Holden (Isuzu) Piazza hits the National Motor Museum

[dave]

OK I decided to put this under the Bellett Chat section as it's about a classic Isuzu, rather than being completely non-Isuzu car related.

For those that don't remember "Sale of the Century" (or aren't from our fair shores), it was a television quiz show. It was hosted by the terrier-like Tony Barber with a various array of hottie assistants, usually much taller than he.

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This was a quality gameshow that pre-dated the need for some numbskull (usually Eddie Freakin Maguire here in Australia) to sit there and ask contestants if they're sure about 16 times per question, then ask them if they'd like to use a 'lifeline', then ask them if they're sure again, then cut to an ad break before revealing the answer.

Sale of the Century was *BAM* question, *BAM* answer, *BAM* question, *BAM* answer; it was the quick or the dead and probably helped me generate a large array or useless general knowledge that to this very say I employ to annoy and irritate.

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(also, the set was awesome)

Cary Young was THE MAN of Sale of the Century. He was an unstoppable answering machine and, I WILL SWEAR TO YOU ON MY MOTHER'S GRAVE, that one time I heard him answer a question before Tony Barber had even asked the question. Seriously, he was like, "What is....?" and Cary's interrupted and answered "Mount Kosciuszko"... and we were all speechless

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(Tony Barber was all like, WHAT THE...??!!")

Anyway, as undisputed hulking King of the Quizes, he was able to score the top prize (under the cash jackpot amount) at least once. While Sale went thru a few brands, I'm pretty sure BMW and Nissan were both given away, for a while at least Holden was the main sponsor.

I saw them give away (or try to give away; the prizes changed each week if unclaimed) a few Piazzas as well as a few Holden Jackaroos. There were others; Commodores, Calais and when the cars were cheaper, like Camiras and Astras, they gave away a pair of cars.

Voice-over man, Pete Smith would emote; "Brought to you byyyyyy HOLDEN! Australia's DRIVING Future!!!!" (This was their official slogan, it appeared on rear window stickers you still see...).

So Cary was able to secure himself a Holden Piazza and, it seems, he has enjoyed his car for 25 years. He's now donated it to the National Motor Museum in Birdwood, South Australia.

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Here's the story from the Newslimited-owned AdelaideNow news website:
November 17, 2011 12:00AM

QUIZ show mastermind Cary Young has decided it's time to put his much loved Holden Piazza to rest.

The car lasted longer than Sale of the Century, the show on which it was won, and now Mr Young is donating the shiny set of wheels to the National Motor Museum.

Mr Young, of Victoria, appeared on the now-defunct show a record 70 times between 1982 and 1998, but winning the sporty coupe in September 1986 was one of the highlights of his illustrious TV career.

The car was awarded to Mr Young after he won "Player of the Series" - an international special of Sale of the Century between Australia and New Zealand. He took delivery of the vehicle in January 1987.

Known as the Isuzu Piazza overseas, in Australia the compact three-door coupe was sold under the Holden brand from 1986, but failed to become a staple model for the car manufacturer.

A second generation of the car was produced in the early '90s and was sold in Australia in 1992. (please note this is incorrect; something that was pointed out amongst the 5 comments, which I have included below).

While Mr Young has driven the car for nearly a quarter of a century, he now wants to pass the piece of automotive history on, and today will hand over the Piazza to the National Motor Museum at Birdwood.

In turn, the museum is looking for a sponsor to keep the prize vehicle running as part of its driven collection.

"After almost 25 years of driving and loving my Piazza, I have regretfully come to the conclusion that with just under 200,000km on the clock, it is time to part with this beautiful machine," Mr Young said.

"The numberplate (CYP) stands for Cary Young's Prize, though that was pure coincidence."

Yesterday, he drove the car from his home in Melbourne ahead of this morning's official handover at Birdwood.

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The comments section was interesting. Eli (forum member and all-round later-model Isuzuhead) put his 2c worth in, while Chris Warr, co-author of the road-trip book, "In Search of the Holden Piazza" also chimed in.


COMMENTS:
ldn Posted at 7:36 AM November 17, 2011

A true museum piece, an oddity that ever only sold a few dozen units.

Comment 1 of 5
Chris Warr of Hobart Posted at 9:48 AM November 17, 2011

Cary Young is an out and out champion. He went over and above to contribute to our book "In Search of the Holden Piazza" ... where you can out find more about the this great man and his car. It is fantastic to see his car will be on display for all to see.

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Comment 2 of 5
Lachlan Sheehan Posted at 7:39 PM November 17, 2011

What a legend. I'm a proud owner of 2 piazzas and I'm ecstatic to hear that this legendary car will be preserved and displayed for all to see and ask the question I hear so often "what is that"?

