ruiz is a patronymic from the personal name Ruy, a sh ...
, p. 131
A few months later, in September 1971, what was to prove a more durable capital agreement was signed with
General Motors The General Motors Company (GM) is an American Multinational corporation, multinational Automotive industry, automotive manufacturing company headquartered in Detroit, Michigan, United States. It is the largest automaker in the United States and ...
.


Linking with General Motors

While the company had a long relationship with GM going back to the 1920s, the first investment of GM taking a 34% stake in Isuzu was seen in 1972, when the
Chevrolet LUV The Chevrolet LUV and the later Chevrolet LUV D-Max are light pickup trucks designed and manufactured by Isuzu and marketed in the Americas since 1972 by Chevrolet over four generations as rebadged variants of the Isuzu Faster and D-Max. ''LU ...
became the first Isuzu-built vehicle to be sold in the United States. To symbolize the new beginning, Isuzu also developed a new logo for 1974, with two vertical pillars as stylized representations of the first syllable in いすゞ ("Isuzu"). In 1974 Isuzu introduced the
Gemini Gemini may refer to: Space * Gemini (constellation), one of the constellations of the zodiac ** Gemini in Chinese astronomy * Project Gemini, the second U.S. crewed spaceflight program * Gemini Observatory, consisting of telescopes in the Northern ...
, which was co-produced with General Motors as the T-body Chevrolet Chevette. A modified version was sold in the United States as Buick's Opel by Isuzu, and in Australia as the
Holden Gemini The Holden Gemini is a compact car that was produced by Holden and sold in Australasia from 1975 to 1986. It was based on the Japanese Isuzu Gemini, one of the many models based on the GM T-car platform. First generation TX (1975–1977) ...
. As a result of the collaboration, certain American GM products were sold to Japanese customers through Isuzu dealerships. Holden's
Statesman A statesman or stateswoman typically is a politician who has had a long and respected political career at the national or international level. Statesman or Statesmen may also refer to: Newspapers United States * ''The Statesman'' (Oregon), a n ...
was also briefly sold (246 examples) with Isuzu badging in Japan during the seventies. Isuzu exports also increased considerably as a result of being able to use GM networks, from 0.7% of production in 1973 to 35.2% by 1976; this while overall production increased more than fourfold in the same period. As a result of the GM joint venture, Isuzu engines were also used by existing GM divisions (some USA-market Chevrolet automobiles had Isuzu powertrains e.g. the Chevette and early S10/S15 trucks manufactured prior to 1985). In 1981 Isuzu began selling consumer and commercial vehicles under their own brand in the United States. The
Isuzu P'Up The Isuzu Faster is a pickup truck that was manufactured and marketed by Isuzu between 1972 and 2002 over three generations. The Faster was succeeded worldwide by Isuzu D-Max, except in North America. First generation (1972–1980) I ...
was the first model sold to consumers as an Isuzu, rather than as a
Chevrolet Chevrolet ( ), colloquially referred to as Chevy and formally the Chevrolet Motor Division of General Motors Company, is an American automobile division of the American manufacturer General Motors (GM). Louis Chevrolet (1878–1941) and ous ...
or Buick, along with the
Isuzu Piazza The Isuzu Piazza is a small, sporty 3-door liftback coupé which was manufactured by Isuzu from 1981 until 1992 in two generations. The Isuzu Piazza was marketed as the Isuzu Impulse in North America and as the Holden Piazza in Australia. The ...
sports car. Isuzu's then president Toshio Okamoto then initiated a collaboration with small-car expert
Suzuki is a Japan, Japanese multinational corporation headquartered in Minami-ku, Hamamatsu, Japan. Suzuki manufactures automobiles, motorcycles, All-terrain vehicle, all-terrain vehicles (ATVs), outboard motor, outboard marine engines, wheelchairs ...
to develop a global small car for GM, the S-car. A three-way agreement of co-ownership was signed in August 1981, with Isuzu and Suzuki exchanging shares and General Motors taking a 5% share of Suzuki. Following on from this, in 1985 Isuzu and GM established the
IBC Vehicles IBC Vehicles Limited is an English automotive manufacturing company based in Luton, Bedfordshire and since 2021 a wholly owned subsidiary of the multinational corporation Stellantis. Its principal operation is an assembly plant located in Lut ...
venture in the United Kingdom, producing locally built versions of Isuzu and Suzuki light vans (the
Isuzu Fargo The Isuzu Fargo is a light commercial van manufactured between 1980 and 2001 by Japanese automaker Isuzu in Japan. The Fargo spanned two generations, the first of which was sold between 1980 and 1995 as both van and pickup body styles, with ...
and
Suzuki Carry The is a kei truck produced by the Japanese automaker Suzuki. The microvan version was originally called the Carry van until 1982 when the passenger van versions were renamed as the . In Japan, the Carry and Every are ''kei cars'' but the Suzuk ...
); to be sold in the European market under Vauxhall's
Bedford Bedford is a market town in Bedfordshire, England. At the 2011 Census, the population of the Bedford built-up area (including Biddenham and Kempston) was 106,940, making it the second-largest settlement in Bedfordshire, behind Luton, whilst ...
brand. During this period Isuzu also developed a worldwide presence as an exporter of diesel engines, with their powerplants in use by
Opel Opel Automobile GmbH (), usually shortened to Opel, is a German automobile manufacturer which has been a subsidiary of Stellantis since 16 January 2021. It was owned by the American automaker General Motors from 1929 until 2017 and the PSA Grou ...
/Vauxhall,
Land Rover Land Rover is a British brand of predominantly four-wheel drive, off-road capable vehicles, owned by multinational car manufacturer Jaguar Land Rover (JLR), since 2008 a subsidiary of India's Tata Motors. JLR currently builds Land Rovers ...
,
Hindustan ''Hindūstān'' ( , from '' Hindū'' and ''-stān''), also sometimes spelt as Hindōstān ( ''Indo-land''), along with its shortened form ''Hind'' (), is the Persian-language name for the Indian subcontinent that later became commonly used by ...
, and many others. Two Isuzu model lines (Gemini, Impulse) were marketed as part of the
Geo Geo- is a prefix derived from the Greek word ''γη'' or ''γαια'', meaning "earth", usually in the sense of "ground or land”. GEO or Geo may also refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media * ''GEO'' (magazine), a popular scientific magazine ...
division (Spectrum, Storm) when it was initially launched as a Chevrolet subsidiary. In the domestic Japanese market, OEM deals with other manufacturers were entered to aid the poorly performing passenger car arm. It led to the badging of Suzukis, beginning in 1986, and Subaru small commercial vehicles as Isuzus ( Geminett, Geminett II). This OEM tie-up occurred alongside the establishment of SIA (Subaru-Isuzu Automotive), an American joint venture with
Fuji Heavy Industries is a Japanese multinational corporation and conglomerate primarily involved in both terrestrial and aerospace transportation manufacturing. It is best known for its line of Subaru automobiles. Founded in 1953, the company was formerly named ( ...
(the parent company of
Subaru ( or ; ) is the automaker, automobile manufacturing division of Japanese transportation conglomerate (company), conglomerate Subaru Corporation (formerly known as Fuji Heavy Industries), the Automotive industry#By manufacturer, twenty-first ...
). Shortly afterwards, the
Lafayette, Indiana Lafayette ( , ) is a city in and the county seat of Tippecanoe County, Indiana, United States, located northwest of Indianapolis and southeast of Chicago. West Lafayette, on the other side of the Wabash River, is home to Purdue University, whi ...
plant became operational.


