Isuzu Motors

Isuzu Motors Ltd.,

isuzu-logoIsuzu, is a Japanese commercial vehicles and diesel engine manufacturing company headquartered in Tokyo. Its principal activity is the production, marketing and sale of Isuzu commercial vehicles, diesel engines and Isuzu D-Max pickup trucks.

Isuzu Commercial Truck

Isuzu Commercial Truck of America

offers the only gasoline-powered medium-duty trucks and Commercial Vans. Isuzu introduced the first air-cooled diesel engine in 1936, the first two-ton low cab forward truck in 1959, the first direct-injection diesel engine in the 1960s, and the first gas engine NPR in 1992. The first American-made Isuzu F-Series Isuzu truck rolled off the Janesville, Wisconsin assembly line in 1996.

These achievements have helped make Isuzu the #1 selling low cab forward truck in America. The Isuzu F-Series was ranked the best cab-over medium duty truck in customer satisfaction for 1997

Isuzu Motors America discontinued the sale of passenger vehicles in the United States effective January 31, 2009. The company explained to its dealers that it would be commercially viable. Isuzu sold 7,098 cars in the year 2007. Most Isuzu U.S. passenger vehicle dealers became service and parts dealers. They continue to honor the warranties of Isuzu vehicles and still sell parts. Isuzu became the last automaker of the 2000s to withdraw from North American sales. This action did not affect Isuzu's commercial vehicle or industrial diesel engine operations in the United States.

Isuzu Commercial Truck of America
1400 S. Douglass Road, Suite 100
Anaheim, CA 92806
(866) 441-9638

 

Isuzu Truck UK

Isuzu Truck (UK) Limited was formed in 1996 and is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Isuzu Motors Limited Japan. ITUK is a dedicated truck marketing and sales operation. ITUK currently directly employs 51 people and has just over 60 dealers in its strategically located, nationwide network. All Isuzu truck products sold by ITUK have a 3-year unlimited mileage warranty and backed by the company’s industry-unique, award-winning, customer service programme CARE (Customer facing, Always listening, Reliable and trustworthy, Efficient and friendly).

Isuzu House
164 Great North Road
Hatfield
Hertfordshire
AL9 5JN
UK

 

DMAX

DMAX of Moraine, Ohio, is a manufacturer of diesel engines for trucks. DMAX, originally announced in December 1998 and is a joint venture, 60 percent owned by GM, 40 percent owned by Isuzu Diesel Services of America, Inc. The award-winning Duramax 6.6-liter V-8 is a four-valve high pressure common rail direct injection diesel currently equipped with a diesel particulate filter to meet the stringent 2010 emissions requirements. Available in GM's Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra heavy-duty pickups, the engine delivers a segment-leading 397 horsepower at 3,000 rpm and 765 lb.-ft. of torque at 1,600 rpm – an improvement of 32 horsepower and 105 lb.-ft. of torque over last year’s engine. The Duramax is also available in GM's full-size vans, Chevrolet Express and GMC Savana. The Duramax History of Durability: With nearly 1.69 million Duramax diesel engines put into operation since its launch in 2000, no other automaker has as much diesel engine development experience for meeting the demands of the heavy-duty truck customer. 

DMAX of Moraine
3100 Dryden Rd
Moraine, Ohio. 45439 United States

ISUZU MOTORS LIMITED

Corporate Headquarters Tokyo, Japan
Corporate Headquarters Tokyo, Japan

Founded in 1916, Isuzu Motors has the longest history of any Japanese vehicle manufacturer. Considering CV (Commercial Vehicles) business as a core, Isuzu are dedicated to develop diesel engine business and LCV (Light Commercial Vehicles) business represented by pickup trucks/SUV in over 100 countries.

 Isuzu has enhanced its strength in diesel engines by extending its global network to ensure the development and production of world-class diesel engines. Isuzu has established a diesel engine supply network encompassing Europe, North America, and Asia as well as Japan. These overseas plants are systematically linked with each other, with the engine production bases in Japan as their mother plant.
 
DMAX, Ltd., started production of the 8GF1 6.6-liter diesel in 2000. Sold in the U.S and Canada as the GM Duramax 6600 Diesel, the engine is available in the full-size pickups, vans as well as commercial vehicles.
The global production network has been further enhanced by two overseas R&D subsidiaries in the U.S.A. and Germany, which contribute to effective development of diesel engines to satisfy the local market requirements.
 
