Isuzu Bellet

Introduction

The Isuzu Bellett is a mostly forgotten vehicle these days, however during the late 1960's it proved to be one of the most successful Japanese imports to land on Australian shores.

Although import duty forced the price up, the continual introduction of new models managed to usher in many new improvements, particularly on the mechanical side, ensuring the Bellet remained one of the best value-for-money Japanese vehicles on the market at the time

The range included Standard, Deluxe and Automatic sedans (as well as the now keenly sought after GT, which was fitted with a 1579cc unit). The Deluxe model was powered by 1471cc engine with 8.5:1 compression ratio which develops 81 bhp @ 5200 rpm and a maximum torque rating of 82 ft. lb. @ 2600 rpm.

In fact the Bellett was clocked at 93 mph on the open road, not bad for a little Japanese import. The brakes were drums all round, with twin leading shoes on the front and a total lining area of 89 1/2 sq. in. They stopped the car well with no evidence of pulling or locking, and showed no appreciable fade.

The interior and fittings were surprisingly luxurious. The Deluxe Bellett carried as standard equipment dual electric horns, 2-speed windscreen wipers and washer unit, push-button radio, fan assisted heater/demister, clock, safety belts, and full carpeting throughout.

The front seats were extremely comfortable for long journeys, and the Bellet offered excellent leg and head room, while the back seat leg and head room were remarkable for a car of its size.

The instruments were grouped in a console directly in front of the driver, clearly visible, with a coaming formed from the dash padding to prevent light reflecting on the windscreen at night. All the controls were within easy reach of the driver, including the heater / demister and radio controls.

The 1471cc engine was mated to a 4-on-the-floor manual gearbox, all synchro, and the ratios (1st 3.501; 2nd 2.175; 3rd 1.418) coupled with the final drive ratio of 3.727.1 provided lively performance around town or out on the highway.

With a price tag of $2,398 in 1969, it came well within the range of anybody willing to pay a little more for a lot of (standard) extras. But the best of the breed are undoubtedly the GT's, and we can give thanks to the Bellet for laying the foundation of arguably the best little cars to reach Australia, the Holden/Isuzu Gemini. The Isuzu Bellet also performed well in the 1965 Armstong 500, coming 6th in its class, and all three entered in the 1966 Galllaher 500 managing to finish, the best being a 5th place in Class B.

Bellet Sedan Chassis Identification Guide
Year	Built From	Chassis No	Engine Type	Engine No
1965	-	4014933	G150C	312683
1966	September 1965	4042963	-	337370
1966	February 1966	4057197	-	347122
1967	August 1966	4068769	G150C-1	358216
1968	May 1968	4102647	G150C-2	401895
1969	January 1969	4111534	-	-
1970	August 1970	4120013	G150C	423733
1971	October 1970	41322865	G150C	440745
Bellet GT Chassis Identification Guide
Year	Built From	Chassis No	Engine Type	Engine No
1966	September 1966	4201373	G160	-
1966	February 1966	4203630	-	-
1967	August 1967	4203794	G161	303617
1968	February 1968	4207378	-	314408
1968	May 1968	4207950	-	33408
1969	January 1969	4208913	-	-
1970	September 1969	4209652	G161	364336
1971	October 1970	4212552	-	394414