Contraction begins

Isuzu ended US sales of the
Impulse Impulse or Impulsive may refer to: Science * Impulse (physics), in mechanics, the change of momentum of an object; the integral of a force with respect to time * Impulse noise (disambiguation) * Specific impulse, the change in momentum per uni ...
(
Geo Storm The Geo Storm is a sport compact car manufactured by Isuzu that was sold in the United States by Geo from 1990 until 1993. The same vehicles, with minor variations, were sold in Canada in the 1992 and 1993 model years only. The Storm was inten ...
) in 1992, and the following year it stopped exporting the
Stylus A stylus (plural styli or styluses) is a writing utensil or a small tool for some other form of marking or shaping, for example, in pottery. It can also be a computer accessory that is used to assist in navigating or providing more precision w ...
(the basis for the Geo Spectrum), the last Isuzu-built car sold in the US. In 1993 Isuzu began a new vehicle exchange program with
Honda is a Japanese public multinational conglomerate manufacturer of automobiles, motorcycles, and power equipment, headquartered in Minato, Tokyo, Japan. Honda has been the world's largest motorcycle manufacturer since 1959, reaching a product ...
, whereby Honda sold the
Isuzu Rodeo The Isuzu Rodeo is an automotive nameplate that was used by the Japanese automobile manufacturer Isuzu between 1988 and 2004. Isuzu has utilized the "Rodeo" name on two different vehicles—a compact pickup truck sold in Japan—and a midsize SU ...
and
Isuzu Trooper The Isuzu Trooper is a full-size SUV that was produced by the Japanese automaker Isuzu between 1981 and 2007. In the domestic Japanese market it was sold as the Isuzu Bighorn, the car was exported internationally mainly as a Trooper but it also ...
as the
Honda Passport The Honda Passport is a line of sport utility vehicles (SUV) from the Japanese automaker Honda. Originally, it was a badge engineered version of the Isuzu Rodeo, a mid-size SUV sold between 1993 and 2002. It was introduced in 1993 for the 1994 mo ...
and
Acura SLX The Isuzu Trooper is a full-size SUV that was produced by the Japanese automaker Isuzu between 1981 and 2007. In the domestic Japanese market it was sold as the Isuzu Bighorn, the car was exported internationally mainly as a Trooper but it also ...
, respectively. In return Isuzu began selling the
Honda Odyssey Honda Odyssey can refer to three motor vehicles manufactured by Honda: * Honda Odyssey (ATV), an all-terrain vehicle (1977—1989) * Honda Odyssey (minivan), a brand of two different Honda minivan models for different markets ** Honda Odyssey (inter ...
as the Isuzu Oasis. Thus, Honda's lineup gained two SUVs, and Isuzu's lineup gained a minivan. In the Japanese market, the Gemini (Stylus) was now a rebadged
Honda Domani The () is a car made by Honda and marketed in east Asia, including Japan. The car was mutually developed during Rover's collaboration with Honda. It was introduced in November 1992, replacing the Concerto in Honda's lineup, although that mod ...
and the Aska (originally based on the GM J-car) was a
Honda Accord The , also known as the in Japan and China for certain generations, is a series of cars manufactured by Honda since 1976, best known for its four-door sedan variant, which has been one of the best-selling cars in the United States since 1989. ...
, while Honda received the 2-door MU as the Jazz and the 4-door Trooper as the Horizon. Isuzu's United States sales reached a peak in 1996 after the introduction of the
Isuzu Hombre The Chevrolet S-10 is a compact pickup truck that was produced by Chevrolet. It was the first domestically built compact pickup of the big three American automakers. When it was first introduced as a "quarter-ton pickup" in 1981 for the 1982 m ...
pickup, a badge-engineered GM truck (using the sheetmetal of the Brazil-market Chevrolet S10). Isuzu resurrected the beloved Amigo in 1998, before changing the name of the 2-door convertible to Rodeo Sport in 2001 in an attempt to associate it with the better selling 4-door Rodeo. The new
Axiom An axiom, postulate, or assumption is a statement that is taken to be true, to serve as a premise or starting point for further reasoning and arguments. The word comes from the Ancient Greek word (), meaning 'that which is thought worthy or f ...
launched in 2001, with the fictional salesman
Joe Isuzu Joe Isuzu was a fictional spokesman who starred in a series of 1980s television advertisements for Isuzu cars and trucks. Created by the ad agency Della Femina, Travisano, and Partners, and directed by Hollywood director Graham Baker, the seg ...
from 1980s advertising campaigns brought back to promote it. Isuzu sales began to slide due to the aging of the
Rodeo Rodeo () is a competitive equestrian sport that arose out of the working practices of cattle herding in Spain and Mexico, expanding throughout the Americas and to other nations. It was originally based on the skills required of the working va ...
and Trooper, and poor management and a lack of assistance from GM. The Rodeo Sport was discontinued in 2003, while production of the Rodeo and Axiom ceased a year later. By this point sales in North America had slowed to just 27,188, with the discontinued Rodeo and Axiom making up 71% of that total. In 1998 GM and Isuzu formed DMAX, a joint venture to produce
diesel engine The diesel engine, named after Rudolf Diesel, is an internal combustion engine in which ignition of the fuel is caused by the elevated temperature of the air in the cylinder due to mechanical compression; thus, the diesel engine is a so-call ...
s. GM raised its stake in Isuzu to 49% the following year, effectively gaining control of the company, and quickly followed this up by appointing an American GM executive to head Isuzu's North American Operations. This marked the first time a non-Japanese executive had held such a high position at Isuzu. In 2001 GM and Isuzu announced plans to share distribution networks and for Chevrolet to market an Isuzu product. The production version of the VehiCROSS was introduced to the US in 1999, but met with mixed reviews, as its high pricetag, unique styling and two-door configuration did not seem to meet with market demands. Production of the VehiCROSS and other sport utility vehicles, including the Trooper, ended in 2001 as part of a major financial reorganization which eliminated almost 10,000 jobs. GM had been pushing the company to focus exclusively on producing commercial vehicles and engines. The number of Isuzu dealerships in the US began a rapid decline, and by 2005 had only 2 models: the Ascender (a re-badged GMC Envoy) and the i-series pickup truck (a rebadged Chevrolet Colorado). At this point, Isuzu in the US was primarily a distributor of medium duty trucks such as the N-series, sourced both from Japan and US plants in Janesville, Wisconsin and Flint, Michigan. Isuzu had 290 light-vehicle dealers in the US in August 2006, and sold an average of just two Ascenders per dealer per month, and rumors of Isuzu's withdrawal from the US market were rampant. Plans to introduce a new Thai-built
SUV A sport utility vehicle (SUV) is a car classification that combines elements of road-going passenger cars with features from off-road vehicles, such as raised ground clearance and four-wheel drive. There is no commonly agreed-upon definitio ...
for 2007 were shelved when Isuzu Motors Limited decided that a new SUV would be too risky, instead proceeding with the launch of the i-series trucks. Despite extremely low sales figures of 12,177 passenger vehicles for 2005 (with leftover Axiom and Rodeos making up 30% of this), Isuzu Motors America announced its first profit in years, mainly due to restructuring cuts. In early 2002, Fuji Heavy Industries (Subaru's parent company) bought Isuzu's share of Lafayette, Indiana plant, and Subaru Isuzu Automotive (SIA) became
Subaru of Indiana Automotive Subaru of Indiana Automotive, Inc. (SIA) is an automobile assembly plant in Lafayette, Indiana, which began as Subaru-Isuzu Automotive, Inc., a joint venture between Subaru Corporation and Isuzu Motors Ltd. Today, the plant is a wholly owned sub ...
. After 8 years of heavy
Honda Passport The Honda Passport is a line of sport utility vehicles (SUV) from the Japanese automaker Honda. Originally, it was a badge engineered version of the Isuzu Rodeo, a mid-size SUV sold between 1993 and 2002. It was introduced in 1993 for the 1994 mo ...
sales and light
Isuzu Oasis For the North American market, the Honda Odyssey, is a minivan manufactured and marketed by Japanese automaker Honda since 1994, now in its fifth generation, which began in 2018. The Odyssey had originally been conceived and engineered in Japan, ...
sales, Honda and Isuzu cooperatively ended their vehicle exchange agreement in 2001. The Oasis was dropped, and Honda replaced the Passport with the
Pilot An aircraft pilot or aviator is a person who controls the flight of an aircraft by operating its directional flight controls. Some other aircrew members, such as navigators or flight engineers, are also considered aviators, because they a ...
