This is an invitation to join the IsuzuWatch@yahoogroups.com email group. The
premise behind this email group is that Isuzu is a sleeper organization. Some
may remember, Isuzu was partially owned by GM and got its US start building the
Chevrolet Luv. Later, Isuzu set up its own dealer network in the US.
GM then used Isuzu's diesel engine expertise and set up the DuraMax joint
venture in Ohio. This plant provides engines for GM pickups and medium duty
trucks. Isuzu's were made in the GM plant in Jamesville, Wisconsin. Some GM
trucks being sold were actually Isuzus.
In 2007, GM sold its shares in Isuzu. Toyota then bought around a 16% share of
Isuzu. Toyota decreed that Isuzu would stop selling passenger vehicles in the US
and would sell trucks. Around the same time Toyota was behind the building of a
Hino plant in West Virginia. This is the Toyota foray into larger medium duty
trucks.
GM has announced that they are stopping production of their Chevrolet and GMC
medium duty trucks at the end of July 2009. This leaves 450 plus dealers without
a product to sell. Those dealers are familiar with the GM/Isuzu jointly built
products. Isuzu may sign them up. Toyota has a lot of excess plant space in the
US. They may start to manufacture Isuzu trucks in a Toyota or NUMMI plant.
It will be interesting to see how this plays out. Join us to see.
Jim Moderator
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/IsuzuWatch/join