Comment 3 of 5
franz chong of adelaide Posted at 12:27 AM November 18, 2011

There was no second generation of this car.You are most likely thinking of the Calibra Which was in fact an Opel with Holden Badges that arrived in Australia in 1991 and sold through to 1996.Before Calibra and Piazza though existed the Torana Hatchback.All have something in common in that good examples of each should belong in a Motoring Museum.Expensive for it's time though given it was based on an Old Gemini Platform but in the context of the short lived Astra Coupe of 2005 to 2009 It was good value.

Comment 4 of 5
Eli of Adelaide Posted at 2:17 AM November 19, 2011

Franz Chong - Actually, there was a second generation. It was FWD, and I don't think it was offered in Australia. Definitely not the Calibra. Check out the Wiki under Isuzu Piazza We were talking about this on the Isuzu Piazza forum and speculated that it would be a shame to see the car fall into the wrong hands.. "wouldn't it be great if it could go to Birdwood or something?" Here's to Cary for preserving this piece of motoring history. - Proud Piazza owner

Comment 5 of 5

[PR91]

and many of the bellett.net family have met the bastard love child of Tony Barber and Delvine Delaney at the recent Nats so this has even more importance to us... but when i read that a Pizza had 'hit' the museum i was hoping one had smashed into it so we could strip it for parts... coz that's about all they're good for! oh and btw... i have that book at home somewhere. not a bad read at all!

[degruch]

Franz Chong is thinking of the Impulse, yeah?

[dave]

Don't be hard on the Piazza, Brett.

They had a rough trot here in Australia; they were about 5 years late (the Asso Di Fiori concept car was revealed in 1979!!) and were afflicted with a ridiculous suspension tune.

Peter Robinson from Wheels was really excited about them, just so long as someone fixed the Japanese's "boulevard" suspension tune for Aussie tastes. Of course, Isuzu did not do this, so that was a really big nail in the coffin.

Another freakin' huge nail was the cost; I can't remember exactly but a VL Executive with the Turbo option was a LOT cheaper (and faster... and better handling...).

Yeah, we only got the SOHC turbo, rather than the rorty DOHC that we all know and love...

For an 80s car... really.. it was awesome (except those things)

[Bellett.Boys]

Hey Dave, thanks for the whole Sale-of-the-Century background... Your obvious enthusiasm for Tony and the girls made me laugh and worry about your brain processes all at the same time. Brought back good memories, especially of the fit young ladies displaying the 14 day cruise-liner prize in the giftshop......

And Pete Smith was the best voice over guy ever. If he's still alive I'd like to hire him for my next party.

[Pombellett]

We had a version of Sale Of The Century here in Pomland, with a similarly oily looking host called Nicholas Parsons....here he is with some of his 'fit young ladies' :

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[Stickman]

Phwar! check out those white goods

[degruch]

Hold on...is that a woodgrain fridge???

[werami]

here it is as of 2 weeks ago
Thierry

[dave]

They've even lined up the waffle mags so they're both straight!

[degruch]

Actually, from memory the 'Ace of Clubs' concept car that became the Piazza was the first production car with integrated guttering, plus it was designed by Giugiaro, so worth of an inclusion as a landmark design, believe it or not! I still have the brochure I prized from a Holden dealer when I was 15.

[JT191]

Actually, from memory the 'Ace of Clubs' concept car that became the Piazza was the first production car with integrated guttering, plus it was designed by Giugiaro, so worth of an inclusion as a landmark design, believe it or not! I still have the brochure I prized from a Holden dealer when I was 15.

Giugiaro Italdesign Catalog Raisonne 1959-1987, Volume Two

...the Asso di Fiori was his fifth "Copernican revolution", after the radiator grille with incorporated headlights (Alfa Romeo 2000 Sprint, 1960), bonded windows (Alfa Romeo Canguro 1964), built-in painted bumpers (Asso di Picche, 1973), and cut of the hatch wrapping onto the sides (Volkswagen Golf, 1974).

Exterior drip channels eliminated, all flush-fitting windows, and limousine doors and rear hatch are the three ideas that had already been glimpsed at individually both on his earlier prototypes and, partially, on other cars. What was extraordinary about them here was that they were all worked in together and were technically feasible. Montovani had believed at once in these radical choices of Giugiaro's and gave it his all to make them mass producible.