. 2001 was Isuzu's last year for passenger vehicles in Canada, as Isuzus in Canada were mostly sold at
Saturn Saturn is the sixth planet from the Sun and the second-largest in the Solar System, after Jupiter. It is a gas giant with an average radius of about nine and a half times that of Earth. It has only one-eighth the average density of Earth; h ...
-
Saab Saab or SAAB may refer to: Brands and enterprises * Saab Group, a Swedish aerospace and defence company, formerly known as SAAB, and later as Saab AB ** Datasaab, a former computer company, started as spin off from Saab AB * Saab Automobile, a fo ...
dealerships. In late 2002 Isuzu initiated a recapitalization and debt-for-equity conversion plan to stave off a bankruptcy. GM acquired 20% of DMAX, 60% of
Isuzu Motors Polska Opel Manufacturing Poland Sp. z o.o. (formerly General Motors Manufacturing Poland Sp. z o.o.) is an automobile manufacturer in Poland. It assembles light commercial vehicles in a factory in Gliwice and builds engines in Tychy. Opel Manufacturing ...
and Isuzu Motors Germany, and the rights to three types of diesel engine technology from Isuzu. by paying 50 billion yen (about US$425 million). GM also paid 10 billion yen (about US$85 million) for a 12% stake in the recapitalized company. GM wrote off its investment in Isuzu in 2001. Production of the 7-passenger Ascender ended in February 2006 with the closure of GM's
Oklahoma City Assembly Oklahoma City Assembly was a General Motors automobile factory in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. History Construction on the plant started in 1974, and it opened in 1979 to produce the newly designed X-body cars for the 1980 model year. After X- ...
plant, leaving Isuzu with the 5-passenger Ascender, built in
Moraine, Ohio Moraine is a city in Montgomery County, Ohio, United States. Situated on the banks of the Great Miami River, Moraine is an inner suburb of Dayton, Ohio and a part of the Dayton metropolitan area. The population was 6,307 at the 2010 census. H ...
and the low-selling i-Series as its only retail products. The company sold just 1,504 vehicles in North America in the first two months of 2006. GM ended its equity investment in Isuzu and sold all its shares to
Mitsubishi Corporation is Japan's largest trading company (sogo shosha) and a member of the Mitsubishi keiretsu. As of 2022, Mitsubishi Corporation employs over 80,000 people and has ten business segments, including finance, banking, energy, machinery, chemicals, an ...
,
Itochu is a Japanese corporation based in Umeda, Kita-ku, Osaka and Aoyama, Minato, Tokyo. It is one of the largest Japanese ''sogo shosha'' (general trading companies). Among Japanese trading companies, it is distinguished by not being descend ...
and
Mizuho Corporate Bank , or MHCB, was the corporate and investment banking subsidiary of Mizuho Financial Group, the second-biggest Japanese financial services conglomerate, prior to the reintegration of investment banking services under the Mizuho Bank name in July 20 ...
; both GM and Isuzu claimed the companies would continue their relationship, but there was no word as of April 12, 2006 on the effect this would have on DMAX operations. In June 2006 Isuzu and GM agreed to establish a joint venture called "LCV Platform Engineering Corporation (LPEC)" to develop a new pickup. Isuzu said it would use its engineering expertise to develop the pickup and GM would develop derivatives based on the integrated platform. Mitsubishi Corp became Isuzu's largest shareholder in October 2006, after it converted all the preferred shares in Isuzu it had held since 2005 into common stock, increasing its shareholding from 3.5% to 15.65%. In November 2006 Toyota purchased 5.9% of Isuzu, becoming the third largest shareholder behind
Itochu is a Japanese corporation based in Umeda, Kita-ku, Osaka and Aoyama, Minato, Tokyo. It is one of the largest Japanese ''sogo shosha'' (general trading companies). Among Japanese trading companies, it is distinguished by not being descend ...
and
Mitsubishi Corporation is Japan's largest trading company (sogo shosha) and a member of the Mitsubishi keiretsu. As of 2022, Mitsubishi Corporation employs over 80,000 people and has ten business segments, including finance, banking, energy, machinery, chemicals, an ...
, and the two companies agreed to study possible business collaboration focusing on the areas of R&D and production of diesel engines, related emissions-control, and other environmental technologies. In January 2007 Isuzu and General Motors updated the LCV range with a 3.0 litre common rail diesel engine that had far more torque and power than its predecessor. In August 2007 Isuzu and Toyota agreed to develop a 1.6-liter diesel engine for use in Toyota vehicles sold in European markets. At this point, details of development, production and supply of the diesel engine were still under discussion, but in principle, Isuzu would play the leading role, with production scheduled to begin around 2012. On January 30, 2008 Isuzu announced its complete withdrawal from the US market, effective January 31, 2009. It would continue to provide support and parts. The decision was due to lack of sales. Some of the lack of sales was blamed on consumer experiences with low quality engines and service. Isuzu had been experiencing a slow decline since the late 1990s. In less than 10 years, they had gone from selling a complete line of cars, trucks, and SUVs, into being a specialized SUV maker, and finally selling only a pair of rebadged, General Motors Trucks. The company continued to sell commercial vehicles in the US. Isuzu and Toyota shelved development of a clean diesel engine in December 2008. On January 29, 2009, Isuzu and GM announced that they were in talks to transfer the operation of the medium-duty truck production line in
Flint, Michigan Flint is the largest city and seat of Genesee County, Michigan, United States. Located along the Flint River, northwest of Detroit, it is a principal city within the region known as Mid Michigan. At the 2020 census, Flint had a population of 8 ...
to Isuzu for a five-year period. In June, however, GM announced that these talks failed to reach an agreement, and GM instead ceased production of the
Chevrolet Kodiak The Chevrolet Kodiak and GMC TopKick are a range of medium duty trucks that were produced by the Chevrolet and GMC divisions of General Motors from 1980 to 2009. Introduced as a variant of the medium-duty C/K truck line, three generations were ...
and GMC Topkick vehicles on 31 July 2009. In July 2016, Isuzu and Mazda agreed to collaborate to produce the next-generation pickup trucks for Mazda outside of North America. As a result, the third-generation Mazda BT-50 is built by Isuzu in
Thailand Thailand ( ), historically known as Siam () and officially the Kingdom of Thailand, is a country in Southeast Asia, located at the centre of the Indochinese Peninsula, spanning , with a population of almost 70 million. The country is bo ...
since 2020. Isuzu's plant in the Indian state of
Andhra Pradesh Andhra Pradesh (, abbr. AP) is a state in the south-eastern coastal region of India. It is the seventh-largest state by area covering an area of and tenth-most populous state with 49,386,799 inhabitants. It is bordered by Telangana to the ...
began operations in 2016. In August 2018, Toyota sold off its 5.9% stake in Isuzu. In December 2019, Isuzu announced that it had signed a non-binding memorandum of understanding which would eventually see
Volvo The Volvo Group ( sv, Volvokoncernen; legally Aktiebolaget Volvo, shortened to AB Volvo, stylized as VOLVO) is a Swedish multinational manufacturing corporation headquartered in Gothenburg. While its core activity is the production, distributio ...
sell
UD Trucks UD Trucks Corporation (UDトラックス株式会社, ''UD Torakkusu Kabushikigaisha'') is a Japanese company whose principal business is the manufacturing and sales of diesel trucks, buses, bus chassis and special-purpose vehicles. Its headquarte ...
to them. In November 2020, the companies announced that they have signed the "final agreements", making the memorandum of understanding binding. In April 2021, Isuzu completed UD Trucks acquisition. In March 2021, Isuzu, Hino, and Hino's parent Toyota announced the creation of a strategic partnership between the three companies. Toyota acquired a 4.6% stake in Isuzu while the latter plans to acquire Toyota shares for an equivalent value. The three companies said they would form a new joint venture by April called Commercial Japan Partnership Technologies Corporation with the aim of developing
fuel cell A fuel cell is an electrochemical cell that converts the chemical energy of a fuel (often hydrogen) and an oxidizing agent (often oxygen) into electricity through a pair of redox reactions. Fuel cells are different from most batteries in requ ...
and
electric Electricity is the set of physical phenomena associated with the presence and motion of matter that has a property of electric charge. Electricity is related to magnetism, both being part of the phenomenon of electromagnetism, as described by ...
light trucks. Toyota would own an 80% stake in the venture while Hino and Isuzu would own 10% each.


