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