RIP, Isuzu
As Rob the SVX Guy mentioned in another post today, Isuzu will leave the U.S. passenger car market at the end of the month. Isuzu will continue to provide parts and service for cars already on the road and will still be in the U.S. market with its thriving commercial truck business. But, for the first time since 1981, Isuzu will no longer be an option on the new car market.
This news isn't a surprise; Isuzu announced its withdrawal last year, and the writing was on the wall well before then. As Rob has pointed out, Isuzu hasn't been particularly relevant for some time, so it's difficult to get too exercised about its demise here. After all, the Isuzu name basically died here when it was relegated to use only on rebadged GM SUVs.
Still, I will miss Isuzu. It's never nice to lose a brand, and Isuzu gave us some memorable moments over the years. Here are the things I'll remember about Isuzu:
Faux Opels--In the late 1960s and early 1970s, General Motors countered the influx of imported small cars by importing its own small cars from its European Opel brand. These cars--the Kadett, the Manta, and the Opel GT, never really captured America's imagination, but their build quality and European road manners attracted enthusiasts.
In the mid-1970s, GM decided to cut costs by selling Isuzus as Opels--putting the company in the odd position of combating imports by selling an unknown Japanese car under a little-known German name through confused Buick dealerships. Unsurprisingly, the move didn't resonate with either the public or the enthusiast press, which promptly dubbed the Isuzu Opels disappointments compared to the real thing.
Chevy LUV--I'm already on record with my feelings regarding the Isuzu-based Chevy LUV in this space--I hated the thing, but at least it was memorable.
Impulse--The sporty Impulse, which we have lusted after in both first- and second-generation form, easily represented Isuzu's high-water mark for enthusiasts. The first Impulse was a style sensation; the second was an aggressive stormer (pun intended). Both were turbocharged and received chassis magic from Lotus.
My question--how is it that a manufacturer best-known for trucks and responsible for lumpy small cars like the I-Mark produced these two lovely sports coupes?
Trooper/Amigo/Rodeo--The Impulse was the most exciting of Isuzu's offerings, but the Trooper/Amigo/Rodeo truck three-some were the sweet spot in Isuzu's lineup and represented the bulk of the company's success. The Trooper was probably the defining Isuzu; as a basic, tough-as-nails, utilitarian go-anywhere truck, it was the Isuzu answer to the original Land Rover, the Jeep Wagoneer, the Toyota Land Cruiser, and the Jeep Cherokee. Like those trucks, the Trooper was a tough, useful SUV well before SUVs were cool; and like the others, it attracted a cult-like following even as it inevitably became softer and more luxurious.
The Rodeo and Amigo were a little smaller and less tractor-like than the Trooper, but they were still tough little off-roaders in their own right. The Rodeo was one of the earlier mass-marketed family-friendly four-door derivatives, and the Amigo was its spunky little brother, optimized for rough and rowdy dust-kicking alongside its buddies, the Jeep Wrangler and Suzuki Samurai.
While Isuzu only produced a handful of truly memorable vehicles, its naming was top-notch. Impulse is a great name for a sporty car, and P'up was an endearingly cute name for a small pickup. I didn't really understand I-Mark, but at least it was different. It was with its Spanish and Western-themed names that Isuzu really shined, though--Rodeo was solid, and Amigo and Hombre were fantastic names. It's a measure of Isuzu's success that the combination of the Japanese name Isuzu and the Spanish words Amigo and Hombre worked so well.
VehiCROSS/Axiom--The last real Isuzus sold in the United States were ... well, a bit odd. The Axiom was a rebodied Rodeo that was mostly remarkably for its squinty visage. The VehiCROSS was perhaps the quintessential angry car, with searingly outraged eyes and chrome fangs. As a small two-door off-road demon, it was the spiritual successor to the Amigo, but where the Amigo was a cheerful friend, the VehiCROSS looked like it wanted to rip your face off before consuming your soul.
The VehiCROSS was an impressively capable off-roader and a brave, not unattractive design, but it was available only in limited quantities. Coincidentally, a reader e-mailed me about the VehiCROSS last week, describing it as "a Hot Wheels car I would have traded my best Pokemon cards for." As such, it was really the last Isuzu I can imagine generating passion of any kind.
Joe Isuzu--Yes, Isuzu's primary business was building and selling cars and trucks, but I think Joe Isuzu was more memorable for most Americans than the actual products he shilled. In the irony-deprived years of the 1980s, Joe Isuzu's absurdly brazen hucksterism was ground-breaking and hilarious, proving that car commercials didn't have to be deadly serious to be effective.
A bunch of classic Joe Isuzu ads follow. Caution--watching these may result in you annoying your co-workers by repeatedly saying "I hate Joe Isuzu!" in a menacing German accent.