Market presence

In most of Asia and Africa, Isuzu is known primarily for trucks of all sizes, after Isuzu dropped all sales of sedans and compact cars in the late 1990s due to plummeting sales. In the days when Isuzu sold passenger cars, they were known for focusing on the diesel-engined niche. In 1983, for instance, long before the explosion in diesel sales, diesels represented 63.4% of their passenger car production. In 2009, Isuzu abandoned the United States consumer market due to lack of sales. Isuzu as a corporation has always been primarily a manufacturer of small to medium compact automobiles and commercial trucks of sizes medium duty and larger, but markets around the world show different needs. Isuzu Motors America discontinued the sale of passenger vehicles in the United States on January 31, 2009. The company explained to its dealers that it had not been able to secure replacements for the
Isuzu Ascender The Isuzu Ascender is a mid-size SUV built by General Motors for Isuzu. The 7-passenger Ascender was introduced for the 2003 model year as a replacement for the Isuzu Trooper. The 5-passenger Ascender was introduced for the 2004 model year as a r ...
and
Isuzu i-Series I series may refer to: * IBM System i * Isuzu i series * ''QI'' (I series), the ninth series of the TV quiz show ''QI'' * BMW I series, a sub-brand of BMW founded in 2011 focused on manufacturing of plug-in electric vehicles See also * H series (d ...
that would be commercially viable. Isuzu sold 7,098 cars in the year 2007. This action did not affect Isuzu's commercial vehicle or industrial diesel engine operations in the United States. Isuzu has a contract with
Budget Truck Rental Budget Truck Rental is the second largest truck rental company in the continental United States, with around 2,800 locations and 32,000 trucks across the country. Budget Truck Rental is owned and operated by Avis Budget Group, which was spun off ...
to manufacture their rental trucks, shared with
Ford Ford commonly refers to: * Ford Motor Company, an automobile manufacturer founded by Henry Ford * Ford (crossing), a shallow crossing on a river Ford may also refer to: Ford Motor Company * Henry Ford, founder of the Ford Motor Company * Ford F ...
, GMC, and
Navistar International Navistar, Inc is an American holding company created in 1986 as the successor to International Harvester. Navistar operates as the owner of International-branded trucks and diesel engines. The company also produces buses under the IC Bus br ...
. In Australia, Isuzu was for many years a major supplier of light commercial and domestic vehicles to
Holden Holden, formerly known as General Motors-Holden, was an Australian subsidiary company of General Motors. It was an Australian automobile manufacturer, importer, and exporter which sold cars under its own marque in Australia. In its last thre ...
(General Motors). However, by 2008, Holden was sourcing few Isuzus. At this time Isuzu began to sell the D-Max under the Isuzu name. Isuzu's entry in the Thai market proved to be one of its most successful. Its presence in the country began in 1966 when it established a manufacturing facility for pick-up trucks in the Samuthprakarn province with a capacity of 155,000 units per year. The automaker quickly became a market leader so that by 2002, the company transferred its production base from its original location in Fujisawa, Japan to Thailand. Isuzu claimed the largest share of the Thai commercial vehicle market, outperforming its competitors for at least 23 years. By 2006, the company transferred to an industrial zone in
Chachoengsao Chachoengsao ( th, ฉะเชิงเทรา, ) is a town (''thesaban mueang'') in central Thailand, capital of Chachoengsao Province. It is on the banks of the Bang Pakong River. It includes ''tambon'' Na Mueang and parts of Ban Mai, Bang T ...
province to support further production expansion. By 2017, Isuzu has been exporting pick-up trucks, with shipments reaching North America, Latin America, Australia, and Japan. In the same year, it announced that its profit climbed 7 percent and has doubled its annual truck production to meet overseas demands.


