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, commonly known as Isuzu (, ), is a Japanese multinational automobile manufacturer headquartered in Nishi-ku, Yokohama, Japan. Its principal activity is the production, marketing and sale of Isuzu commercial vehicles and diesel engines. The company also has a number of subsidiaries and joint ventures, including UD Trucks, Anadolu Isuzu (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), SML Isuzu (an Indian venture formerly known as Swaraj Mazda),
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 Malaysia Isuzu Malaysia Sdn Bhd (IMSB) was established on 6 September 2004 as a commercial vehicle manufacturer. The company headquarters located in Petaling Jaya, Malaysia. The plant development is a joint venture between DRB-HICOM, Isuzu Operations (Thai ...
( Isuzu HICOM), Isuzu UK, Isuzu South Africa, Isuzu Philippines, Taiwan Isuzu Motors, Isuzu Vietnam, Isuzu Motors India 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, while their Japanese competitor Yanmar focuses on commercial-level powerplants and generators. Isuzu diesel engines are used by dozens of vehicle manufacturers, including
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 ...
. Named after the Isuzu River, the kanji 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 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 unusable due to the twisted tracks. Heavy construction vehicles were imported from the United States companies GMC and Ford 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, 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 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 along with Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, and had a corporate allegiance to the Yasuda Zaibatsu. One of the vehicles it produced for the war effort was the
Sumida M.2593 The Sumida M.2593 (Type 91) was an armoured car produced by the Empire of Japan in the 1930s. It could operate on both the roadway and railway lines. History Designed by the Sumiya firm, beginning in 1933 the M.2593 was produced at the Ishik ...
armored personnel carrier. In 1942, Hino Heavy Industries was split off from Tokyo Automobile Industries, becoming a separate corporation. After the Second World War, the company was finally renamed to Isuzu (after the Isuzu River) 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 that flows near to the Ise Grand Shrine, 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 production. In 1958 a factory was built at Fujisawa, Kanagawa, and in 1959 the Isuzu Elf was introduced as a medium duty cab over commercial truck which is still in production, and was also shared with the Isuzu Journey bus. Isuzu continued to maintain its market presence by providing commercial vehicles by introducing the
Isuzu TY The (also known as the Isuzu F-Series) is a line of medium-duty commercial vehicles manufactured by Isuzu since 1970, following the earlier TY model which occupied the same slot in the market. All F-series trucks are cab over designs and the ...
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.


Corporate partnerships

Beginning in 1953 the Hillman Minx passenger car is produced under license of Rootes Group 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. 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 (
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 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, 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. 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 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 venture in the United Kingdom, producing locally built versions of Isuzu and Suzuki light vans (the Isuzu Fargo and Suzuki Carry); to be sold in the European market under Vauxhall's Bedford 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, Hindustan, 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 (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 plant became operational.


Contraction begins

Isuzu ended US sales of the Impulse (
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, whereby Honda sold the Isuzu Rodeo and Isuzu Trooper as the Honda Passport and Acura SLX, 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 and the Aska (originally based on the GM J-car) was a Honda Accord, 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 engines. 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 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 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. 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 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 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 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,
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; 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, 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 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 since 2020. Isuzu’s plant in the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh 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 sell UD Trucks 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 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 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, GMC, and Navistar International. 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 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, and is still producing commercial vehicles for domestic Japanese use and international exports. The Toghichi Plant, located at Hakuchu, Ohira-Machi, Tochigi, Tochigi, 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 (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 elderly members of health status and 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) - 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) - joint venture in Malaysia - trucks, SUVs * Industries Mécaniques Maghrébines - joint venture at Kairouan, Tunisia - trucks, SUVs * Isuzu (Anadolu) - joint venture in Turkey - trucks, buses * Isuzu Astra Motor Indonesia - joint venture in Indonesia - trucks, SUVs * Isuzu HICOM Malaysia - joint venture in Malaysia - trucks, SUVs * Isuzu Commercial Truck of America, Inc. *
Isuzu Malaysia Isuzu Malaysia Sdn Bhd (IMSB) was established on 6 September 2004 as a commercial vehicle manufacturer. The company headquarters located in Petaling Jaya, Malaysia. The plant development is a joint venture between DRB-HICOM, Isuzu Operations (Thai ...
- joint venture in Malaysia - trucks, SUVs *
Isuzu Motors de México Isuzu Motors de México, S. de R.L is a commercial vehicle manufacturer and dealer based in Mexico City, Mexico. It is the Mexican subsidiary of Isuzu and was established in 2005 and is currently managed by Hirokazu Maruyama. History On 29 April ...
- joint venture in Mexico - trucks, buses * Isuzu Motorsports - Australia and Thailand * Isuzu Philippines - 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 Motors Saudi Arabia Isuzu Motors Saudi Arabia Company Limited is a commercial vehicle manufacturer and dealer based in Dammam, Saudi Arabia. It is a joint venture between Isuzu (99%) and Isuzu Motors Asia (1%). History The first concrete plans for this project can ...
- joint venture in Saudi Arabia - trucks, SUVs * Isuzu Truck (UK) - at the former IBC factory Dunstable, England - trucks, SUVs * Isuzu Truck South Africa - joint venture in South Africa - trucks * Isuzu Vietnam - joint venture in Vietnam - trucks, SUVs * Jiangxi Isuzu - 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 - joint venture in India, formerly Swaraj Mazda *
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 * Thai Rung Union Car - 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, SUVs * Isuzu Motors Polska - former joint venture in Poland - diesel engines, taken over by General Motors * Zexel - Japan - auto components, now part of Bosch * Taiwan Isuzu Motors - 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 - light commercial van (rebadged Nissan Caravan) * Elf - light duty truck (N-series) *
Erga Erga Edizioni, is a publishing company based in Genoa, Italy. It was founded on 1964 by Marcello Merli. History Erga started publishing some books about the history and culture of Genova. Over time his production embraced much more areas of inte ...
- 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 - heavy duty truck (C-series, E-series) * Gala - heavy duty bus * Gala Mio - medium duty bus * Journey - 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. * 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 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/ 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/ Impulse/ Storm -
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 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 as the Honda Passport. * 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, 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. * 2006–2008, i-series - pickup truck - a product of the co-developed
GMT355 The Chevrolet Colorado, and its counterpart, the GMC Canyon, are series of compact and later mid-sized pickup trucks marketed by American automaker General Motors. They were introduced in 2004 to replace the Chevrolet S-10 and GMC S-15/Sonoma com ...
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 - van and pickup truck, sold as the Isuzu Hi-Lander/Crosswind in the Philippines, also sold throughout the ASEAN, and in India as the Chevrolet Tavera.


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 that was sold under Bison name in Indonesia in early 1990s). *
Fargo Fargo usually refers to: * Fargo, North Dakota, United States * ''Fargo'' (1996 film), a crime film by the Coen brothers * ''Fargo'' (TV series), an American black comedy–crime drama anthology television series Fargo may also refer to: Othe ...
- 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).


Race cars

*1969 Isuzu R7, Group 7 - racecar *1970 Isuzu Bellett R6, Group 6 - 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 Lotus may refer to: Plants *Lotus (plant), various botanical taxa commonly known as lotus, particularly: ** ''Lotus'' (genus), a genus of terrestrial plants in the family Fabaceae **Lotus flower, a symbolically important aquatic Asian plant also ...
Formula One 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