MOTORING NEWS - It's a year of celebration for Isuzu Motors of Japan as it commemorates the establishment of the company in April 1937.  

"Isuzu has a strong heritage and firmly established reputation as a manufacturer of rugged and reliable commercial vehicles. This year while we are celebrating the brand's long history we are also focused on the future as we reveal the new X-Rider. Isuzu continues to charge ahead in pursuit of reliability, durability and eco-friendliness. Engineered in South Africa, the Isuzu KB continues to set new standards," says Mlungisi Nonkonyana, Isuzu brand manager. 

The company's roots can be traced back more than a century to 1916 when the Tokyo Ishikawajima Shipbuilding and Engineering Company Limited was formed. It started out building trucks under licence from the British company, Wolseley. There were several acquisitions and mergers in the 1930s and 1940s, resulting in the formation of Isuzu Motors Limited. Isuzu is the name of a Japanese river and translated into English it means "Fifty Bells". 

DIESEL

Isuzu established a diesel research committee in 1934 and poured its energies into the development of diesel engines. This technology had then not been commercially established even in the advanced nations of Europe and North America. In 1936 the company introduced the air-cooled 5,3-litre DA6 diesel engine, followed three years later by the DA4, which served as the foundation of all later generations of Isuzu diesel engines. 

These were Japan's first commercial diesel engines and represented a breakthrough in the history of diesel engine development. In 1941 the Japanese government designated the company as the only one permitted to manufacture diesel-powered vehicles. The company established itself as industry leader in diesel engine technology.  

Since then, the company has supplied industrial engines for various types of applications, including construction machinery, generators, and even snow vehicles for the harsh conditions of the South Pole. 

SOUTH AFRICA

The South African Isuzu story started in the early 1970s with the launch of the Chevrolet LUV (light utility vehicle), which was in essence the first Isuzu 'bakkie'. It was imported from Japan and local production of the LUV started in 1972 in Port Elizabeth. The next year the first Isuzu-based trucks were introduced. 

The KB nameplate is unique to South Africa and was first introduced when the refreshed LUV was released in 1979. The following year saw the South African introduction of the Isuzu KB40, the first petrol and diesel powered four-wheel drive pick-up from Japan. 

By the start of the 1980s, Isuzu led global industry in the field of direct-injection diesel engines for light trucks. In 1981 the company introduced a design that featured high output and low fuel consumption and led the way with technology that made diesels more user-friendly. 

Now in its sixth generation, the Isuzu KB continues the legacy as a refined and dependable product engineered to suit the fast-changing needs of South African consumers. Isuzu has produced almost 25-million diesel engines and its pick-ups are available in over 100 countries.  

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