Subsidiaries and joint ventures


Japan

The Fujisawa Plant was built and opened for production November 1961. It is located at 8 Tsuchidana,
Fujisawa, Kanagawa is a city in Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 439,728 and a population density of 6300 persons per km². The total area of the city is . Geography Fujisawa is in the central part of Kanagawa Prefecture. It f ...
, and is still producing commercial vehicles for domestic Japanese use and international exports. The Toghichi Plant, located at Hakuchu, Ohira-Machi,
Tochigi, Tochigi is a city located in Tochigi Prefecture, in the northern Kantō region of Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 159,056 in 66,018 households, and a population density of 480 persons per km². The total area of the city is . Because t ...
, is where the engines are currently built. There was a factory at Tono Machi, Kawasaki-ku, Kawasaki-shi, Kanagawa Pref. that closed March 2005 that manufactured passenger vehicles.


Mimamori-kun online service

Mimamori-kun, which means to watch, monitor, or observe in
Japanese Japanese may refer to: * Something from or related to Japan, an island country in East Asia * Japanese language, spoken mainly in Japan * Japanese people, the ethnic group that identifies with Japan through ancestry or culture ** Japanese diaspor ...
(literally "Mr. Watcher"), is a commercial vehicle telematics service developed by Isuzu Motors for monitoring and tracking commercial vehicle operations and movements in Japan. The service uses
GPS The Global Positioning System (GPS), originally Navstar GPS, is a Radionavigation-satellite service, satellite-based radionavigation system owned by the United States government and operated by the United States Space Force. It is one of t ...
satellite tracking services, and began February 2004. It is connected to the internet and provides government mandated driver activity logs, and records how long the driver was on-duty and how much time was spent driving. The service also records when the driver took lunch breaks, where the truck stopped and for how long, and when the driver logged off for his duty shift. The service has been modified for personal use in Japan to keep track of family members, to include the health status of elderly persons and pinpoint the location of children for safety purposes. Some of the main features include the wireless Internet
Digital Tachograph A digital tachograph is a device fitted to a vehicle that digitally records its speed and distance, together with the driver's activity selected from a choice of modes. In Europe, it succeeded the analogue tachograph as a result of European Uni ...
, the first of its kind in Japan, combined with hands-free communication, voice guidance, and text messages displayed from the dispatch office. The system also has a password-enabled vehicle theft prevention feature that will not let the vehicle start without the driver having entered a password.


International operations

*
DMAX (engines) DMAX is an American manufacturer of diesel engines for trucks, based in of Dayton, Ohio. DMAX, originally announced in 1997, is a 60-40 joint venture between and operated by General Motors and Isuzu. Diesel engine production started in July 200 ...
- former joint venture with General Motors in United States for production of diesel engines *
Ghandhara Industries Ghandhara Industries Limited (GIL) ( ur, ), formerly known as National Motors Limited, is a Pakistani truck and bus manufacturer based in Karachi, Pakistan. It is the authorized assembler and manufacturer of Isuzu vehicles in Pakistan.
- joint venture in Pakistan - trucks, buses *
Guangzhou Automobile Group Bus Guangzhou Automobile Group Co., Ltd. Bus (GAAC), is the part of the Guangzhou Automobile Group (GAC) that manufactures buses in China. It was formed in 2008 by merging two divisions of GAC, Guangzhou Denway Bus, Guangzhou Yuelong Bus and Guangz ...
- joint venture in China -
bus A bus (contracted from omnibus, with variants multibus, motorbus, autobus, etc.) is a road vehicle that carries significantly more passengers than an average car or van. It is most commonly used in public transport, but is also in use for cha ...
es *
HICOM Automotive Manufacturers (Malaysia) HICOM Automotive Manufacturers (Malaysia) Sdn. Bhd. (HA) is part of the DRB-HICOM Bhd. company for production and assembly of automobiles. The company's headquarters is located in Pekan, Malaysia. Previously, the company was also known as ''Automot ...
- joint venture in Malaysia - trucks, SUVs *
Industries Mécaniques Maghrébines The Industries Mécaniques Maghrébines S.A. (IMM) are a Tunisian car manufacturer headquartered in the city of Kairouan. The company was founded in 1982 by GM and other investors and closed for the first time in 1988; the plant was reopened in 199 ...
- joint venture at Kairouan, Tunisia - trucks, SUVs *
Isuzu (Anadolu) Anadolu Isuzu (officially Anadolu Isuzu Automotive Industry & Trading A.Ş.) is a joint venture company based in Istanbul, Turkey. It is the collaboration between Anadolu Group, Isuzu Motors Co., Ltd., Itochu Co. and HICOM. Its main fields of o ...
- joint venture in Turkey - trucks, buses *
Isuzu Astra Motor Indonesia Isuzu Astra Motor Indonesia (IAMI) is a joint venture automobile and commercial vehicle manufacturer with headquarters in Jakarta, Indonesia. The company was founded in April 2008 and is the successor of the previous Isuzu manufacturer, ''Pantja ...
- joint venture in Indonesia - trucks, SUVs *
Isuzu HICOM Malaysia Isuzu HICOM Malaysia Sdn. Bhd. (IHM) is a Malaysian commercial vehicle manufacturer operating under a joint venture between the DRB-HICOM and Isuzu companies, based in Peramu Jaya Industrial Area in Pekan, Malaysia. The company was established ...
- joint venture in Malaysia - trucks, SUVs *
Isuzu Commercial Truck of America, Inc. Isuzu Commercial Truck of America, Inc. (ICTA) is the North American subsidiary of Isuzu Motors. It is headquartered in Anaheim, California. Isuzu commercial trucks have been the #1 selling low cab forward trucks in America every year since 1986. ...
* Isuzu Malaysia - joint venture in Malaysia - trucks, SUVs * Isuzu Motors de México - joint venture in Mexico - trucks, buses * Isuzu Motors Saudi Arabia - joint venture in Saudi Arabia - trucks, SUVs *
Isuzu Motors (Thailand) Isuzu Motors Co., (Thailand) Ltd. is an automotive manufacturer based in Samrong Tai, Samut Prakan, Thailand. It is the Thai subsidiary of Isuzu. History Isuzu began to build vehicles in Thailand since 1963 by the Isuzu Assembling Plant. Isuzu ...
- joint venture in Thailand - trucks, SUVs * Isuzu Motorsports - Australia and Thailand *
Isuzu Philippines Isuzu Philippines Corporation (IPC) is a subsidiary of the Japanese commercial vehicle manufacturer Isuzu Motors and headquartered in Biñan, Laguna, Philippines. The company was formed on August 7, 1995 with an investment of ₱1,000,000.000s. T ...
- joint venture in the Philippines - trucks, SUVs * General Motors De Portugal-FMAT S.A. at Tramagal near Abrantes (Assembling company of all Bedford and Isuzu medium to heavy diesel trucks and 4X4 Pickup models since the 1960s then vehicles are sent for sale in Portugal and Spain) * The assembling of Isuzu commercial trucks is carried out by the Az Universal Motors which is part of the AzGroup in Azerbaijan. * Isuzu Truck (UK) - at the former IBC factory Dunstable, England - trucks, SUVs *
Isuzu Truck South Africa Isuzu Motors South Africa (Pty.) Ltd. is an automobile manufacturer with headquarters in Sandton (Johannesburg), South Africa. Isuzu Truck South Africa was founded in November 2006 with a total investment of 80 million Rand as a joint venture betw ...
- joint venture in South Africa - trucks *
Isuzu Vietnam Isuzu Vietnam Co. (IVC) is a manufacturer of commercial vehicles and motor vehicle dealer based in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. The company was founded on October 19, 1995, with a capital of US$15 million as a joint venture. Partners are the Japanese ...
- joint venture in Vietnam - trucks, SUVs *
Jiangxi Isuzu Jiangxi Isuzu Motors Co., Ltd. is a joint venture between Isuzu and Jiangling Motors Corporation Group (JMCG). The venture is headquartered in Nanchang, Jiangxi province. It is focused on the production and sale of Isuzu pickups and their engin ...
- joint venture in China - trucks, SUVs *
Qingling Motors Qingling Motors Co., Ltd. (庆铃汽车有限公司) with headquarters in Chongqing is a Chinese automotive and commercial vehicle manufacturers, in place since May 1985. The work under the direction of the President Wu Yun operates as a joint vent ...
- joint venture in China - trucks, SUVs *
SML Isuzu SML Isuzu Limited (SMLI) is a commercial vehicle manufacturer established in 1983. SMLI produces and sells buses, ambulances and customized vehicles. Sumitomo Corporation and Isuzu Motors hold a 44% and 15% stake of the company respectively. ...
- joint venture in India, formerly
Swaraj Mazda SML Isuzu Limited (SMLI) is a commercial vehicle manufacturer established in 1983. SMLI produces and sells buses, ambulances and customized vehicles. Sumitomo Corporation and Isuzu Motors hold a 44% and 15% stake of the company respectively. ...
*
Sollers-Isuzu JSC "ISUZU RUS" (АО ИСУЗУ РУС) is a commercial vehicle manufacturer with headquarters in Ulyanovsk, Russia. The company was founded in 2006 as a joint venture between OAO Sollers, which contributed with a share of 66%, Isuzu, which part ...
- joint venture in Russia - trucks (until summer 2023) *
Thai Rung Union Car Thai Rung Union Car ( th, ไทยรุ่ง) is the only Thai-based automobile manufacturer. The company, established in 1967, began assembling Isuzu, Toyota, Nissan, and Chevrolet vehicles. In addition to assembly, It manufactures its own ...
- Thailand - assembles SUVs


