Car (UK) - 1967 - Tokyo Motor Show (includes 117 & Florian)
Posted: Mon Dec 23, 2013 12:45 pm
Hey guys,
I haven't been putting up as many brochures as I'd like lately, so here's something COMPLETELY different!
This scan comes from Car magazine (UK) from an article on the Tokyo Motor Show that was run in their January 1967 issue. Just to let you know, I don't have this issue, but I borrowed this cool book from my mate at work that has select articles from the 1960s and 1970s... and when I picked up this 150+ page book, THIS was the first page I opened up to! Freaky!
It's got some VERY interesting info... including some incredibly rare and expensive cars... and their musings on what these vehicles might do into the future.
For the sake of completion, I've put up both sides of the page; I've had to do some tricky copying and pasting as well as the book is hardcover and didn't want to scan the centre area, so if it looks a bit weird there, that's why.
The first page (page 54 of the magazine) includes a Daihatsu (probably Campagno-based) coupe designed by Vignale and a Hino race car. They mention in the text that Hino had just been bought by Toyota, too.
The bottom two cars are perhaps the most iconic Japanese cars of all time (sorry Bellett owners... you know it's true though!); the original Mazda Cozmo L10A and the Toyota 2000GT in a gorgeous brown (I love brown sports cars... why is this so?). Interestingly, the caption states that the 2000GT has a 1488cc DOHC six-cylinder motor. So guys... what's the "2000" in "2000GT" stand for again?
The captions for the next pictures are also on page one.
The next page is more interesting for us Isuzu-heads!
It shows the Nissan Prince Royal, a 6373cc V8 limousine built solely for Emperor Hirohito. It was noted that it would not go into production, however my research shows that a total of 8 were built; not exactly production numbers mind you! They were an impressive looking car and weighed 3.2 tonnes!
The next vehicle is the Daihatsu Fellow, one of the then-ubiquitous 360cc-madated Kei cars; the Fellow was always pretty blocky, taking the maximum measurements of the Kei-car segment to the extreme!
The next two cars are what we're after though; one is clearly an Isuzu Florian, but with no grille we've ever seen on a Florian, while the other is a 117 Coupe.
The captions note them in reverse order with picture "7 - Isuzu 117 Sport first seen at Geneva is by Ghia - unlikely to go into production". WRONG!!!! It continues "unlike 8 the factory-adapted saloon version. Both are built around the existing all-independent Bellet (sic) chassis". Well, WRONG again, Car magazine!
I have to admit, I think that THIS Florian grille might actually be the most attractive Florian I've seen; the twin headlight surrounds look similar to those of the Bellett while the split front grille breaks up the wide front nicely. The blinkers are fitted above the bumper. Is this a pre-production prototype? Most certainly, as the Florian is being referred to by it's project name which was 117... as we all know, the 117 Coupe retained that code; for what reason I don't know. Perhaps they thought it sounded cool?
Check out this grille!
Sadly though, I'd be surprised if this grille was meant to do anything except PREVENT the public from seeing the final production grille. Nothing ages a car more than the public seeing it months or years before it's due; just ask Ford when the EA Falcon was scooped by Wheels magazine some time in 1985, over two years before it was due out!
The cut of the front guards, which still appear to fit the unique headlights that were on the first production model supports this theory. This way, when the vintage TV-headlighted Florian was released later in 1967, it was a fresh looking car!
Interestingly, they mentioned that Mazda showed off estate (wagon) and twin-carb versions of the Bertone-styled Luce 1500 (known just as 1500 here) and that "while Mazda was giving the Luce a sporting image, Isuzu was trying to get rid of one on its Bellet (sic) - producing the Bellet B with oblong headlamps and a subtly redesigned rear suspension using a rigid rear axle with semi-elliptic springs in place of the other model's independent, semi-trailing arm system".
It doesn't shed anymore light into why the Bellett B exists, although we're all fairly certain it was to bridge a gap between the outgoing Bellel and the new Florian. The text goes on, "So as not to lose its sporting following completely, though, it also had on show a very neatly done fastback version of the 1600GT tourer...".
So the PR91G Fastback was there! Pity there are no pics! Perhaps it's Googling time.
It continues, "...and two prototypes: a lovely Ghia-designed and built 117 Coupe and a four-door 117 saloon based on the coupe - an approach completely opposite to the European".
I'm not sure it really went down that way; I'm fairly certain the basic Florian mechanicals and footprint would have been established before the brief to make a sporty version was sent to Ghia; if it has been the other way around, you'd expect the Florian to be a better handler than it was!!
The 117 Coupe didn't seem to see any changes before hit it's original, limited production guise.
The entire double-page spread is pretty awesome to behold, so here it is here!
Cheers guys!
Dave
I haven't been putting up as many brochures as I'd like lately, so here's something COMPLETELY different!