What this "Copernican revolution" says in shape deserves thorough analysis, both of Giugiaro's motivations and of the influence it was to have on mass production cars, so vast and far-reaching it may even surpass that of the Golf. Considering 146 cars built from 1981 onwards cited in the 1987 catalog of Revue Automobile, something of a "Bible" in the car world, it turns out that 48, equal to 33 per cent, use flush doors like the Asso di Fiori and, of these 48, only 9 came from Giugiaro's pen. The Turin designer's approach to this new period in shape grew from the combination of aerodynamic demands, that called for flowing surfaces and smooth connections, and his need for a strict simplicity in graphic touches.

The outside drip channels, source of considerable aerodynamic turbulence especially around the A-pillar, were eliminated and substituted by a gutter built into the door rabbet strip. An ingenious solution, easy to imagine theoretically, but that requires arduous design and testing to make effective.

Freed from the protuberance of the drip channel, the roof became a clean surface. The strip (also a gutter) had to be lodged on the connection between roof and side along the entire length of the door cut, as well as being ideally extended onto the A-pillar. This led Giugiaro to design a door where the sheet metal wraps round and covers the B-pillar and roof/side connection, thus giving rise to integral (otherwise referred to as wrapping or limousine) doors. The same treatment was given to the hatch, which covers the C-pillar, bending around the glass of the second back window. Here too, a guttering strip. As far as shape is concerned, Giugiaro came to this choice through the need to simplify the graphic breakdown of the form. Up to then, A-pillars had been characterized by six elements: Windshield seal, A-pillar, drip channel, door cut, door frame, side window seal. If the windows called for the addition of trim strips, the number then grew to eight. With limousine doors, it was visually reduced to three: windshield strip, A-pillar, which is part of the door (the door cut disappears from view because the door frame "knocks" directly against the rubber of the strip), and the side window strip.

Giugiaro's need for severe geometrical forms led him also to "hide" the other two necessary cuts on the car: those of the engine hood and hatch. 80mm beneath the belt-line, the designer drew a slight groove, painted red, that wraps totally around the car. The cut to the engine hood (that folds over onto the side) and that of the far end of the hatch "fall" into this groove and drop from sight. The result is a car boasting an impeccably clean shape. In the side view, the B-pillar creates a continuous glazed surface area that, thanks to the highly elongated back side window, gives decided rake and freshness to the whole.

The very penetrating front end proposes an unusual lighting feature: fixed headlights, faired by movable lid so that the lights can be flashed during the day without having to move the lid or fit out the car with additional lights. The lids and related motor are built onto the hood.

Standing out in the rather classically laid out interior is the steering wheel-instrumentation unit, quite a courageous move. The aim was to enable the driver to operate all the controls by keeping a thumb grip on the wheel and moving just the other fingers like on a piano keyboard. The controls housed on the two satellites that pivot on a vertical axis and may be adjusted to each particular drivers build. The steering wheel is fitted with two thumb rests on the inside of the rim, which make for a safer grip and a relaxing support during long journeys.

[GTtoo]

Tony barber, Cary Young........yes, house hold names which had iconic status. But I never took enough notice to broaden my general knowledge.

Great to see this part of automotive history has now become iconic, with it's inclusion at the birdwood Museum.

Story brought to us exclusively by our own resident autohistorian........."WAFFLE WHEELS"

B.

[degruch]

Thanks JT...that's what I'm talkin' about. Who would have thunk it?

[JT191]

I have a couple paragraphs written, but fear a few might take offense at a dialog that turns the Gemini T Series = Good, Piazza = Bad line of thought.

In the meantime, I'll run a Dave - Isabell Grand Tourer - BULLITT - Farmer - GerryBellettGT - Gt Orphanage style model dissection.

Imagine the picture of the red Holden Piazza is here, I have no idea how to quote the picture from above.

The bumper on this Holden car is the extreme early type. The distinguishing feature is that the turn signal is completely surrounded by the bumper. The alternate style has the turn signal hanging below the bumper, or rather partially inset into the bumper, and partially below the bumper, appearing as if it were hanging, but actually extending into the lower fairing. The early style bumper is not a polyurethane skin stretched over a steel reinforcing beam. On the early style bumper, the area that is black in color is in fact a black painted steel bumper. The body color (red) portion is a polyurethane surround. This is the way the concept car was and the first production cars.
The early style bumpers were not used in the US. In the Japanese market, they were used only on the SOHC cars in Bella, XJ, and XJ-S trim levels through 1987. So far as I can tell, none of the turbo cars had the early style bumpers.
Regarding the fully polyurethane bumpers with the steel reinforcing beam beneath: These are the conventional wrap around bumpers that are common now (first use on a production vehicle). The raised plastic area was painted black to represent the bumper and the steel material beneath. This was also utilitarian, because it is easier to fix scratches in the semi-gloss black, than it is to match the glossy body color. The bumpers change to body color for the 1988/89 models.

