Year of Isuzu Gemini

The Isuzu Gemini was a compact car built, in several generations, by Isuzu and sold from 1974 to 2000. The same basic product was built and/ or sold under several other names, sometimes by other General Motors brands, in various markets around the world.

The first Gemini was the 1974 Bellett Gemini. It was based on the third-generation Opel Kadett on the General Motors T-car platform and came in four-door sedan and two-door coupe body styles.

In addition, Holden in Australia offered the Gemini as a 3 door station wagon and van, which were derived from the Vauxhall Chevette wagon, with Gemini front panels. The Gemini was Wheels magazine's Car of the Year for 1975. The Australian Holden Gemini was fitted with an Isuzu G161Z engine, although some models were available with a diesel variant of an Isuzu G180 engine. The more common G161Z was a 1.6-liter 8 valve SOHC fed by a Nikki carburettor.

In Europe, the 1976 Gemini was equipped with a 1.3-liter engine known as the 1g13c, which was adopted by Opel in Germany for their Opel Kadett.

In Japan, sports models were available under the names ZZ/ R and ZZ/ T. These were equipped with an Isuzu G180W 8-valve DOHC 1.8-liter engine, most commonly fuel injected, producing 97kW at the flywheel. It is rumoured that these models also came with a factory LSD and a shortened shift throw on manual models.

Isuzu Gemini was also sold in South Korea as Saehan Gemini, whose manufacturer became Daewoo Motors in 1982. It then became Daewoo Maepsy after 1982 and remained on sale until it was replaced by Daewoo Lemans in 1986.

The coupe was replaced in 1981 by the derivative Isuzu Piazza, which was introduced in the United States in 1983 as the Isuzu Impulse.

Sold as:

• 1975–1984 - Holden Gemini - Australia
• 1982–1984 - Holden Gemini - New Zealand
• 1975 - 1983 Opel Gemini - Malaysia, Thailand
• 1976–1979 - Opel Isuzu/ Buick Opel - United States
• 1976–1982 - Saehan Gemini - South Korea
• 1981–1984 - Isuzu I-Mark
• 1981–1990 - Isuzu Piazza
• 1983–1989 - Isuzu Impulse

General Motors sought a replacement for their world car T-body Kadett / Gemini, and this time, instead of building one design on several continents, they decided to build a world car in one location and export it to several continents. As T-body manufacturing had been turned over to Isuzu in Japan for economic reasons, so would the manufacturing of the replacement. In 1984, Isuzu again commissioned Giorgetto Giugiaro who was responsible for the 117 Coupe and the Piazza. This time, he was to design an economy car on the new front-wheel drive R-body platform. The R-body featured a MacPherson strut front suspension and beam axle rear suspension, which foreshadowed most of GM's offerings through their current model lineup. Giugiaro's design followed the Piazza design very closely in shape and detail, though the proportions made the Gemini appear shorter and taller in its three door version, and a four door sedan (notch back) was also designed.