Isuzu pulling out of the US market
#1
01-30-2008, 07:14 PM
Here is the word for word text of a letter sent to Isuzu dealerships today.
Good by Isuzu. Bugger.
"Wednesday, January 30, 2008
ISUZU WILL FINALLY PULL OUT OF NORTH AMERICA NEXT YEAR
Isuzu plans to stop selling vehicles here in 2009
By Brendan Moore
The other shoe has finally dropped.
Isuzu Motors Ltd. has released a statement saying it will discontiue distributing new passanger vehicles in North America, effective Jan. 31, 2009.
The action is the short-term consequence of General Motors Corp. ending production of the Ascender sport utility vehicle and the i-290 and i-370 pickup trucks, which Isuzu has been re-badging as Isuzu vehicles. GM has recordered no sales to Isuzu since July of 2007, while the 2007 calander year sales dropped 50% to a pitiful 7,098. Isuzu has sold only trucks in the U.S. since 1993, when it stopped selling its last North American car model, the Impulse.
But, the retreat from the North American market has been a long time coming, with sales ebbing away every year. Isuzu once sold as many as 100,000 vehicles a year in the market, but they slowly became a mere curiosity in the market, with nothing of their own to sell, and no real competitive advantage over any of the vehicles itcompeted against. It could have been revived at one point, and some thought that Toyota's recent acquisition of the company from GM might signal such revival, but apparently it is not to be.
"It has always been our intention to remain in the U.S. market," said Terry Maloney, president of Isuzu's North American operations. "However, we were unable to secure any commercially viable replacements for these vehicles."
Isuzu will continue to honor all product warranties and roadside assistance programs. It also will maintain its owner-relations call center.
And what will happen to the small number of Isuzu dealers that stuck it out with Isuzu until the bitter end? Those Isuzu vehicle dealers have been offered the opportunity to continue on as service dealerships. They may realize more profit from that, frankly, after it's all said and done.
Mr. Maloney stated, "Our parts and service operation will remainfully functional. We expect the vast majority of our dealers willcontinue as service-only dealers."
Let us shed a single tear for Isuzu. At so many points in its history there are "if only" moments where the company could have taken another path, but they didn't, and now they will gone from these shores soon. The car business is tough."
ISUZU WILL FINALLY PULL OUT OF NORTH AMERICA NEXT YEAR
Isuzu plans to stop selling vehicles here in 2009
By Brendan Moore
The other shoe has finally dropped.
Isuzu Motors Ltd. has released a statement saying it will discontiue distributing new passanger vehicles in North America, effective Jan. 31, 2009.
The action is the short-term consequence of General Motors Corp. ending production of the Ascender sport utility vehicle and the i-290 and i-370 pickup trucks, which Isuzu has been re-badging as Isuzu vehicles. GM has recordered no sales to Isuzu since July of 2007, while the 2007 calander year sales dropped 50% to a pitiful 7,098. Isuzu has sold only trucks in the U.S. since 1993, when it stopped selling its last North American car model, the Impulse.
But, the retreat from the North American market has been a long time coming, with sales ebbing away every year. Isuzu once sold as many as 100,000 vehicles a year in the market, but they slowly became a mere curiosity in the market, with nothing of their own to sell, and no real competitive advantage over any of the vehicles itcompeted against. It could have been revived at one point, and some thought that Toyota's recent acquisition of the company from GM might signal such revival, but apparently it is not to be.
"It has always been our intention to remain in the U.S. market," said Terry Maloney, president of Isuzu's North American operations. "However, we were unable to secure any commercially viable replacements for these vehicles."
Isuzu will continue to honor all product warranties and roadside assistance programs. It also will maintain its owner-relations call center.
And what will happen to the small number of Isuzu dealers that stuck it out with Isuzu until the bitter end? Those Isuzu vehicle dealers have been offered the opportunity to continue on as service dealerships. They may realize more profit from that, frankly, after it's all said and done.
Mr. Maloney stated, "Our parts and service operation will remainfully functional. We expect the vast majority of our dealers willcontinue as service-only dealers."
Let us shed a single tear for Isuzu. At so many points in its history there are "if only" moments where the company could have taken another path, but they didn't, and now they will gone from these shores soon. The car business is tough."
#2
03-06-2008, 09:03 AM
Isuzu has some awesome little diesels, and I can only hope that Toyota finds a way to bring those to the U.S. Market. The fact that we have not seen (because of tight emission standards) a small and mid-size diesel suv or truck in many years is disheartening, to say the least. And with Dodge giving up on the Liberty CDI, we have nothing at all other than a short run matched with a transmission that was not designed to take the additional torque.
I had hoped that the end of the GM deal would spur new life and investment in the U.S. market with a diesel offering, but with the added costs of importing through shipping and tariffs, the almost impossible diesel emission standards by the Federal Govt., and the fact that GM has sucked the life out of Isuzu loyal customers, had nailed that dream many years before 2002.
I had really hoped that we would see an Isuzu D-Max with the 2.5 or 3.0 mated to the GM chasis. No luck. No luck at all.
#3
03-15-2008, 06:12 PM
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_______LETS HAVE A MOMENT OF SILENCE FOR ISUZU_____....
I held out with isuzu also til the last yr.....now i,m with toyota,gotta pay those bills .now earning my way to be......TOYOTA GURU...HA HA HA HA HA.thats why i havent signed into isuzuforums in awhile if anyone has noticed,but i,m still around,..........anyway so long isuzu ,i really feel bad for all those isuzu techs out there ive known some that have dedicated over 30yrs an more with isuzu.......so thanks for nothing GENERAL MOTORS.
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