GM may buy 10 per cent of Isuzu

General Motors recently picked up a 7 per cent stake in Peugeot-Citroen (PSA), and now it looks like Isuzu is in the Detroit auto giant’s sights too. 

The Nikkei Business Daily has reported that GM is about to embark on negotiations to acquire a 10 per cent stake in the Japan-based Isuzu brand, which focuses on the commercial end of the motoring spectrum, starting with utes and heading up to trucks. 

The GM-Isuzu deal would reportedly focus mainly on developing and distributing commercial vehicles largely aimed at Asian and South American markets. 

The proposed partnership is not the first for the two brands, who have had a varying commercial link over the past four decades. GM signed a capital agreement with Isuzu in 1971 and at one time owned nearly half of the Japanese company.

More than 20 years ago, the two badges jointly established Isuzu-General Motors Australia to import, assemble and market the Japanese products here. The former Holden Rodeo introduced in 1980 was built by Isuzu for three generations.

However, Holden lost the right to the name during the GM-Isuzu split a few years ago and reintroduced the light commercial ute here in 2008 as the Holden Colorado. 

In parallel, Isuzu has been selling it here as the D-Max.  The next generation of Holden Colorado on the way is a rebadged Chevrolet built in Thailand.

GM has also rebadged Isuzu Faster pick-ups and sold them here and in the US as Chevrolet LUVs through the late 1980s to 2003. 

The newspaper report said the goal was for the two companies - headed by GM CEO Dan Akerson and Isuzu president Susumu Hosoi - to finalise and sign a deal within months.