Isuzu

by CarLustBlog.com at 2:44 PM PST, January 6, 2009

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.

Isuzu Impulse RS

by CarLustBlog.com at 8:44 AM PST, January 6, 2009

After hearing the news that Isuzu is leaving the North American market, my first instinct was to shrug it off. I mean, really, who cares? Isuzu hasn't produced anything worth remembering or lusting after in quite a while, and its withdrawal really isn't a big deal in the automotive world; especially compared to other news.

However, even companies as boring and derivative as Isuzu occasionally still make wonderful vehicles, and to bid Isuzu farewell I thought it necessary to write a Car Lust about one of the greatest hot hatches ever--the Isuzu Impulse RS.
While the first-generation Impulse was pretty cool, it is this second version that really hits the mark; and most people don't even know it exists. What makes it so special? Specs: 160 horsepower, all-wheel-drive, 2,700 pounds, manual only, hood scoop.
Wow. What's even more insane is the fact that this car existed before Subaru created the WRX. Did I mention the suspension was tuned by Lotus?
Unfortunately, these cars are extremely rare; most have been abused in the hands of teenagers and met an untimely demise. Others are rusting away into oblivion. On top of that, parts are relatively hard to find, although there are active support forums for the other people crazy enough to drive these.
Just look at the styling. It has eyebrows partially concealing the headlights to give it a muscular, aggressive tone; the hood is blessed with a NACA duct for the intercooler.
This car is extremely special. I don't know why, but it affects me. Every time I think about one, my heart rate goes up, and I dream about how much fun it would be to own one.
These originally cost roughly $14,000,and prices now range around $1,000-4,000, which is a bargain. Unfortunately, Isuzu only imported around 1,000 of them to the U.S., so if you've been bitten by the RS bug (I have), good luck finding one. Once I have a garage, you can be sure I'm going to try to find one.

The gorgeous black example is owned by Kip, who has an entire website devoted to RS information, available here. The white one was found on Flickr by user Adams Shoebox, and the red one (which I believe is a regular Impulse) is available on Wikipedia.
-- Rob the SVX Guy

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1966-77 Ford Bronco and Bronco II

It was the best of times, it was the worst of times. I refer to the brief period during which I owned a Ford Bronco II. Now, I will readily admit that the Bronco II does not, shall we say, have a sterling reputation, probably about on par historically with its II-suffixed cousin the Mustang II. And it certainly didn't worm its way into my heart by breaking down 500 miles from home in the middle of Oregon and causing me to leave it there with a dead engine. In fact, I do find it rather difficult to defend in great depth which is, partly, why this post lumps it in with the original Bronco.

But they share a common heritage and design philosophy that seems to keep cropping up: the small, fairly utilitarian sport utility vehicle. . .with an emphasis on the utility. The original Bronco has achieved something of a cult status--a perennial favorite here at Car Lust--and it also represents some of the cultural and market factors that were going on at its introduction and says something about the modern SUV and its many manifestations.
That and both really look cool.
As I have argued earlier, the mid-late '60s were a time when a youth market with larger amounts of disposable income and a budding environmental movement came together and made for a spate of vehicles that were both affordable to the younger crowd and also provided enough off-road capability to get those people out into the great outdoors and back country. And, of course, the beach and drive-in. The Jeep CJ led the way and is probably the most iconic off-roader for the time, International had its Scout, and even VW had a go at it with The Thing. The idea back then was simple: rugged and tough and not much in the way of comfort or looks. They were trucks from the ground up and didn't really pretend to be much else.
The original Bronco was introduced in August of 1965 and was spartan indeed. Initially, only a single engine and transmission were offered: a 170-cubic-inch six from the Falcon and a 3-on-the-tree manual. Early in '66 Ford made the 289 V-8 an option. It had a short wheelbase at 92 inches, giving it excellent maneuverability and making it a pretty good off-roader. Interestingly, although it shared some components with other Ford trucks, the frame, suspension, and body were entirely new and not based on an existing platform. A lot of options were available such as a second gas tank, snow plow kits, winches, etc.