Former international operations

*
Subaru of Indiana Automotive, Inc. Subaru of Indiana Automotive, Inc. (SIA) is an automobile assembly plant in Lafayette, Indiana, which began as Subaru-Isuzu Automotive, Inc., a joint venture between Subaru Corporation and Isuzu Motors Ltd. Today, the plant is a wholly owned sub ...
- former joint venture in United States, interest sold to
Subaru ( or ; ) is the automaker, automobile manufacturing division of Japanese transportation conglomerate (company), conglomerate Subaru Corporation (formerly known as Fuji Heavy Industries), the Automotive industry#By manufacturer, twenty-first ...
- cars,
SUV A sport utility vehicle (SUV) is a car classification that combines elements of road-going passenger cars with features from off-road vehicles, such as raised ground clearance and four-wheel drive. There is no commonly agreed-upon definitio ...
s *
Isuzu Motors Polska Opel Manufacturing Poland Sp. z o.o. (formerly General Motors Manufacturing Poland Sp. z o.o.) is an automobile manufacturer in Poland. It assembles light commercial vehicles in a factory in Gliwice and builds engines in Tychy. Opel Manufacturing ...
- former joint venture in Poland - diesel engines, taken over by General Motors *
Zexel Zexel is a Japanese auto-components manufacturer. It was founded in 1939 as Diesel Kiki Co., Ltd., under a Bosch license, for domestic production of fuel-injection pumps for diesel engines. Originally established with an investment from Isuzu Mot ...
- Japan - auto components, now part of Bosch *
Taiwan Isuzu Motors Taiwan Isuzu Motors Co. (TIM; ) was founded December 1995 as a commercial vehicle manufacturer with headquarters in Taipei, Taiwan. The company is both the assembler and distributor of vehicles. The company is a joint venture between Isuzu owning 6 ...
- former joint venture in Taiwan, disbanded in 2016 - trucks


Isuzu Diesel Engines / Power Train division

Diesel engines are a major part of the Isuzu Motor's business with over 20 million engines worldwide. The diesel power division, known as the PowerTrain Division, of Isuzu Motors America, is located in Plymouth, Michigan.


North American Master Distributors

Southwest Products
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- Covering California, Nevada and Arizona. United Engines Mack Boring Parts M & L Engine


Isuzu Diesel powered equipment


Ag Equipment

* Harrington Seed Destructor


Construction equipment

* Paving equipment produced by CRAFCO. It manufacturers a variety of paving equipment that is powered by Isuzu diesel engines.


Passenger, bus and commercial vehicles


Current passenger vehicles

* 2002–present, D-Max- pickup truck, a top selling diesel sold in the majority of Isuzu markets (excluding Japan and North America). * 2013–present MU-X - SUV, successor of Isuzu MU-7, developed from D-Max.


Current commercial vehicles

*
Como Como (, ; lmo, Còmm, label=Comasco dialect, Comasco , or ; lat, Novum Comum; rm, Com; french: Côme) is a city and ''comune'' in Lombardy, Italy. It is the administrative capital of the Province of Como. Its proximity to Lake Como and ...
- light commercial van (rebadged
Nissan Caravan The Nissan Caravan is a light commercial van designed for use as a fleet vehicle or cargo van and manufactured by Nissan since 1973. Between 1976 and 1997, a rebadged version of the Caravan sold as the Nissan Homy, which was introduced as an i ...
) *
Elf An elf () is a type of humanoid supernatural being in Germanic mythology and folklore. Elves appear especially in North Germanic mythology. They are subsequently mentioned in Snorri Sturluson's Icelandic Prose Edda. He distinguishes "ligh ...
- light duty truck (N-series) * Erga - low deck heavy duty bus * Erga-J - heavy duty bus * Erga Mio - low deck medium duty bus *
Forward Forward is a relative direction, the opposite of backward. Forward may also refer to: People * Forward (surname) Sports * Forward (association football) * Forward (basketball), including: ** Point forward ** Power forward (basketball) ** Sm ...
- medium duty truck (F-series) *
Giga Giga ( or ) is a unit prefix in the metric system denoting a factor of a short-scale billion or long-scale milliard (109 or ). It has the symbol G. ''Giga'' is derived from the Greek word (''gígas''), meaning "giant". The ''Oxford English Dic ...
- heavy duty truck (C-series, E-series) *
Gala Gala may refer to: Music * ''Gala'' (album), a 1990 album by the English alternative rock band Lush *''Gala – The Collection'', a 2016 album by Sarah Brightman *GALA Choruses, an association of LGBT choral groups *''Gala'', a 1986 album by Th ...
- heavy duty bus * Gala Mio - medium duty bus *
Journey Journey or journeying may refer to: * Travel, the movement of people between distant geographical locations ** Day's journey, a measurement of distance ** Road trip, a long-distance journey on the road Animals * Journey (horse), a thoroughbred ra ...
- light duty bus * Journey-J - medium duty bus *
Reach Reach or REACH may refer to: Companies and organizations * Reach plc, formerly Trinity Mirror, large British newspaper, magazine, and digital publisher * Reach Canada, an NGO in Canada * Reach Limited, an Asia Pacific cable network company * ...
- commercial van offering over 35 percent better fuel efficiency, assembled by
Utilimaster Corporation Utilimaster is a subsidiary of The Shyft Group that manufactures multi-stop trucks. It was founded in 1973 in Wakarusa, Indiana. Previously owned by Holiday Rambler and then Harley-Davidson, it was bought by senior management along with an inve ...
. * Traga/Traviz - light commercial vehicle


UD Trucks vehicles

From April 2021 onwards, UD Trucks' products are part of the Isuzu company lineup.


