Isuzu

Japan’s Isuzu, a wholly owned subsidiary of Mitsubishi Corporation, operates two entities in Australia: the hugely successful Isuzu Trucks, and the Isuzu Ute Australia company formed only in 2008 to specialise locally in utes and SUVs. It has dabbled twice in the production of English cars (Wolseleys in the ’20s – prior to being named Isuzu Motors – and Hillmans in the ’50s), but the company grew to become the world’s largest producer of trucks and truck diesel engines. In Australia it has an almost umbilical link with GM Holden. In 1972, Isuzu trucks were sold by Holden as Bedford by Isuzu vehicles, then distributed by Holden when using the Isuzu branding only from 1980 to 1989. The Isuzu Trooper became the Holden Jackeroo here, while today’s Isuzu D-Max ute and M-UX SUV are closely related to the Holden Colorado and Colorado 7.