1998 Isuzu Amigo 4x4 on 2040-cars

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GM and Isuzu to partner for medium-duty commercial truck

General Motors is returning to the medium-duty truck business in the US for the first time since 2009 thanks to a new deal with longtime-partner Isuzu. The arrangement brings the Isuzu N-series models to Chevrolet dealers with the Bowtie's branding on them in 2016. There are six medium-duty Chevy models arriving at dealers in regular cab and crew cab bodies: the 3500, 3500HD, 4500, 4500HD, 5500, and 5500HD. The trucks will be sold as a bare chassis for buyers to outfit to their needs. Depending on model, customers will have the choice of an Isuzu-sourced 3.0-liter and 5.2-liter diesel engines or a 6.0-liter V8 gasoline-fueled engine from GM and six-speed gearbox. According to company spokesperson Bob Wheeler to Autoblog, the diesel models will be built in Japan and the rest assembled from knockdown kits in Charlotte, MI. This kind of vehicle sharing isn't uncommon for GM in the commercial segment, and it already partners with Nissan to use the Japanese brand's NV200 as the City Express van. The General also once owned a significant stake in Isuzu, and the two have remained collaborators even since then. Isuzu and GM Enter Commercial Vehicle Collaboration Agreement in the U.S. 2015-06-15 DETROIT and FUJISAWA, Japan – General Motors Co. (NYSE: GM) and Isuzu Motors (TSE 7202) have reached an agreement on a U.S. commercial vehicle collaboration, allowing Isuzu to strengthen its product lineup and GM to expand its commercial vehicle portfolio. Isuzu will produce low cab forward models for GM, based off of the Isuzu N-Series. The vehicles will be distributed by participating Chevrolet dealers in the U.S. market starting in 2016. To strengthen the product lineup, GM and Isuzu will explore the use of GM commercial vehicle components for Isuzu low cab forward trucks and GM will continue to produce and supply the 6.0L V-8 gas engine and six-speed transmission for Isuzu gasoline-powered low cab forward trucks. Isuzu and GM have maintained a strategic partnership for more than 40 years, producing collaborative business opportunities throughout the world. This agreement continues that tradition and reinforces a long-term relationship that helps to explore future collaborations in the U.S. commercial vehicle business. About General Motors General Motors Co. (NYSE:GM, TSX: GMM) and its partners produce vehicles in 30 countries, and the company has leadership positions in the world's largest and fastest-growing automotive markets.

Junkyard Gem: 1986 Isuzu I-Mark Hatchback

Thanks to the long global reach of The General's tentacles, Americans looking for economy cars at GM dealerships during the middle 1980s could buy Suzukis (the Chevrolet Sprint), Opels (the Chevrolet Chevette), Daewoos (the Pontiac LeMans), and Isuzus (the Chevrolet Spectrum). Just as Mitsubishi sold Mirages in the United States while Chrysler continued to sell the Mirage's Colt sibling, Isuzu moved in with the new front-wheel-drive I-Mark to compete with its Spectrum twin. These cars weren't big sellers and they didn't last very long on the road, but I managed to find this '86 in a Denver, Colorado, self-service wrecking yard. The I-Mark was known as the Gemini in its Japanese homeland and in Europe; the front-wheel-drive second-generation Gemini debuted in 1985. This one didn't make it to 150,000 miles, unlike most of its Honda, Toyota, and Nissan competitors, but it was pretty cheap when new. The hatchback listed at $7,149 in 1986, dismayingly more than the stripped-down '86 Civic 1.3 hatchback ($5,479) but closer to the similarly equipped Civic DX hatchback ($6,699). If you were really brave that year, you could have purchased a new Hyundai Excel for a mere $4,995. This is the base engine, a 1.5-liter four rated at 70 horsepower. Believe it or not, an I-Mark Turbo was available a year later, and it boasted 110 horses. My favorite thing about 1980s Isuzus is the way the HVAC controls are labeled. You can choose between "wind in your long, feathered hair" and "wind on your high-heeled disco boots" settings here. This car is in very nice shape for a dated econo-commuter from a long-departed brand, considering that it survived for a good 20 years while being worth approximately scrap value. For the very strong owners of decade-old Chevy Vegas, the Isuzu I-Mark seemed like a wise choice. Some of the first appearances of the soon-to-be-legendary Joe Isuzu were in I-Mark ads. Priced at only $9!

Junkyard Gem: 1988 Chevrolet Spectrum CL Sedan

After a not-so-successful run selling Opels in the United States during the 1960s and 1970s, The General looked to his partners in the East for the next round of low-priced GM-badged imports. There was the 1985-1988 Chevrolet (Suzuki) Sprint (which later became the Chevy/Geo Metro), 1988-1993 Pontiac (Daewoo) LeMans, and a bunch of Chevrolet and Geo machinery based on the late-1980s Isuzu Gemini. Here's one of the first of those Isuzus: a 1988 Chevrolet Spectrum CL sedan, found in a Northern California self-service wrecking yard. The first model year for the Spectrum (sibling to the U.S.-market Isuzu I-Mark) was 1984, and these cars wore Chevrolet badges through the first part of 1988. At that point, GM decided that its Asian-built imports would belong to the Geo brand starting in the 1989 model year, so 1988 models can be either Geos or Chevrolets, depending on when they were imported. Most Spectrums (Spectra?) were hatchbacks, so a 1988 Chevrolet Spectrum sedan is now one of the rarest 1980s cars sold in the United States. This is yet more evidence that rare does not equal valuable. The interior looks non-thrashed, and the odometer shows a startlingly low reading for a 30-year-old Japanese car. The buildup of rodent bedding in the engine compartment suggests long-term abandonment prior to the car's final ride to this place, possibly dating back 20 years. In keeping with 1980s design trends, the HVAC controls show vivid pink and blue colors, and the option to direct air at your feathered hair or your high-heeled boots. Perhaps the members of Poison owned this car. Most Spectrum buyers would have been too cheap to get air conditioning or an automatic transmission, but this car has both. You just never know what you'll find in the junkyard! This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. As slick as city rain. Featured Gallery Junked 1988 Chevrolet Spectrum sedan View 18 Photos Auto News Isuzu Automotive History