Gm

[Hiss]

I don't know if this is good or bad for Isuzu..... ?

http://detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/art...DATE/604110423

[creeg]

although I dont have any insider information, Ive been working on websites for GM for about a year now, so Ive been paying some attention to their sorry state of affairs.

Short story is: GM is messed up. Thats pretty obvious just by looking at the news, but I can confirm that at least in the Western Region, they have their heads up their xxxes. And from what I understand, getting away from GM would be in Isuzus best interest. Unfortnately, it sounds like they are still going to use GM for joint development and manuf. of trucks and engines. So it doesnt sound like they are getting that far from them.

I also know that when I called around about taking my VX into the one of the dealerships here in Los Angeles, not many of the tech guys have much knowledge about them.

So I say get away from GM, but it sounds like there will be a transition period during which its gonna be kinda hard to figure out if GM and Isuzu are still working together or not.

[Joe_Black]

GM previously held 52% of Isuzu's shares but under Japanese law it didn't give them the control they wanted and Isuzu made their board member essentially sit in the corner. However, it did give GM a great deal of control over Isuzu America and that's one reason we have such stunning support at the stealership.

Over the last several years Isuzu has been purchasing shares back until all that GM was left with is the 7.9% they just sold. As mentioned in the article linked above, almost all of that was purchased by companies already in joint ventures with Isuzu.

GM has to maintain some relationship with Isuzu as they are the heartbeat of today's GM diesels. GM let go of Detroit Diesel some time ago, spinning that division off to Mercedes Benz who currently still controls it. Isuzu also produces GM's medium duty trucks as well, which I believe is known as the W-series chassis. We know them as the NP-series trucks, many of which use the same diesel engine as Troopers produced for everywhere but here.

Hopefully this move will finally allow Isuzu to return to the US free of GM's marketing shackles.