Isuzu

Isuzu’s story began in 1916 when Tokyo Ishikawajima Shipbuilding and Engineering Co. and Tokyo Gas and Electric Industrial Co. teamed up to build Japan’s first domestically produced automobiles. By 1919 they had rolled out the nation’s first home-grown truck, laying the groundwork for a century of commercial-vehicle innovation. In 1934 the operation was formally christened “Isuzu,” taking its name from the sacred river near Ise Shrine. The launch of the ELF/N-Series light-duty truck in the early 1960s cemented the brand’s reputation for tough, reliable workhorses. Over decades Isuzu became synonymous with diesel-engine excellence, pioneering technologies like the world’s first electronically controlled five-speed transmission in 1985. Its vehicles came to dominate markets from Southeast Asia to the Middle East. Today Isuzu focuses on light- and medium-duty trucks, from the N-Series and FORWARD models to the heavy GIGA line, while expanding its diesel-engine business and exploring electrified and hydrogen powertrains in strategic global alliances.