The image of the upside-down Isuzu logo comes from Flickr user granttt73, the beautifully artistic shot of the Opel Isuzu comes from Flickr user Ryan Pinto Paul (his automotive shots are worth checking out), the Trooper picture was taken by Bodie Bailey, the Amigo picture is courtesy of Dubie556, and the VehiCROSS shot came from benlikespictures.
--Chris H.
Chris Hafner on January 06, 2009 at 02:32 PM
These ads are oldies but goodies. In the Impulse ad where Joe Isuzu races the speeding bullet, the part where he drives right through the cones just slays me. Just about every car commercial of the time showed the car driving through the slalom - even the Trabant! - so Joe Isuzu driving right through the cones is completely classic.
Rob the SVX guy on January 06, 2009 at 03:55 PM
Few things: I forgot about the Amigo, and the Vehicross! Both are pretty excellent TRUCKS (not cars), and if I was in the market I'd definitely consider either. The Amigo has a great little bulldog stance about it, and I'm sure it's more capable than most modern SUVs when you head off the road (which 95% of SUVs NEVER EVER DO). For my climate, I suppose the Vehicross is more appropriate, but it doesn't really suit my lifestyle. I do admire the vehicle though, for the time it had a rather large v6, insane styling, tons of plastic body armor to avoid scratches when offroading, and an interior you could SPRAY OUT with a hose. That is BRILLIANT. No fancy leather or exotic woods in there, just a back to basics man-mobile! Just wear a swimsuit, roll down the windows and head to the nearest carwash to clean the car's body, interior, and get a free shower!
Rob the SVX guy on January 06, 2009 at 04:01 PM
Ack. Carlust ate my post. Anyway, short version: Amigo: Cool. Vehicross: Awesome. An SUV for actual offroading. You could spray out the interior with a freakin' hose!!!!!
That Car Guy on January 06, 2009 at 04:19 PM
Maybe the highest compliment to Isuzu came in 1994 when Honda rebadged the Rodeo, recolored the door handles, and called it the Passport. Customers argued that Honda actually built the truck, and the Passport got higher quality and satisfaction ratings that the Isuzu. Ah, what a name brand will do.
The upside down logo and "UFO" license plate on the first picture probably came from a "Married With Children" episode when Al bumped his head, then started seeing little green men. Of course, nobody believed him. But the moon men were actually stealing his worn socks to fuel their space ship. At the end of the show, the aliens and Al give each other a Vulcanesque salute and said, "Isuzu".
Hope to see you again, Isuzu.
Shawn on January 06, 2009 at 06:54 PM
Honda & Isuzu had a strange little relationship. Outside of the Passport, Isuzu sold a rebadged first gen Honda Odyssey van called the Oasis. FAIL. Then, to return the favor, Isuzu rebadged the Trooper as a luxo-SUV for Acura and dubbed it the SLX. EPIC FAIL.
Rob, I'm not sure the VehiCROSS is the Isuzu you're thinking about as far as hosing out the interior. They were all pretty luxurious by Isuzu standards with full leather interiors and a price tag to match: $35,000 in 2000-era money. Here's a pic of the interior from eBay: http://i4.ebayimg.com/03/i/001/27/dd/2f39_1.JPG
Truly we never got the best Isuzu. I've been lusting for one ever since I picked up a Japanese-language car magazine in Chicago a couple years ago and first laid eyes upon it. The predecessor to the Impulse was the BEAUTIFUL 117 Coupe. Giugiaro designed it too! Take a look at this and tell me you don't want one: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isuzu_117_Coupe
Finally, my best Isuzu memories are based on the P'UP trucks of the late 80's and early 90's. A family friend owned an auto parts store and built a fleet of delivery vehicles of these trucks. They actually took a solid beating and performed well. The memorable part: a local dealer sold them in complete stripper form for a mere $6995 new, way below any other competing brands of the day.
Paul C. Perkins on January 06, 2009 at 10:44 PM
I'll drive my 1998 Honda Passport (AKA Re-Badged Isuzu Rodeo) until either it, or I drive no more. I LOVE this SUV.
Mochi Mochi on January 06, 2009 at 11:08 PM
that 117 coupe is amazing looking. i see it an i say Alfa?
...m... on January 07, 2009 at 05:54 AM
"How fast *is* the new Isuzu Impulse Turbo? How does nine hundred and fifty miles per hour sound." ...what a fabulous cold open!..
...thanks for linking the 117, shawn - it's gorgeous...
Cookie the Dog's Owner on January 07, 2009 at 06:01 AM
I loved the Joe Isuzu commercials--they took the dishonest-salesman trope and, instead of fighting it, embraced it with self-parody.
