Isuzu Says Sayonara to America

Japanese automaker bailing as passenger sales fall to nearly nothing
By Kevin Spak,  Newser Staff
Posted Jan 31, 2008 1:14 PM CST

Japanese automaker Isuzu, which brought the US such treasures as the SUV and fictional car salesman Joe Isuzu, is closing up shop in the US, thanks to its nearly non-existent sales. Of the 16.1 million cars sold last year, just 7,098 were Isuzus. Said actor David Leisure, who portrayed the famous huckster: "I thought they already had stopped selling here."

“It’s a shame,” one automotive researcher tells the Los Angeles Times. “From a historical perspective, they were quite significant.” Though the company will continue to sell commercial trucks stateside, the move shocked many within Isuzu’s US headquarters. "I'm still digesting all the information," a spokesman said. Added a dealer, "We hold out hope that a surprise new product will come." (More auto industry stories.)

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