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Isuzu Piazza Turbo - exotic coupé from the oldest Japanese car manufacturer

Name: Isuzu Asso Trèfle 1987
Brand: Isuzu

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Created on December 2, 2020

Text:

Bruno von Rotz

Photos:

Daniel Reinhard

ItalDesign

Archiv der Audi AG

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Daniel Reinhard

ItalDesign

Archiv der Audi AG

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Isuzu Piazza Turbo (1990) - a top speed of around 210 km/h was possible

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Isuzu Piazza Turbo (1990) - simple and easy to drive

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Isuzu Piazza Turbo (1990) - 0 to 100 km/h in around nine seconds

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Isuzu Piazza Turbo (1990) - the collaboration with Lotus outlasted the Piazza

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Isuzu Piazza Turbo (1990) - compact car, feels at home everywhere

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Isuzu Piazza Turbo (1990) - it was not that easy to follow

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Isuzu Piazza Turbo (1990) - at 431 cm long, the European version was 7.5 cm shorter than the US "Impulse" version

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Isuzu Piazza Turbo (1990) - large windows, low beltline

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Isuzu Piazza Turbo (1990) - relatively short wheelbase in combination with large front overhang

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Isuzu Piazza Turbo (1990) - close to the "Asso Trèfle" show car from 1987

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Isuzu Piazza Turbo (1990) - bumpers painted in body color were still the exception back then

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Isuzu Piazza Turbo (1990) - similarities to the VW Scirocco are not entirely coincidental

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Isuzu Piazza Turbo (1990) - high loading sill

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Isuzu Piazza Turbo (1990) - 165.5 cm wide

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Isuzu Piazza Turbo (1990) - wedge-shaped coupé

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Isuzu Piazza Turbo (1990) - "handling by lotus" - at the rear

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Isuzu Piazza Turbo (1990) - modern-looking dashboard

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Isuzu Piazza Turbo (1990) - fully equipped

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Isuzu Piazza Turbo (1990) - two control satellites

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Isuzu Piazza Turbo (1990) - the left-hand control satellite (adjustable)

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Isuzu Piazza Turbo (1990) - the right-hand control satellite

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Isuzu Piazza Turbo (1990) - the steering wheel spokes are mounted a bit too low

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Isuzu Piazza Turbo (1990) - the small covers reveal the headlights

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Isuzu Piazza Turbo (1990) - precisely shiftable five-speed gearbox

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Isuzu Piazza Turbo (1990) - beautifully crafted upholstery fabrics

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Isuzu Piazza Turbo (1990) - relatively comfortable rear seats

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Isuzu Piazza Turbo (1990) - the rear seats can be reclined

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Isuzu Piazza Turbo (1990) - "handling by Lotus" lettering on the inside

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Isuzu Piazza Turbo (1990) - large but relatively shallow trunk - the rear seats can be folded down

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Isuzu Piazza Turbo (1990) - engine compartment full of plugs

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Isuzu Piazza Turbo (1990) - Turbocharger for the four-cylinder engine

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Isuzu Piazza Turbo (1990) - no need to guess here

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Isuzu Piazza Turbo (1990) - with intercooler

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Isuzu Piazza Turbo (1990) - embossed Isuzu lettering on the front bumper

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Isuzu Piazza Turbo (1990) - 195 tires on 14-inch wheels

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Isuzu Piazza Turbo (1990) - "handling by Lotus" on the flank

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Isuzu Piazza Turbo (1990) - Lettering on the rear

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Isuzu Bellett 1500 Delxue (1965) - almost four-meter-long sedan from Japan

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Isuzu 117 Sport, Ghia (1966) - Elegance from Japan - Geneva Motor Show 1966

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Audi Coupé 'Asso di Picche' (1973) - four-seater coupé study based on the Audi 80, designed by Giugaro, ItalDesign and Karmann - International Motor Show (IAA) in Frankfurt 1973

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Audi Coupé 'Asso' (1973) - Rollers for advertisements, specially switched switches in the prototype by ItalDesign - International Motor Show (IAA) in Frankfurt 1973

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Beautiful detail solutions - Giugiaro already showed this detachable side pocket on the Audi 80 Coupe "Asso" some time ago - Geneva Motor Show 1977

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Audi Rarities" book - formally anticipated much of the Scirocco. Ital Design and Karmann's Audi Asso di Picce (1972

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ItalDesign Asso di Picche (1973) - based on Audi

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ItalDesign Asso di Quadri (1976) - BMW-based prototype

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Isuzu Asso Trèfle (1979) - Drawing of the prototype by ItalDesign/Giugiaro

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Isuzu Asso Trèfle (1979) - Prototype by ItalDesign/Giugiaro

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Isuzu Piazza (1981) - production version

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Isuzu Piazza (1981) - production version with Giorgetto Giugiaro

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Isuzu Impulse (1983) - its shape was designed by Giorgetto Giugiaro, here the US version

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Isuzu Piazza (1987) - Advertising for the expansion of the dealer network in Switzerland

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Summary

Design by Giorgetto Giugiaro, chassis by Lotus, four-cylinder turbo engine, rear-wheel drive and suitability for everyday use, built by the traditional Japanese manufacturer Isuzu. Customers should have flocked to it! Yes, perhaps, if they could have. But the coupé was only sold in a few countries. And only for a few years. This driving report is about an Isuzu Piazza Turbo from 1990 and shows it in many current and historical photos. Of course, there is also a sound sample and, as an encore, a test video from 1988.

This article contains the following chapters

The oldest car manufacturer in Japan
With Italian help
A good year from the study to series production
Classic ingredients
From 1987 in Switzerland
Improved with Lotus support
Sales weaknesses
Early end
Driving classic

Estimated reading time: 10min

Preview (beginning of the article)

The Isuzu Piazza Turbo is one of the exotic cars on our roads; hardly anyone recognizes it straight away. The three-door coupé, which bears a certain resemblance to the VW Scirocco, is a rarity in this country, as comparatively few examples were sold. And yet the ingredients were more perfect than almost any other car: styled by one of the world's best designers, a robust turbo engine, rear-wheel drive and chassis fine-tuning by the well-known Formula 1 racing team. Why didn't we all drive Isuzu Piazza? Let's take a look back. Isuzu calls itself the oldest car manufacturer in Japan. A predecessor company is said to have built the first self-propelled car as early as 1914, and truck production began in 1918. Passenger cars were initially produced under license, including by Wolseley (1920s) and Hillman (from 1953, Minx model).

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