 
Name: Isuzu Motors Limited
Established: April 9, 1937
Head Office: 6-26-1 Minami-oi, Shinagawa-ku, Tokyo 140-8722, Japan
President: Masanori Katayama
Business Operations: Manufacture, sales and service of motor vehicles, internal combustion engines and components
Capital: 40.6 billion yen (As of March 2015)
Employees: 30,864 (Consolidated as of March 2015)

Isuzu Motors Limited
6-26-1 Minami-Oi, Shinagawa-ku,
Tokyo 140-8722 Japan
Tel. 81-3-5471-1141
www.isuzu.co.jp

Isuzu History

Isuzu traces its beginnings to 1916, the year Tokyo Ishikawajima Shipbuilding and Engineering Co., and Tokyo Gas and Electric Industrial Co. initiated plans for automobile production. In 1922, Japan's first domestically produced automobile, a Wolseley model A-9 is completed. In 1934, a Ministry of Trade and Industry standard model car was launched and named the "Isuzu". After World War II, development and production of commercial vehicles occurred at a feverish pace in Japan. There was great demand for Isuzu trucks to carry all kinds of materials, products and foodstuffs, and they played a major role in postwar reconstruction. Since that time, an endless variety of models from light-duty trucks to heavy-duty trucks and buses have rolled off Isuzu production lines

The name "Isuzu" appeared in the first trademark of 1934, when the current Isuzu's predecessor started mass producing vehicles that met government standards. The name comes from the Isuzu River near Japan's oldest shrine, the Ise Shrine of Mie prefecture. The name "Isuzu Motors Limited" was adopted in 1949.

The First Passenger Car Produced in Japan

The Wolseley CP Truck
The Wolseley CP Truck

Isuzu's history can be traced back to its earliest antecedent company, Tokyo Ishikawajima Shipbuilding & Engineering Co., Ltd., which was established in 1893. In 1916, this company diversified into car making, using capital amassed from its highly profitable shipbuilding business (Isuzu's foundation year) and in 1918, started a passenger vehicle production venture in a tie-up with the British automaker Wolseley Motor Ltd. In 1922, Tokyo Ishikawajima Shipbuilding & Engineering succeeded in localizing production of the Wolseley A9 - the first passenger car ever made in Japan. This achievement was followed in 1924 by the completion of the first Japanese-built Wolseley CP 1.5-ton payload truck qualified as an official military truck by the Japanese government.

In 1927, Tokyo Ishikawajima Shipbuilding & Engineering ended its tie-up with Wolseley and began manufacturing the 100% localized vehicles of its own design. An early example was the "Sumida", developed in 1929, which was equipped with an A6 or an A4 engine and realized excellent power and fuel consumption.

ISUZU Heritage

History of passenger vehicles

Isuzu was also an automotive engineering pioneer as a passenger vehicle manufacturer. Starting with the first Hillman passenger car in 1953, Isuzu introduced Bellel in 1961 and Bellett in 1963. The Bellett GT, affectionately called by the nickname, Bele-G, gained great popularity. In 1968, the Giugiaro-designed 117-Coupe reached the market. The Gemini, a vehicle jointly developed with GM, was introduced in 1974, followed in 1981 by another Giugiaro-design, the Piazza, and a compact 4WD vehicle, the Rodeo Bighorn. In 1985, Isuzu introduced FF Gemini, and its television commercial featuring daredevil stunt-driving was a great hit. Isuzu's distinctive passenger cars and sport-utility vehicles still have a loyal following of fans even now.

Isuzu inaugurated its overseas operations in 1949 with the first export of its first vehicles to Hong Kong. In 1971, the affiliation agreement with General Motors marked the beginning of Isuzu's full-scale overseas strategy, and by 1972 the company was exporting KB pickup trucks to the United States. In another partnership with GM, Isuzu unveiled the Gemini in 1974, which was developed under the first "world car" plan. Since then, Isuzu has been expanding its overseas subsidiaries and opened manufacturing plants or sales bases in Thailand in 1974, in North America in 1975, and in China in 1985. In China, today's operations are rooted in friendships developed through Isuzu's pioneering technology transfers and establishment of joint ventures. Diesel engine plants began production in Poland in 1999 and in the United States in 2000. Cumulative production of diesel engines in Japan and abroad already exceeds 20 million units.

Between 2005 and 2007, sales bases were established in Spain, Mexico, Canada and South Africa, and local manufacturing began in India and Uzbekistan. Moreover, we established a joint venture in Russia for truck manufacturing and sales.

The Origin of Isuzu Vehicle

In the same year that the "Sumida" appeared, the Car Department was split off from Tokyo Ishikawajima Shipbuilding & Engineering and established as an independent company named Ishikawa Automotive Works Co., Ltd. The late 1920s was a period when car ownership was beginning to expand in the aftermath of the 1923 Great Kanto Earthquake, as automobiles were demonstrating their potential to speed the pace of recovery following the disaster. In view of the growing demand for motor vehicles, the Japanese Government promoted domestic automobile industry. In 1933, Ishikawa Automotive Works responded by launching the "Isuzu", a government standard model car named after the Isuzu River that flows past the Japan's oldest shrine, the Ise Shrine of Mie prefecture. The company's present name was later taken from that of the car.

The Establishment of Isuzu Motors

On April 9, 1937, Automobile Industries merged with Tokyo Gas & Electric Co. to establish Tokyo Automobile Industries Co., Ltd. Isuzu regards this date as the foundation day of the present Isuzu Motors Ltd. In 1941, Tokyo Automobile Industries obtained authorization as an exclusively approved company for diesel vehicle production and changed its name to Diesel Automobile Industry Co., Ltd. The company then played the core role in the development of diesel engines in Japan. After the end of the World War II, the water-cooled DA engine series developed during the war years were equipped in TX80 and other trucks for civil use in the postwar reconstruction effort. As a result of the widespread use of these vehicles, Isuzu became solidified in the public mind as a top diesel engine manufacturer in Japan.