Hawver on January 07, 2009 at 07:49 AM
My first car was a re badged I-Mark (The Chevy Spectrum Turbo), and what a sweet little hatchback it was. Got close to 40 mpg which is pretty important to a broke teenager, but more importantly it went pretty fast. Well it seemed pretty fast to me compared to the bus. I've been keeping my fingers crossed for a car lust on that ride since I found this site :). I leave you with this example of a fully pimped out Spectrum/I-Mark:
http://www.cardomain.com/ride/393133
Nathan of Brainfertilizer Fame on January 07, 2009 at 09:30 AM
Chris, something you said in this piece nailed it for me as to why US auto-makers are struggling:
"In the mid-1970s, GM decided to cut costs by selling Isuzus as Opels..."
Isn't that US carmakers first reaction to slow sales?
Instead of improving their product (short-term loss, but long-term gain), they go for bean-counting all the joy out of a car (short-term financial gain, but long-term loyalty loss).
GM seems to be the worst about that. I drove a rental Cobalt whose plastic inside door panel literally grated away skin when I rolled down the window. That had to be an accountant decision, not a designer/engineer's mistake.
Foreign carmakers try to increase the reasons for people to buy their cars regardless of price. US carmakers seem to try to decrease the quality of the car they make to increase profit margin, and just hope no one notices.
feh.
That Car Guy on January 07, 2009 at 10:48 AM
So many people reference the Cobalt as a negative. I'd like to do an objective test of one here if the folks at Car Lust don't mind. The Cobalt SS gets raves, except for the package it comes in. Maybe it's time I saw for myself. Does anybody mind?
Nathan of Brainfertilizer Fame on January 07, 2009 at 02:01 PM
I don't mind.
...and I think the Cobalt would be an excellent car if they just used materials equal to industry standard, instead of squeezing every penny of cost out of it with low-quality materials.
That Car Guy on January 07, 2009 at 02:15 PM
I'll try to find a used Cobalt so it would be more appropriate here LOL! But if the dealer only has new ones, we'll go from there. --Chuck
David W Bailey on January 07, 2009 at 10:58 PM
I find it sad that Isuzu is now gone the way of the Hupmobile or a closer description might be the International Scout.
I have had three Troopers and my parents have had two. For all their truck-like abilities they were always ahead of the curve in technology. The P'up and Chevy Luv and the first Trooper all had four wheel disc brakes, back when all others had disc/drum. Now it's the normal thing. By the late 1980 they had multi-port fuel injection. When others still used carburetors or throttle body injection.
When the new style Troopers came out in 1993 they had multipoint floating rear axles. That was only available on 60,000 dollar Range Rovers back then. They were fully fuel injected and the coil and distributor had been replaced by multi-coil direct ignition, before other cars slowly changed over.
The Vehicross built as a test of a new body stamping process. It used a ceramic casting system that could be changed over for much-less money than conventional presses. They could build a short run special bodied car for about the same a regular production car.
The Axiom was the last Isuzu built by them, it's engine had direct fuel injection. That is more precise and efficient and used on race cars. At the time you could not find direct injection on anything else priced under 150,000. Even today that is largely true.
No I did not work for them, I just liked them. I still have my 2001 Trooper. I traded my brother my 1993 Trooper. It had 225,000 miles on it, original brakes and clutch and ran great. My first 1988 Trooper was stolen at 93,000 miles it was still running great.
My first Trooper is that red and white one on the photgraph above.
Rob the SVX guy on January 08, 2009 at 07:10 AM
David: You can get direct injection in Mercury Marine Outboards. :) They've been using Orbital's technology since the mid 90s, while every other automotive company tries to steal their ideas while changing it just enough to avoid lawsuits. Stupid. Orbital INVENTED direct injection.
Cookie the Dog's Owner on January 08, 2009 at 07:17 AM
The GTI Mk. V also has direct injection.
Chet on January 08, 2009 at 12:17 PM
Your Isuzu history has left out perhaps the sweetest one of them all -- the I-Mark RS. Available in classic hot-hatch or budget Q-ship four-door sedan, it came with a suspension tuned by Lotus (anyone who drove one knows it wasn't just a badge), optional factory-installed Recaros, and a turbo four good for 125hp... but in its last year, 1989, the turbo was dropped in favor of a 1.6L DOHC four producing the same power. (Believe it or not, 125hp was competitive in a hot hatchback in those days... try to remember that subcompacts weren't so damn heavy back then.)
The DOHC motor revved like a banshee, and the car was so nimble you didn't drive it so much as dance with it.
I miss my I-Mark RS Recaro. A lot.
