Isuzu 117 Coupé

The Isuzu 117 Coupe was a 1968-1981 produced by the Japanese company Isuzu two-door hatchback coupe.

History

117 Isuzu code name was for a mid-range model program that should consist of sedan, wagon and coupe. Sedan and wagon came as Isuzu Florian on the market, the coupe kept the development code as a model designation at. The three models shared the technical basis for front-engine, rear-wheel drive and recirculating ball steering.

The design of the 117 Coupe came from the pen of Giorgetto Giugiaro, then working yet for Ghia; it was the one of the first times that a Japanese car was designed by an Italian designer. The 117 was also the first Japanese model with twin cam engine, later he was the first Japanese model with electronic fuel injection and the first sports coupe with a diesel engine.

The 117 Coupé reached only small annual numbers, but came as a whole, due to its long production lead times, to 86 192 pieces. Was succeeded by the Isuzu Piazza.

The first years

The prototype of the 117 Coupe debuted at the Geneva Motor Show in 1966, later he was shown at the Tokyo Motor Show the same year. In 1968, the 117 series and was initially virtually handmade, with no more than 50 units were built in the month. The drive initially got a 1.6 - liter inline four-cylinder with dual overhead camshafts, which there was in 1970 with Bosch injection; latter variant was known as the 117 EC ( for Electronic Control).

The standard equipment was very extensive (including leather seats, instrument panel with inserts of Taiwanese camphor tree wood and head restraints ), and the 117 was very expensive for Japanese standards. This was also true for the simple variant equipped 1800N, which was released in 1971 and was powered by a 1.8-liter single overhead camshaft and carburetor.

In the first three years in which the 117 coupe was handmade, created no more than 2458 copies.

Interior of an early copy handcrafted

Isuzu 117 Facelift 1977

Large-scale production

As the demand for the 117 coupe rose to Isuzu decided, after General Motors had been involved in the company, in 1971 to accommodate the large-scale production. The 1.8-liter was now standard and available in different versions, with or without injection and with one or two overhead camshafts.

Facelift

1977 was the 117 Coupe a facelift, the front was kept flat and fitted with rectangular double headlights instead of the previous round headlights. To reduce manufacturing costs, the interior was now predominantly made ​​of plastic. 1978 debuted a two-liter four-cylinder, 1 979 117 XD with a diesel engine.

Also starting in 1979, there were 117 from the special model Giugiaro Edition. Production of the 117 continued until 1981, and as a result, he was replaced by the similarly styled by Giugiaro Isuzu Piazza.