Introducing a truly epic brochure!

Dated 39.9 (September 1964), this shows the original series 1300 in all its glory. Unlike later 1300 models, the earlier, tear-drop-tail-light Bellett 1300 was not identical to the 1500, featuring a basic grille and a single headlight on each side, something akin to a KE10 Corolla.

Scans cannot interpret how truly beautiful this brochure is. The cover shows an intricate, freeway-like motif surrounding the Bellett, finished in a reflective silver that did not scan well. All areas of the design outside of the Bellett have tiny lines to further confuse my scanner!



The second page is resplendent with an awesome three-quarter shot of the 1964 Bellett 1300 in full glory. The businessman is extremely seriously dressed and is pulling the fiercest of faces, yet is quite casually leaning against his car, almost to the point where he may fall over.

Often I will get a brochure and there will be an amount of disappointment where information and facts to that unique model were not revealed as I hoped they would; details shots of the tail end of the Bellett B and the Express wagon come to mind, but this has the 1300 grille in great details.

The bonnet shares the blue 'ISUZU' bar of the early models, but there the similarity ends. Even the bumpers appear different, with a three-piece design that I've seen on the back of some early Belletts, but not on the front.



Fierce!



The riches keep on coming with this detail drawing of the interior of the 1300 Bellett. The seats appear different to later models, being sort of squarer in a 1950's fashion, rather than the thinner buckets that seemed to appear soon after. The door trims are suitably basic with no door pockets and no brocade-style patterns that was a feature in the 1964 models.

Even the driver only gets the pull-to handle that was fitted only to the column-shift models here in Australia - no arm-rests for him!

The outline diagram of the Bellett shell around the interior is something to behold and is again printed in stunning silver.

This brochure was hard to scan; the pages are wider than A4 and this picture, like others, spans two-thirds of the open page.



The detail on the sidebar of this page is of the column-shift manual interior and of the rear of the car. The interior is different to that of the 1965 in that the backs of the seats are white, while the two 1965 column-shift cars I've owned both had seats that were one colour all over.



Another spread covering two-thirds of the page and another interior drawing. On the whole, the 1300 did not miss out on much; a cigarette lighter blank is about the main difference. Isuzu loved drawing their interiors!



Some features and options are shown here including the spacious glove box (there's enough room for the Kent cigarettes of course), the deep parcel tray (this time not being modelled by someone accessing it) and the nifty safety reflectors on the trailing edges of the doors.

Options include an AM radio (above the missing cigarette lighter) and the early-spec, Darth Vader-like heater under the dash.



This page was the first to be self-contained and not spread over half the book! The pictures feature a 1300 driving on what appear to be the worst roads in the world, somewhere out in the mountains. Interestingly, the 0-200m and 0-400m (aka "quarter mile") times are printed in the middle two pictures at the top. Hmm, not on THAT road!



Power and other specs are discussed here. This original 1300cc pumped out 58ps, which by 1968 had risen to 70ps (see viewtopic.php?f=31&t=78 - mistakenly listed as a 1970 - corrections to come). Standard diagrams of the steering, suspension and brakes included here too.



The Bellett 1300 was available as a 4-door and a 2-door sedan, surely the cheapest car in the range. Featured here, it shows some awesome red-and-white trim and the fantastic fold-down-out-of-the-way seat. Even Mrs Western Japanese woman will be able to get in there and stay demure. Above, the post-modern architecture combines with the modern new Bellett! I'm sure.



Happy Japanese people going shopping, Western-style! I don't think they bought anything, but at least they have a Bellett 1300. Perhaps they have one each as there's another in the background. Underneath is revealed the options in relation to stick-shift versus floor-shift, with floor shift being the only option available on the 2-door.



Finally we have the standard Isuzu Bellett specs table, showing the Bellett 1300 2-door landing in at a lightweight 905kg. Mind you, it's unlikely the 1300 G130 weights any less than it's 1500 counterpart. Also revealed at the bottom, right-hand side is the date, being September 1964 making this a fairly early brochure.



Best of all, this rear page also features a top picture of an Isuzu Wasp in corporate signage. It looks to be a dealer or factory service vehicle and has an excellent colour scheme! The fact that it is surrounded by Isuzu Hillman Minxes should give away it's an early brochure, even if I hadn't learned about the date-stamps a day or so ago!



All up, an awesome brochure that reveals a lot of detail about the base-model 1300 PR10 Bellett, a mystery vehicle outside of Japan no doubt!

Interesting also is that in the photo of the Wasp in the background are a couple of Isuzu Hillmans/Minx's.

It is great brochure, which shows some of the History of Isuzu showing the Minx's which were sold by Isuzu in there early days.

It is interesting to note the drawing of interiors, however ...

... when you consider that in the 60's no small digital cameras and a lot of studio cameras were the size of a small tea chest, rather than cut the roof off for a photo of the interior .. draw it, graphic artist san.

Somebody with better knowledge than I may even be able to tell you what cameras they had around then.

Cheers
Rob

Again Awsome, much enjoyment and intrigue. Yeah, those interior drawings/ink paintings had that sureal photographic finish to them.

The white driving glove also has an appearance again in the open glovebox shot ?!

Note different size/shape buckets are standard for the floor shift 2 door and 4 door. Any explanation ?

B.

Probably because the 2-door items have to flip forward!

I really like the 1300 2-Door, shame we didnt get the 2 door sedans down here.