The Holden car does not have a front air dam or spoiler. All of the turbo cars in the US had a front air dam or spoiler, and they also had either a black surface mounted rubber rear spoiler (1985-87) or a pedestal, body color wing (1988/89). Some of the very early (~1984) Japanese market cars in the XE trim level were turbo without the air dam or spoiler, but they had the full polyurethane bumpers and turn hanging style turn signals.

The tic-tac-toe style wheels in the US market would have been 1983-86 non-turbo, or 1988/89 non-turbo SE (AKA: clear all the old overstock parts out of the warehouse by attaching them to non-turbo model cars and calling them a special edition).

There is a subtle difference between the -1984 and 1985-89 side marker lights. The -1984 lights sit lower. The 1985-89 lights have a taller black rubber base that is angled more (wider black on the edge toward the bumper on the front and back). And no rear side marker on 1988/89 cars because the tail lights were redesigned, moving the turn signal inboard and the red parking lamp outbaord on the corner.

The side view mirrors should be black on everything except the 1988/89 model year. They were probably painted by the owner.

Headlight lids and hood with symetrical creases: -1987. Solid one piece, smooth hood with power bulge and slim line headlight bulbs 1988/89.
One piece aero headlamps on RHD cars (Japan, Australia, and UK). Rectangular quad lamps on LHD cars and slim line bulbs on all cars 1988-89. Yanase Japanese "re-imports" would have quad lamps, effectively US trim spec on RHD sold through special dealerships.
US cars -1987 would have a roof mounted antenna over the driver's door. LHD apparently has a hidden antenna.
No tailgate view. Early cars would have a plastic oval (or rectangular with rounded corners) nameplate in the tailgate, later cars would have a flat tailgate with stickers.

As far as the history has been written, all of the Australian cars should be turbo, should have the full polyurethane bumpers, should have the front air dam, and should have the black rubber rear spoiler. They are supposed to match the 1985-87 year cars. None were supposed to be non-turbo and none were supposed to be DOHC.
That car could be a 1984 non-turbo with the G200Z engine. So it is not typical of what the rest of the Australian cars were, and wasn't supposed to be there at all.

[pearcesnr]

It has even made our local paper here in Penrith NSW.
Pearcesnr.

[JT191]

The museum is now looking for a sponsor to keep the car in running order.

Interesting idea.

Stay in the northern hemisphere for April through October, and race during the warm season. Stay in the southern hemisphere for November through March, and race for the other warm season instead of sitting and watching the ice.
I will need a one bedroom, full bath, with four car garage, preferably across the street from the BIG WAREHOUSE IN MELBOURN-bourne-bourne-bourne!
One Sears Craftsman double tall rolling tool box, completely stocked with one set of SAE six point everything and three sets of metric six point everything. One Walker True-Blue floor jack. One Chinese engine hoist. One Lincoln wire feed welder, one Bur-King belt grinder, one small, full height drill press.
One extra set of racing tires and wheels. One helmet. Contact information to the Australian equivalent to the SCCA and directions to the local gymkhana and circuit event location.
A Garmin GPS loaded with an Australian map.
An Australian-American dictionary.

The deal breakers would be:
Can I license and race a car with the steering wheel on the wrong side?
Can I get Mexican food and cheap vodka on the bottom of the world?

I can only guarantee the museum car is put into better condition than it was when it rolled off the assembly line in Fujisawa, not that it will be in better condition than the car I park out in front of the museum while working on the museum's car.

[PR95]

I don't think there is any problem there except for living over the road from the said "BIG SHED", PR91 Knows where that is, BUT you will need an F111 to go to the museum to work, about 500mile each way.or maybe you drive the race car, would be quicker!!!

[JT191]

I don't think there is any problem there except for living over the road from the said "BIG SHED", PR91 Knows where that is, BUT you will need an F111 to go to the museum to work, about 500mile each way.or maybe you drive the race car, would be quicker!!!

Hey, quit messing up my fantasy with your reality. (Smiley face here if I was cool enough to do smiley faces.)
Next you'll point out that there is no Walmart in Australia, and I wouldn't know how to survive without a place where you can buy everything needed to live in one place.

[RobSA]

The deal breakers would be:
Can I license and race a car with the steering wheel on the wrong side?
Can I get Mexican food and cheap vodka on the bottom of the world?

These are fine, as far as i know they are all good to go.

An Australian-American dictionary.

This might be a lot harder to find !!

Bunnings is getting close to Walmart, though a bit more like Lowe's.
As yet no Burger King or MacDonalds at the checkouts yet, but they have an okay sausage sizzle outside the front doors most days.



Cheers
Rob