Isuzu Faster/Chevrolet LUV, 1972. The Faster was the 1970s ancestor of the current D-Max. It was derived from the Isuzu Florian (pictured), the Faster shared many components, including doors and the front-end assemblage. Because of GM's relationship with Isuzu their new pick-up was marketed in the US and Australia as the Chevrolet LUV (Light Utility Vehicle) and in the UK as the Bedford KB.

117 Coupe and Florian II @ Shimoyoshida

1984 Isuzu Florian Aska

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www.tumblr.com/germancarssince1946 & www.tumblr.com/frenchcarssince1946 & www.tumblr.com/englishcarssince1946 & www.tumblr.com/italiancarssince1946 & www.tumblr.com/japanesecarssince1947 & www.tumblr.com/uscarssince1935

Isuzu Florian Deluxe

Isuzu 117 

The Isuzu 117 was one of the first Japanese cars to have a body entirely designed by an Italian stylist: the great Giorgetto Giugiaro. In the mid-1960s when Japanese cars were starting to catch on in the West due to their low cost and good reliability, a few Japanese manufacturers decided to build sports cars to help elevate their image. As a result we now have cars like the Toyota 2000GT, the Datsun 240Z, the Honda S600, and the Isuzu 117.Rather than start their sports car project from a blank slate, Isuzu opted to use the Florian sedan platform. This greatly accelerated development and reduced costs. Giorgetto Giugiaro penned the steel body for the new car, there can be no doubt that he drew heavily on the Fiat Dino design, however the 117 is its own car in every way despite its similarity to its older Italian cousin.When it was released in 1968 the 117 was offered with a 1.8 liter single overhead cam (SOHC) inline-four cylinder engine that sent power through a four-speed manual transmission to the rear wheels. Later models would be offered with a DOHC engine, an automatic transmission, a 5-speed manual would become available, and the engine would increase in capacity to 1.95 liters.

Isuzu Florian, 1967. Isuzu's flagship saloon was designed at Ghia who worked with the Japanese company in the 1960s and into the 70s until Ghia were taken over by Ford. The Florian remained in production until 1983, through several facelifts.

Isuzu Florian II @ Shimoyoshida

1978 Isuzu Florian Station Wagon

My tumblr-blogs:

www.tumblr.com/germancarssince1946 & www.tumblr.com/frenchcarssince1946 & www.tumblr.com/englishcarssince1946 & www.tumblr.com/italiancarssince1946 & www.tumblr.com/japanesecarssince1947 & www.tumblr.com/uscarssince1935

Isuzu Florian Deluxe

Giorgetto Giugiaro left Bertone for Ghia at the end of 1965, and by March of 1966 one of his first Ghia designs was on the stand at Geneva. It was the #Isuzu117, a clean, glassy coupe from a brand few at Geneva had ever heard of. Isuzu was a tiny make, and despite a lengthy history, it had only built its first home-grown car in 1961, though it built licensed Hillmans from 1953-62. Unknown label or no, the 117 got a warm reception at Geneva, leading to a more production-ready version for the Tokyo show in October. The public loved it, and the 117 was built from 1968 to 1981. - Originally, 117 was just the internal name of the forthcoming mid-size (for Japan) sedan platform that Isuzu was working on for 1967. That car emerged late that year as the Florian sedan, which also had some Ghia input. It was a fertile period for Giugiaro, which was no doubt helpful to struggling Ghia (then owned by Dominican ex-dictator Ramfis Trujillo). The 117 was cut from the same cloth as other period designs of his - the Fiat Dino Coupe and Mazda Luce (done at Bertone), and the Fiat Vanessa and De Tomaso Pampero (concepts at Ghia). - The 117 was so popular that Isuzu put it into limited production for 1968. Mostly handmade, it was produced in small numbers and sold only at home - quickly becoming a very desirable but rarely seen car. The  rear-drive architecture and G-series I4s were shared with the Florian, but often it used DOHC versions of the G and sometimes had Bosch fuel injection. Inside, the 117 was much more richly appointed than the Florian. Isuzu’s car output was tiny, and it wasn’t until GM took a stake in 1971 that Isuzu gained scale. GM’s investment made a volume-built 117 possible; which happened in early 1973 - bringing cheaper spec versions, too. The price came down and sales soared - but it remained mainly a JDM exclusive. - Isuzu was content to not change a great looking car too much - and treated it to only one facelift, a modest update to rectangular sealed-beam lights in the fall of 1977. This 135-hp 1978 XE represented the top-of-the-line 117 until the end of production, though in 1979 a rare diesel was added, one of the very first diesel-powered sporty cars. (at SODO-Moto) https://www.instagram.com/p/B2PDOVolTBb/?igshid=wa8qnyj2d3vt

This 1975 Isuzu Florian is a vehicle I had no idea existed. After some not-that-exhaustive research, it turns out the Florian shares its platform with the ever-pretty 117 Coupe. It was also named after a "fictional Lipizzan white horse," or so says Wikipedia.

The one above has some rust, but the interior is a time warp. Nice.