Is 117 Coupe the first Euro-Japanese collaboration? UPDATE: It isn't

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No points for guessing the origins of this Friday Lady photo. Yes, it’s from the Land of the Rising Sun, the Country of Cherry Blossoms or the Flowery Kingdom – of course: Japan. But as with more Japanese cars of the late 1960s and early 1970s this one had a European flavour too. It’s a Isuzu 117 Coupe, which was launched 50 years ago this year on the Tokyo Motor Show and styled by Giorgetto Giugiaro. In fact a prototype of the Dino-esque Coupe had been seen on the Geneva motor show as early as in 1966.

Having said that, could this car possibly be the first of the first Japanese cars designed by an Italian stylist? According to several sources it was also at least one of the very first Japanese cars with a DOHC engine, and the first with (Bosch-sourced) electronic fuel injection. Also: ‘it can be regarded as the world's first sports car to be available with a diesel engine’ (!). The first few years of production meant hand-built cars which came with gorgeous leather interiors with dashboards trimmed with Taiwanese camphor laurel wood. In Europe this remains a much undervalued car, but in Japan they are becoming much sought after now. Find one, if you can.

UPDATE: Both the Datsun Bluebird (Pininfarina, 1963) as the Hino Contessa (Michelotti, 1964) predate the Italo-Japanese Isuzu. Do you know of others?

(Words editor, picture Masaru Mochida (classiccar-bijo.com))

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