The Isuzu ELF-A Light-Duty Truck

The ELF First Generation Model
ELF First Generation

In 1949, Diesel Automobile Industry underwent a final name change to become Isuzu Motors Ltd., the company's present name. Soon afterwards, the domestic demand for commercial vehicles expanded rapidly due to a rush of emergency orders prompted by the Korean War. Isuzu was in an ideal position to take advantage of this special demand and develop improved products, on account of which the company's sales of diesel-powered vehicles shot up.

Then, in 1959, Isuzu launched the ELF, which holds the number-one share in the domestic light duty truck market today. Employing an original, easy-to-use cab-over style, the ELF immediately became the country's best-selling light-duty truck, a position it has continued to command ever since.

Origins of Isuzu Diesel

After the German engineer Rudolf Diesel developed the world's first diesel engine in 1893, decades passed until the birth of Japan's first practical automotive diesel engine.

While Japan's first diesel engine was developed by the Navy in 1907, the model was not for practical use but for research use. However, many private companies continued their efforts to develop diesel engines for various industries including the automobile industry.

Automobile Industries Co., Ltd., an Isuzu predecessor, established a diesel research committee in 1934, as part of the operational policies of then President Tomonosuke Kano. Just two years later in 1936, the company manufactured Japan's first air-cooled diesel engine, which marked a breakthrough in the history of diesel engine development.

This engine model surpassed competitors when vehicles for both civilian and military use equipped with it soon.
Automobile Industries was merged with two other companies into Tokyo Automobile Industries Co., Ltd. in 1937.
The Japanese government designated Tokyo Automobile Industries in 1941 as the only company that was permitted to manufacture diesel-powered vehicles. Thus, the company, which was renamed Isuzu Motors Limited in 1949, has established strong foothold in the industry to lead the diesel engine technology.

Postwar Era

In response to the fast growing demand after the World War II for restoring vehicle production, Isuzu Motors developed the DA80 diesel-Japan's first V8 engine-in 1950.

In addition, Isuzu developed a pre-combustion chamber, which had been improved through wartime to the postwar era as the industry's standard indirect-injection combustion chamber.

Isuzu also developed a direct-injection combustion chamber in which an advanced configuration was incorporated. The model attracted the industry's attention for its high performance.

1955-1964

Japan still suffered a shortage of fuel early in the decade. However, the launch of Isuzu's bonnet-type truck in 1959 led to explosive sales. With the excellent fuel economy of its DA640 diesel, it boasted rugged performance on bumpy roads and extra durability even if the truck was heavily over-loaded.

Isuzu developed Japan's first diesel engine for passenger cars in 1961. The DL201 model was presented with the 1961 Technological Award by the Japan Society of Mechanical Engineers.

The DL200 model, which was mounted in 1964 on the Elf, Japan's first cab-over light-duty truck, has gained great popularity in the market thanks to its excellence in economy and durability.

1965-1974

Japan entered the age of high-speed transportation in the decade by enhancing transportation infrastructure, backed by a fast growing economy. In the latter half of the period, the U.S. dollar crisis in 1971 and the first oil crisis in 1973 forced automakers to pay attention to energy-saving vehicles, competing with each other in developing turbo-charged engines and intercooled engines. Air pollution and noise also became critical issues for the automobile industry.

To cope with the trend, Isuzu adopted in 1973 its newly-developed low-emission, light-weight and high output PA model in the V Series lineup to ten-ton payload trucks and tractors.

1975-1984

The second oil crisis in 1979 resulted in further implementation of energy-saving measures among industries in Japan. This helped recovery of Japan's sluggish economy. The automobile industry saw an increasing customers' need for vehicles which featured, in addition to enhanced safety, low pollution, high output and good fuel economy.

In response to this need, Isuzu put on sale in 1981 ten-ton payload trucks equipped with high-torque, fuel-saving turbo-charged 8PB1-T and 6RA1-T engines. In 1983, the company released a new heavy-duty truck series in Japan, named as the 810 Series, after carrying out the first full-scale changes in 15 years. Improved features of the new series included the introduction of advanced diesels such as electronically controlled 6RA1-TC turbo-charged model, which incorporated intercooled design, and the V-type PC Series engines, which boasted enhanced displacement.

In small diesels, Isuzu promoted the use of fuel-efficient diesels in passenger cars through the release of the diesel-powered Florian and Gemini in 1977 and 1979, respectively.

Isuzu led the industry in the field of direct-injection diesel engines for light-duty trucks. In 1981, the company introduced direct-injection design, which features both high output and low fuel consumption, to all diesels mounted on two-ton payload trucks. In addition, It was Isuzu that developed world's first full-scale electronically controlled diesel for both light- and heavy-duty trucks.

Isuzu also led the industry in developing ceramics for diesels. Isuzu developed the Ultra Quick on Start (QOS) system in 1981, which eliminated preheating time during start-up for the first time in the world. The system, which incorporated a newly-developed ceramic glow plug with high heat-resistance and electronic control, became indispensable for diesels, especially in passenger cars.