I tend to prefer the Bronco to the competition of the time. The Thing was a little too dorky looking, and the Scout was a bit too rounded for my tastes. I like the very square lines of the Bronco; makes it look a bit neater and adds to the ruggedness.
It had a pretty good run for several years, but by the later '70s it started to pale in comparison to the larger Scout II and Chevy Blazer and the various offerings from Jeep. The larger Bronco debuted in 1978 and was based on the F-100 series pickup, surviving until 1996. As I often say, you can't keep a good idea down and the small truck-like Bronco returned in 1984 with the introduction of the Bronco II. The II was based this time on an existing truck, the Ranger, which was introduced the year before; both the Ranger and the Bronco II were a response to Chevy's introduction of the smaller S-10 pickup and the smaller Blazer based on it.
It was actually pretty similar to the first generation Bronco: the 94-inch wheelbase was only slightly longer than the original, meaning it was as maneuverable and a capable off-roader. On the other hand, it also was somewhat more prone to rolling over especially when driven hard in reverse, though probably not any worse than most other off-road vehicles. It had another serious problem as well: the engine. The only engine available for 1984-85 was the 2.8-liter Lima V-6 followed in 1986 by a fuel-injected Cologne V-6. Both had serious reliability problems. The Cologne suffered initially from poor cylinder heads, but also had oiling problems resulting in a loss of oil pressure to the lifters, rocker shaft and rockers. The Lima had similar problems with the oil system ... which can I attest to.
Why do I lust for these? Well, the original is easy: it looks cool and was one of the first of the consumer SUVs, and it still looks pretty fresh and clean today. The II? Uhhhhh ... well, let's face it: It kinda sucked in a lot of ways. It didn't have a lot of power, it wasn't what one would call extraordinarily safe, and the engine was unreliable unless scrupulously maintained. It had its good points though. The short wheelbase and high center of gravity made for a capable vehicle when off the beaten path. And if you're partial to smaller SUVs, it was a great size for those who didn't need a lot of storage or passenger capacity. Its small size made it perfect for city dwellers, and it was relatively easy on the gas mileage. Reliability issues aside, it was pretty good at what it was designed to do.
As I mentioned above, I did, in fact, own a Bronco II--for a grand total of about a month and a half. It was a 1984 model that I picked up in mid-1990. I was doing archaeological fieldwork for a living and it was, for the short period I had it, really good for that: okay on the highway, good for bumping along back roads, and enough storage for equipment and luggage. I loved it, for the most part. Not too big, not too small, capable but not overdone. But it was a total jinx. Within 24 hours of taking possession I had my first.accident.ever. I made up for that somewhat by having the (ruined) front bumper replaced by a bad-ass black wraparound tubular steel thing. Tough little bugger, it was: there wasn't a whole lot of other damage in the accident besides the bumper. The engine trouble started right away and by the time I drove it down to northern California from Washington for a job, one side of the engine seized up in the middle of Oregon from lack of oil. It was too expensive to have the stupid engine rebuilt so I left it with a dealer there and swapped it for a Mustang II.

Even though it caused me endless headaches and ended badly, I still kinda miss that thing (insert ex-girlfriend/boyfriend analogy here). It was fun to drive, exactly what I wanted at the time, and it was a true truck. But I don't want to unduly romanticize the whole truck-ness of either of these vehicles. As we often say around here, even the best of these old cars performs pretty pathetically compared to their modern equivalents. The basic quality of pickups and SUVs today are simply on another level, as are passenger cars, and that's most assuredly a good thing: they're safer, quieter, more efficient, and more functional in nearly every way than these, their predecessors. They look nice, but living with one is another matter.
Bronco IIs are dirt cheap these days and popping in a new engine--the compartment can easily accommodate a 302 or 351 Windsor, hint hint--would make for a wicked little 4x4. First-gen Broncos are far more desirable and command higher prices.
The basic idea is still around and has been for a while. Nearly every manufacturer doing business in North America has offered a small SUV at one time or another and I'm beginning to suspect that these might be filling a good part of the market niche that smaller hatchbacks fill elsewhere, as we have been noting of late.
--Anthony Cagle

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