Former passenger vehicles

* 1953–1962,
Minx Minx, MinX or MINX may refer to: Music * MINX (band), dissolved South Korean girl group replaced by Dreamcatcher * MINX (musician) (born 1983), Australian DJ and producer * ''Minx'' (Leatherface album), 1993 * ''Minx'' (Toyah album), 1985 Pr ...
- sedan, Isuzu produced
Hillman Minx The Hillman Minx was a mid-sized family car that British car maker Hillman produced from 1931 to 1970. There were many versions of the Minx over that period, as well as badge-engineered variants sold by Humber, Singer, and Sunbeam. From the m ...
under licence. * 1961–1966, Bellel - sedan * 1963–1973,
Bellett Bellett is an English surname. Notable people with the surname include: * John Gifford Bellett (1795–1864), Irish writer and theologian * Wally Bellett (born 1933), English footballer * James Bellett Richey (1834–1902), British politician See ...
- sedan (PR10/20) and coupe (PR90 and PR91) * 1967–1983, Florian - sedan * 1968–1981,
117 117 may refer to: *117 (number) *AD 117 *117 BC *117 (emergency telephone number) *117 (MBTA bus) * 117 (TFL bus) *117 (New Jersey bus) *''117°'', a 1998 album by Izzy Stradlin *No. 117 (SPARTAN-II soldier ID), personal name John, the Master Chief ...
- coupe * 1972–2002, Faster - pickup truck * 1974–2000,
Gemini Gemini may refer to: Space * Gemini (constellation), one of the constellations of the zodiac ** Gemini in Chinese astronomy * Project Gemini, the second U.S. crewed spaceflight program * Gemini Observatory, consisting of telescopes in the Northern ...
/ I-Mark/
Stylus A stylus (plural styli or styluses) is a writing utensil or a small tool for some other form of marking or shaping, for example, in pottery. It can also be a computer accessory that is used to assist in navigating or providing more precision w ...
- sedan/coupe/hatchback * 1981–1993,
Piazza A town square (or square, plaza, public square, city square, urban square, or ''piazza'') is an open public space, commonly found in the heart of a traditional town but not necessarily a true geometric square, used for community gatherings. ...
/
Impulse Impulse or Impulsive may refer to: Science * Impulse (physics), in mechanics, the change of momentum of an object; the integral of a force with respect to time * Impulse noise (disambiguation) * Specific impulse, the change in momentum per uni ...
/
Storm A storm is any disturbed state of the natural environment or the atmosphere An atmosphere () is a layer of gas or layers of gases that envelop a planet, and is held in place by the gravity of the planetary body. A planet retains an atmos ...
-
Hatchback A hatchback is a car body configuration with a rear door that swings upward to provide access to a cargo area. Hatchbacks may feature fold-down second row seating, where the interior can be reconfigured to prioritize passenger or cargo volume. ...
* 1983–2002,
Aska Aska may refer to: Locations *Aska, Georgia, a community in the United States *Aska Hundred, or Aska härad, a former administrative division of Östergötland, Sweden *Asika, a town in Odisha, India, also known as Aska * Askas, a village in Cypru ...
- sedan * 1983–2002, Trooper - midsize SUV * 1986–1993, Geminett - hatchback/wagon, a rebadged first generation
Suzuki Cultus The Suzuki Cultus is a supermini car produced by the Japanese manufacturer Suzuki from 1983 to 2016. The nameplate is currently used as a rebadged second-generation Suzuki Celerio in Pakistan since 2017. It was first presented at the 25th To ...
(1986–1988) and then third generation
Subaru Leone The Subaru Leone is a compact car produced by the Japanese car manufacturer Subaru from 1971 to 1994. The word ''leone'' is Italian for lion. It was released as a replacement for the Subaru 1000 and was the predecessor of the Subaru Impreza. Al ...
wagon as Geminett II (1988–1993). * 1989–2004, Amigo/MU - Compact SUV, renamed to Rodeo Sport in 2001. * 1991–2004, Rodeo/Wizard - midsize SUV, also
rebadged In the automotive industry, rebadging is a form of market segmentation used by automobile manufacturers around the world. To allow for product differentiation without designing or engineering a new model or brand (at high cost or risk), a man ...
as the
Honda Passport The Honda Passport is a line of sport utility vehicles (SUV) from the Japanese automaker Honda. Originally, it was a badge engineered version of the Isuzu Rodeo, a mid-size SUV sold between 1993 and 2002. It was introduced in 1993 for the 1994 mo ...
. * 1996–1999,
Oasis In ecology, an oasis (; ) is a fertile area of a desert or semi-desert environment'ksar''with its surrounding feeding source, the palm grove, within a relational and circulatory nomadic system.” The location of oases has been of critical imp ...
-
minivan Minivan (sometimes called simply as van) is a North American car classification for vehicles designed to transport passengers in the rear seating row(s), with reconfigurable seats in two or three rows. The equivalent classification in Europe i ...
, a rebadged
Honda Odyssey Honda Odyssey can refer to three motor vehicles manufactured by Honda: * Honda Odyssey (ATV), an all-terrain vehicle (1977—1989) * Honda Odyssey (minivan), a brand of two different Honda minivan models for different markets ** Honda Odyssey (inter ...
. * 1996–2000, Hombre -
pickup truck A pickup truck or pickup is a light-duty truck that has an enclosed cabin, and a back end made up of a cargo bed that is enclosed by three low walls with no roof (this cargo bed back end sometimes consists of a tailgate and removable covering) ...
, a rebadged
Chevrolet S10 The Chevrolet S-10 is a compact pickup truck that was produced by Chevrolet. It was the first domestically built compact pickup of the big three American automakers. When it was first introduced as a "quarter-ton pickup" in 1981 for the 1982 m ...
. * 1996–2001,
Vertex Vertex, vertices or vertexes may refer to: Science and technology Mathematics and computer science *Vertex (geometry), a point where two or more curves, lines, or edges meet *Vertex (computer graphics), a data structure that describes the position ...
- sedan, a rebadged
Honda Integra SJ The , marketed in North America as the Acura Integra, is an automobile produced by the Japanese automobile manufacturer Honda from 1985 until 2006, and then since 2021. It succeeded the Quint as a more luxurious and sport-oriented derivative o ...
. * 1997–2002,
Filly A filly is a female horse that is too young to be called a mare. There are two specific definitions in use: *In most cases, a ''filly'' is a female horse under four years old. *In some nations, such as the United Kingdom and the United States, t ...
, a rebadged
Nissan Elgrand The is a minivan manufactured by Nissan Shatai for Nissan since 1997, available in three generations, with model codes E50 (1997–2002), E51 (2002–2010), and E52 (2010–present). The E50 Elgrand was also configured and produced as a light ...
- minivan * 1999–2001, VehiCROSS - SUV * 2001–2004,
Axiom An axiom, postulate, or assumption is a statement that is taken to be true, to serve as a premise or starting point for further reasoning and arguments. The word comes from the Ancient Greek word (), meaning 'that which is thought worthy or f ...
- midsize SUV * 2002–2008, Ascender - midsize SUV, a rebadged
GMC Envoy The GMC Envoy is a mid-size SUV, manufactured and marketed by General Motors for model years 1998-2009 over two generations. Adopting a nameplate used by GM Canada, the Envoy was a rebadged variant of the Chevrolet TrailBlazer, Oldsmobile Brava ...
. * 2006–2008, i-series - pickup truck - a product of the co-developed GMT355 platform that Isuzu sells overseas. * 2004–2013, MU-7 - midsize SUV, developed from D-Max platform that was on sale only in Thailand, Philippines, India and China. * 1991–2020,
Panther Panther may refer to: Large cats *Pantherinae, the cat subfamily that contains the genera ''Panthera'' and ''Neofelis'' **''Panthera'', the cat genus that contains tigers, lions, jaguars and leopards. ***Jaguar (''Panthera onca''), found in Sout ...
- van and pickup truck, sold as the Isuzu Hi-Lander/Crosswind in the Philippines, also sold throughout the
ASEAN ASEAN ( , ), officially the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, is a political and economic union of 10 member states in Southeast Asia, which promotes intergovernmental cooperation and facilitates economic, political, security, militar ...
, and in India as the
Chevrolet Tavera The Isuzu Panther is a line of multi-purpose vehicle and pickup truck manufactured by Isuzu from 1991 until 2020 and developed in Indonesia for the Southeast Asian market. The second generation Panther was also manufactured and marketed in Ind ...
.