David W Bailey on January 08, 2009 at 11:34 PM
I was not trying to do a complete history, mostly just the stuff I had a first hand knowledge. I know Isuzu was one of the few companies that went straight from show car to production car with little or no changes. The Impulse was the first and the Lotus suspension was part of that. They also worked that suspension into the I Mark. I also wanted a Impulse, but then they were gone.
Unlike most people with SUVs I drive a lot of miles off road. As a photographer I wanted a capable dependable off road vehicle and the Troopers were the best. Most of the time I was solo and did not want to get stuck. I never did with the Troopers and I can't about other cars I've had, all 4x4's.
My only problem was they offered Diesel versions here only about 1985. The rest of World could get a Diesel 2001 Trooper and I could only get gas. I get about 16 to 19 MPG most of the time. The Diesel version get around 30 MPG or more and last much longer that the gas Troopers. No choice.
That Car Guy on January 09, 2009 at 06:50 AM
Ever get a diesel stuck and then try to rock it out with no RPM? Ugh... been there, done that.
DanaMite on January 25, 2009 at 06:29 PM
I love my Isuzu, although it now has 205,000 miles on the original engine. Totaled it in 2000, numerous modifications for a 2WD & rebuilt the top end (head) twice. See rebuilding the Amigo.
http://www.totalescape.com/Amigo/
Starship Trooper on January 30, 2009 at 07:44 PM
I really enjoyed this post because I love Isuzus. It's a shame that they are leaving the domestic market. I own a 2000 Trooper with 120,000 miles and it's the greatest car I've ever owned. The last tuneup it had was at 70,000 miles and it's still running like a top. I just change the oil every 4,000 miles, and the air filter every 10,000. I'm not sure how Mr. Bailey managed to get 225,000 miles on original brakes, though, since I've already replaced mine twice. May be more of a reflection of my driving style.
I would love to see a Car Lust post dedicated exclusively to the Trooper, for it truly is an iconic vehicle that I think has a good chance to hold value as a collector's item, similar to old Broncos and Jeep Wagoneers and Cherokees. I attribute that to its classy yet rugged style, originally very boxy (like Bailey's 1988 model above) and eventually more rounded, like my 2000 model. In my opinion, the Trooper is first vehicle that put the spare tire on the outside of the rear door and made it look pretty good. My spare has a nice fiberglass cover that melds perfectly with the styling. And putting the spare on the rear door opens up tons of space inside.
But that's not all there is to love. The car has amazing 360-degree vision for the driver, thanks to large window panes all around. The ground clearance is excellent. And the V-6 in my 2000 is very strong. It has gotten me out of some precarious situations, usually while relying on just the automatic Torque On Demand four-wheel-drive function (which is activated with the push of a button). For those few occasions when I've really been in the thick of it, the four-wheel-drive Low function is simply superb. It's gotten me over some good-sized boulders in a dry river bed in the mountains of North Carolina, and across knee-deep streams while trout fishing. Once I had the bright idea to take it out onto the beach in the Florida panhandle and promptly got stuck while in two-wheel drive. I switched over to TOD but the tires just kept spinning until they were buried. The exhaust was under the sand. My wife got out and started walking toward a nearby restaurant to get help when I switched it into Low gear. Boom, it popped right out of the sand like it was nothing. The Low gear in that Trooper is something else.
I love this SUV and plan to drive it until it hits 150,000 miles. Then I plan to store it at my mountain house until my now 8-year-old turns 16 and gets his license. This will be his first car, and he will love it too.
Bartocomus on February 03, 2009 at 03:28 PM
"As such, it was really the last Isuzu I can imagine generating passion of any kind." - I would have to disagree here. The VX actually has quite a following of dedicated enthusiasts, myself being one of them. There is no other SUV like it!
David W Bailey on February 16, 2009 at 02:37 AM
I think I got my high mileage on the brakes for a couple reasons. One I had a manual transmission, I think this alway extends the brake life, you don't have to over come the constant push of the engine even on idle. You take your foot off the throttle and really slow down and you use the gears to slow "downshifting". Another reason was the bulk of my mileage was driving at speed on the freeway about 55 miles a day, not much stop and go driving.
Drewkulele on February 16, 2009 at 04:12 AM
The thing that really bugs me about the Isuzu-built Honda Passport is that Honda took the name of the biggest-selling scooter of all-time (world-wide, more Honda Passport, aka Cub, scooters have been sold than the Model T and the VW Beetle combined!) and re-used it on that SUV, so now, whenever I go hunting online for parts for my Honda Passport scooter, I have to wade through hundreds of listings for SUV parts to find what I'm looking for! Arrgh! ;-)