This scan comes from Car magazine (UK) from an article on the Tokyo Motor Show that was run in their January 1967 issue. Just to let you know, I don't have this issue, but I borrowed this cool book from my mate at work that has select articles from the 1960s and 1970s... and when I picked up this 150+ page book, THIS was the first page I opened up to! Freaky!
It's got some VERY interesting info... including some incredibly rare and expensive cars... and their musings on what these vehicles might do into the future.
For the sake of completion, I've put up both sides of the page; I've had to do some tricky copying and pasting as well as the book is hardcover and didn't want to scan the centre area, so if it looks a bit weird there, that's why.
The first page (page 54 of the magazine) includes a Daihatsu (probably Campagno-based) coupe designed by Vignale and a Hino race car. They mention in the text that Hino had just been bought by Toyota, too.
The bottom two cars are perhaps the most iconic Japanese cars of all time (sorry Bellett owners... you know it's true though!); the original Mazda Cozmo L10A and the Toyota 2000GT in a gorgeous brown (I love brown sports cars... why is this so?). Interestingly, the caption states that the 2000GT has a 1488cc DOHC six-cylinder motor. So guys... what's the "2000" in "2000GT" stand for again?
The captions for the next pictures are also on page one.
- 1967 - 01 - Tokyo Motor Show - 01 - Daihatsu, Hino, Cosmo and 2000GT.jpg (320.91 KiB) Viewed 45813 times
It shows the Nissan Prince Royal, a 6373cc V8 limousine built solely for Emperor Hirohito. It was noted that it would not go into production, however my research shows that a total of 8 were built; not exactly production numbers mind you! They were an impressive looking car and weighed 3.2 tonnes!
The next vehicle is the Daihatsu Fellow, one of the then-ubiquitous 360cc-madated Kei cars; the Fellow was always pretty blocky, taking the maximum measurements of the Kei-car segment to the extreme!
The next two cars are what we're after though; one is clearly an Isuzu Florian, but with no grille we've ever seen on a Florian, while the other is a 117 Coupe.
The captions note them in reverse order with picture "7 - Isuzu 117 Sport first seen at Geneva is by Ghia - unlikely to go into production". WRONG!!!! It continues "unlike 8 the factory-adapted saloon version. Both are built around the existing all-independent Bellet (sic) chassis". Well, WRONG again, Car magazine!
- 1967 - 01 - Tokyo Motor Show - 02 - Crown, Fellow, Florian and 117 Coupe.jpg (309.05 KiB) Viewed 45813 times
I have to admit, I think that THIS Florian grille might actually be the most attractive Florian I've seen; the twin headlight surrounds look similar to those of the Bellett while the split front grille breaks up the wide front nicely. The blinkers are fitted above the bumper. Is this a pre-production prototype? Most certainly, as the Florian is being referred to by it's project name which was 117... as we all know, the 117 Coupe retained that code; for what reason I don't know. Perhaps they thought it sounded cool?
Check out this grille!
- Isuzu 117 sedan (Florian prototype).jpg (145.4 KiB) Viewed 45813 times
The cut of the front guards, which still appear to fit the unique headlights that were on the first production model supports this theory. This way, when the vintage TV-headlighted Florian was released later in 1967, it was a fresh looking car!
Interestingly, they mentioned that Mazda showed off estate (wagon) and twin-carb versions of the Bertone-styled Luce 1500 (known just as 1500 here) and that "while Mazda was giving the Luce a sporting image, Isuzu was trying to get rid of one on its Bellet (sic) - producing the Bellet B with oblong headlamps and a subtly redesigned rear suspension using a rigid rear axle with semi-elliptic springs in place of the other model's independent, semi-trailing arm system".
It doesn't shed anymore light into why the Bellett B exists, although we're all fairly certain it was to bridge a gap between the outgoing Bellel and the new Florian. The text goes on, "So as not to lose its sporting following completely, though, it also had on show a very neatly done fastback version of the 1600GT tourer...".
So the PR91G Fastback was there! Pity there are no pics! Perhaps it's Googling time.
It continues, "...and two prototypes: a lovely Ghia-designed and built 117 Coupe and a four-door 117 saloon based on the coupe - an approach completely opposite to the European".
I'm not sure it really went down that way; I'm fairly certain the basic Florian mechanicals and footprint would have been established before the brief to make a sporty version was sent to Ghia; if it has been the other way around, you'd expect the Florian to be a better handler than it was!!
The 117 Coupe didn't seem to see any changes before hit it's original, limited production guise.
- Isuzu 117 Sport (117 Coupe prototype).jpg (140.52 KiB) Viewed 45813 times
- 1967 - 01 - Tokyo Motor Show - 03 - merged.jpg (298.67 KiB) Viewed 45813 times
Cheers guys!
Dave
ever selling, as they say, "THATS LIFE". 
