This brochure is perhaps the earliest of the Bellett GT brochures, showing the earliest of the Bellett GTs!

Bellett.net user Degruch has kindly put a PR90 brochure up on the site previously, however on closer inspection this is revealed to be a 'later' PR90.

Further to this, Degruch's brochure is in Engrish ("Obnoxious smudges left on windshield after a rain fall are completely wiped off with its screen washer for optimum driving safety!"), whereas this is strictly a JDM brochure, in Japanese.

The later PR90 brochure can be seen here:

http://www.bellett.net/forums/viewtopic.php?f=31&t=217

For side-by-side comparison, the first page of the later PR90 brochure is reproduced here:



Here is the earlier PR90, the first page of this 1965-spec (Emperor date Showa 40.2) brochure:



The most obvious difference is that the later PR90 had 13" wheels with wheelcovers shared with the proceeding Bellett GT range; these were not changed throughout the PR91 and PR95 range and were also fitted to the 1600 Sport of the 1970s.

The stainless steel door frames that are found on most Bellett 1600GTs are also missing from this early version.

It is thought not many of these 14"-wheeled, stainless-steel-lacking early PR90s came out to Australia, although certainly DUN-999, the official test car featured in so many magazines, conformed to this specification.

The Westernisation of the Japanese was in full swing with this pipe-toting, blazer-wearing model!

The second page features the top-of-the-range (and only option in Australia) Bellett 1600GT, but also the swish (and presumably cheaper) PR80 Bellett 1500GT. The most obvious difference is the 1500GT badge, which from a distance is distinguishable due to it's red colour, rather than the black of the PR90 1600GT badge.



Correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't that the same guy in the same suit who proudly sat next to his Bellett 1300 sedan and gave us fierce eyes?



I do believe it is! That guy loves buying the cheaper models every time!

The third page details the interior, which appears the same as the later PR90, however the later machine appears to have a black toggle switch to the left of the ashtray, while the early PR90 has either a red light or a red switch. Perhaps someone who a) can speak Japanese or b) owns a PR90 in original order can shed light on what control was actually changed there.



Although not illustrated in Degruch's brochure, the later PR90 should have had a cast rocker cover with ISUZU emblazed on it in fast-looking 1960's writing, whereas this has a rough-hewn look and the most basic of signage. Also unsure if the later PR90 featured cable throttle linkages, but the early model certainly does, in lieu of the mechanical linkages that are a feature of all other Bellett variants!

The rear page gives us the important specs table and diagrams but there is so much more interesting detail here than what is normally found at the back of a brochure!

Firstly, there is the gloriously misty and mysterious picture of the PR80 Bellett 1500 Coupe. Although visibly the same as the PR80 GT and the PR90, the Bellett 1500 Coupe features another red badge, this time with the words '1500 Coupe' rather than 1500 or 1600 GT.

The specs table reveals more including a 20PS (PferdeStarke or 'horse strength') deficit in power from the 1500 Coupe to the full-strength PR90 1600GT. The car is lighter, but certainly not by enough to make a major difference.

Another matter of difference between the PR80 Coupe and the GT twins is the gearing, however there also appears to be the option of different diff gears optional across the range with both 3.778:1 and 4.111:1 available.

In comparing the earlier PR90 Bellett 1600GT with the later-spec example from the other brochure mentioned, engine output is down, with the early PR90 having 88PS which equates to about 86.7 horsepower, whereas the later PR90 had a power increase to 91 horse power.



Finally, just when you thought this brochure was spent, there is one more detail to check out. The diagram shows the standard, recogniseable PR80/PR90 Bellett range in front, rear and side view, however from the top view the tail lights are clearly those of the sedan.

The reason for this has been touched on before. The first pre-production batch of Bellett GTs, approximately 8 in all from what I've been told, actually featured the early PR20 sedan grille and tail lights coupled with Bellett GT bumpers and front indicators.

