Isuzu

Isuzu Motors is a car, heavy truck and commercial vehicle manufacturing corporation based in Tokyo, Japan. Isuzu was founded when Tokyo Gas and Electric Industrial Company and Tokyo Ishikawajima Shipbuilding and Engineering Company planned to start assembling automobiles together. This was a technological collaboration with Wolseley Motor Company in the United Kingdom. In 1922, the first Wolseley model A-9 car is locally manufactured. Two years later, the CP truck was assembled.
Ishikawajima Automotive Works merged with DAT Automobile Manufacturing and changed its name to Automobile Industries Co., Ltd. in 1933. A summit with the Ministry of Trade and Industry followed, resulting in the renaming of the truck to Isuzu, after the Isuzu River. The word interpreted to English means “50 bells.”
Isuzu developed into the world’s largest manufacturer of medium- to heavy-duty trucks in 2005. The company is well-known for building diesel engines and commercial vehicles. It produced 16 million diesel engines in 2003 alone. Isuzu is mostly known for trucks of all sizes in many parts of Asia, Africa, and Europe.
Isuzu small automobile sales fell significantly in the late 1990s, forcing Isuzu to stop selling compact cars and sedans. In the United States, Isuzu is generally recognized for building rebadged Chevrolet Colorados as the Isuzu i-290 and i-370. GMC’s Envoy has also been rebadged as the Isuzu Ascender. At the present time, these are the only vehicles Isuzu sells in the United States.
Isuzu has mainly been a manufacturer of small- to medium-compact cars and commercial medium-duty and larger trucks. Markets around the world have different needs, however. Isuzu has contracted with Budget Truck Rental to supply its rental trucks.
On January 30, 2008, Isuzu Motors America announced that it would cease the sale of passenger vehicles in the United States as of January 31, 2009. The corporation told its dealers that it had been unable to acquire alternates for the Isuzu Ascender and Isuzu i-Series that would be commercially practical. After selling 7,098 cars in 2007, nearly all Isuzu passenger vehicle dealers in the United States became service and parts dealers. Isuzu continues to honor its vehicles’ warranties and continues to sell accessories and parts. However, this did not affect Isuzu’s industrial diesel engine or commercial vehicle operations in the United States.