Former commercial vehicles

*
Bison Bison are large bovines in the genus ''Bison'' (Greek: "wild ox" (bison)) within the tribe Bovini. Two extant and numerous extinct species are recognised. Of the two surviving species, the American bison, ''B. bison'', found only in North Ame ...
- light commercial pickup truck, a rebadged second generation Mitsubishi Delica pickup truck for Indonesian market (not related to fourth generation
Isuzu Elf The is a medium duty truck produced by Isuzu since 1959. Outside Japan it is known as N series and Q Series. The range was originally mainly available in Japan and other Asian countries. Australia was another important market for the Elf and N ...
that was sold under Bison name in Indonesia in the early 1990s). * Fargo - light commercial van * H-Series - heavy duty truck in United States only (rebadged from
GMC Topkick GMC may refer to: Government India * Gandhinagar Municipal Corporation, in Gujarat * Gobichettipalayam Municipal Corporation, in Tamil Nadu * Guntur Municipal Corporation, in Andhra Pradesh * Guwahati Municipal Corporation, in Assam * Gwalior Mu ...
and
Chevrolet Kodiak The Chevrolet Kodiak and GMC TopKick are a range of medium duty trucks that were produced by the Chevrolet and GMC divisions of General Motors from 1980 to 2009. Introduced as a variant of the medium-duty C/K truck line, three generations were ...
).


Race cars

*1969 Isuzu R7,
Group 7 Group 7 may refer to: * G7, an international group of finance minister *Group 7 element, chemical element classification *Halogens (alternative name) *Group 7 Rugby League, rugby league competition in New South Wales, Australia *Group 7 (racing) G ...
- racecar *1970 Isuzu Bellett R6,
Group 6 Group 6 may refer to: *Group 6 element, chemical element classification *Group 6 (racing), FIA classification for sports car racing *Group 6 Rugby League The Macarthur Division Rugby League is a senior Rugby league competition in New South Wale ...
- racecar


Concept cars

*1969 Isuzu Bellett MX1600 *1979 Isuzu Asso di Fiori *1983 Isuzu COA *1985 Isuzu COA II *1987 Isuzu COA III, AWD mid-engine coupe. *1987 Isuzu Zero Door *1989 Isuzu Costa *1989 Isuzu MultiCROSS *1989 4200R *1991 Isuzu Como F1, a pickup-style crossover with a Lotus
Formula One Formula One (also known as Formula 1 or F1) is the highest class of international racing for open-wheel single-seater formula racing cars sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA). The World Drivers' Championship, ...
engine (the name was later used for the rebadged Nissan Caravan produced from 2001). *1991 Isuzu Nagisa *1991 Isuzu Terraza *1993 Isuzu XU-1 *1993 Isuzu VehiCROSS *1995 Isuzu Deseo *1995 Isuzu Aisance *1997 Isuzu VX-2 *1997 Isuzu ZACCAR *1999 Isuzu VX-O2 *1999 Isuzu Kai *1999 ZXS *2000 Isuzu VX-4 *2001 Isuzu Zen *2001 Isuzu GBX *2001 Isuzu Axiom XSF *2002 Isuzu Axiom XSR *2002 Isuzu Axiom XST *2011 Isuzu T-Next *2020 Isuzu FLIR


Buses (Philippines)

*LV314K *LV314L *CJM470 *CJM500 *LT132 *LV423 *LV123 *PABFTR33PLB *FTR33P *FTR45 *PABFVR33P


Buses (Thailand)

*CQM275hp *CQA650A/T *JCR600YZNN *LT112P *LV223S *LV423R *LV486R *LV771 *MT111L *MT111QB


Buses (Ukraine)

*
Bogdan Bogdan or Bohdan (Cyrillic: Богдан) is a Slavic masculine name that appears in all Slavic countries as well as Romania and Moldova. It is derived from the Slavic words '' Bog/Boh'' (Cyrillic: Бог), meaning "god", and ''dan'' (Cyrillic: ...
buses - sold under Isuzu brand outside Ukraine.


Military vehicles

* Isuzu TW340 medium truck * Isuzu TWD20/25 medium truck * Isuzu TSD45/TSD55 medium truck * Isuzu HTS12G 2.5 ton truck * Isuzu Type 73 Heavy Truck


See also

*
List of automobile manufacturers This is a list of notable automobile manufacturers with articles on Wikipedia by country. It includes companies that are in business as well as defunct manufacturers. Only companies that have articles here are included. A Algeria * SNVI ...


References


External links

* {{Authority control Mimamori-kun Bus manufacturers of Japan Car manufacturers of Japan Companies listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange Defense companies of Japan Diesel engine manufacturers Global Positioning System Hybrid electric bus manufacturers Japanese companies established in 1916 Marine engine manufacturers Electrical generation engine manufacturers Truck manufacturers of Japan Military vehicle manufacturers Vehicle manufacturing companies established in 1916 Car brands Engine manufacturers of Japan Electric vehicle manufacturers of Japan 1940s initial public offerings