Here is a pic of one of those prototypes with the teardrop tail lights:



I'm not sure if this diagram has been corrected in Degruch's later PR90 brochure as it's not quite clear enough to tell.

This was certainly an interesting brochure with the right amount of weird unheard of specifications, weird Westernised models and, as usual, the sensational photography we expect from an Isuzu Bellett brochure!

Ah, you know they all look the same, that is, seriuos sophisticated dudes in brochures. But for the variations in GTness ? . How original was the teardrop look, although it's days were limited ? Very clever Isuzu It's as if the funky Idea of the coupe was built around the dimensions of the sedan so that alot of things, and more importantly, the running gear was all interchangable. Was the standard 1500 coupe a prototype to see weather this configuration would work and what other possibilities there could be

The interior dash pic is awsomely classic and smacks of prototismn. One can only clearly recognise the stearing wheel and 2 major dash dials as the discerning factors.

Much enjoyment, Dave

B

Fantastic score Dave!

I think the teardrop tail-lamps look pretty cool...but anything looks cool on a GT (except maybe the late model 4 square tail-lamps). All my old Japanese brochures seem to have something whacky in them...my favourite is the Prince Skyline brochure illustrating the strength of the chassis by placing an elaborate pot plant placed in the middle of the floor!?! Daihatsu brochures had the best Engrish, Toyota brochures were always the slickest and most Westernised. Isuzu had the most debonaire models, no doubt.

Cheers for posting!
Duane

GTtoo... the PR80 coupe was a full production model. built from Sept. 64 until Sept. 67, the same timeline as the PR80 & 90 GT's. i'd say they were built in very small numbers tho, as the PR90 was definitly the most popular of the 3 offered, but as far as all "normal" GT's go, the PR90 was the rarest, so the coupe would be like the proverbial hens teeth. hence, the "coupe" idea never really re-surfaced.
the PR80 coupe was a PR80/90 GT body with PR20 sedan running gear. while the PR80 GT was a PR90 GT body, it had a 1500 engine with the hotty bits, but it was all PR90 GT for the rest of it. the PR80 coupe was all PR20 sedan underneath, including the single carb 1500 and drum brake front end.
when i wrote "never really re-surfaced", isuzu did build a single carb GT later in life, that being the model code PR95N, which was an 1800 GT with lower compression, single carb, and factory air con. isuzu documentation called it the "GT Saloon". the main difference in the single carb ideas was that isuzu did call this car a "GT", unlike the PR80 "Coupe".

Thanks for the wealth of info PR91. This pretty much confirmes my line of guessing, Isuzu very clever in a range of variability and interchangability. But I can understand how the PR90 became the more popular option (not speaking biasly of course :lol) So would that make the "GT saloon" more like rare as snails teeth ? Are there any around still ?

B.

honestly B, i really don't know.
the PR80 Coupe would require alot of work to turn it into a "GT", but the PR95N wouldn't, as from what i can tell from photographs (really wish i could see 1 in person!!), the only obviously visual difference is the single or twin carbs,
the Saloon was available around the start of the 70's oil crisis, so maybe they could have been an attractive option meaning more than usual, but i'm really guessing here.
i have seen alot of 1800GT's for sale on the various japanese website, as well as in magazines like Nostalgic Hero, but they have all had twin carbs. having said that tho, were they all originally twin carb GT's, or a bolt on done sometime in each car's life since?? alot of these cars have got my attention as they have had the factory air con installed, as the Saloon did standard, but again, was it originallly there on each car i've seen??
i also believe the air con was an option on the 'normal' GT too, so there is another possiblity that a car may have had it since day 1.
adding to the confusion, i've seen some of these GT's with the DOHC engine too, so some would have had the whole engine changed at some time too, just to make things more difficult!!
mate, simply......................... TOO MANY VARIATIONS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Yeah, I get the point PR91. So...even an "abnormally normal" GT like yours or mine could originally have been fitted with aircon as option. (think Ive seen pic of one on this forum)

Could have done with one today

B