Called the Bellett Express, and an even rarer 2-door pickup truck known as the Isuzu Wasp. After General Motors acquired a stake in Isuzu, the Bellett was replaced by GM’s “global” T-car, initially called Isuzu Bellett Gemini and later simply Isuzu Gemini, which technically had little to do with its predecessor. A total of 170,737 of original Belletts were manufactured.

It was an in-house designed replacement for the Hillman Minx, assembled previously by Isuzu under a license agreement. The name “Bellett” was supposedly to represent “a smaller Bellel”.

The car was available as a 4-door or 2-door sedan, a rare 2-door station wagon, called the Bellett Express, and an even rarer 2-door pickup truck known as the Isuzu Wasp.

It was available as a four door S sedan, a four door SL sedan and as a two door SL coupe. The TX Gemini was built at Holden’s factory at Acacia Ridge in Queensland and contained a high percentage of Australian content.

All TX models shared the same 1.6 litre SOHC Isuzu engine (coded the G161Z), the engine was chain driven and incorporated a cross-flow design alloy head. A two-barrel ‘Nikki’ Stromberg carburettor was used on Australian models. Early TX models used a cast-iron free flow exhaust manifold, with two outlets into a ‘Y’ pipe was used (this item is commonly used by modifiers for later models). From November 1976 this was changed to a single outlet exhaust header to comply with EPA regulations.

In Malaysia, the truck is manufactured by Heavy Industries Corporation of Malaysia (HICOM) under the name of HICOM Perkasa, but carrying the Isuzu N-Series Commando badge. Manufacturing began in 1958 with the first cars going to Asia. Australia was another important market for the Elf & N-Series - to the extent that it was manufactured there from the 1970s using many local components.

For the Chilean and Peruvian markets the trucks come in boxes in SKD regime to Huechuraba, Chile, where up to 7 a day can be assembled by a team of 13 workers. Every piece comes from Japan.

Holden in Australia produced the Gemini as a three door station wagon and three door panel van, which were derived from the Vauxhall Chevette wagon, with Gemini front panels. The Australian Holden Gemini was fitted with an Isuzu G161Z engine, although some models were available with a diesel variant of an Isuzu G180 engine. The more common G161Z was a 1.6-liter 8 valve SOHC fed by a Nikki carburettor. The Holden Gemini was Wheels magazine’s Car of the Year for 1975.

In Europe, the 1976 Gemini was equipped with a 1.3-liter engine known as the 1g13c, which was adopted by Opel in Germany for their Opel Kadett.

Isuzu and sold from 1974 to 2000. The same basic product was built and/or sold under several other names, sometimes by other General Motors brands, in various markets around the world.
The first Gemini was the 1974 Bellett Gemini. It was based on the third-generation Opel Kadett on the General Motors T-car platform and came in four-door sedan and two-door coupe body styles.

# 1987 - SIA (Subaru-Isuzu Automotive) is established as a joint venture with Fuji Heavy Industries (parent company of Subaru). Shortly thereafter, the Lafayette, Indiana plant becomes operational.
# 1993 - Isuzu ceases to export the Stylus (Geo Spectrum), its last cars in America, after ending the Impulse (Geo Storm) the year before.
# 1994 - Isuzu announces new vehicle exchange program with Honda, providing Honda with the Isuzu Rodeo (to be sold as the Honda Passport) and Isuzu Trooper (to be sold as the Acura SLX) and providing Isuzu with the Honda Odyssey (to be sold as the Isuzu Oasis). This has the effect of adding two SUVs to Honda’s lineup and a minivan to Isuzu’s lineup.
# 1996 - Isuzu’s sales peak in the United States.
# 1998 - General Motors and Isuzu form DMAX, a joint venture to produce diesel engines. Isuzu resurrects the beloved Amigo. The uniquely styled VehiCROSS concept is unveiled.

In most of Asia, Africa, and Europe, Isuzu is mostly known for trucks of all sizes, after Isuzu small automobile sales drastically plummeted and Isuzu had to drop all sales of sedans and compact cars in the late 1990s. In the United States, Isuzu is mostly known for manufacturing rebadged Chevrolet Colorados as the Isuzu i-290 and the i-370, and also GMC’s Envoy has been rebadged as the Isuzu Ascender. These are currently the only passenger vehicles Isuzu markets in the United States. Isuzu as a corporation has always been primarily a manufacturer of small to medium compact automobiles and commercial trucks of sizes medium duty and larger, but markets around the world show different needs. Isuzu has a contract with Budget Truck Rental to manufacture their rental trucks. This contract is also shared with Ford, GMC, and Navistar International.

The first Gemini was the 1974 Bellett Gemini. It was based on the third-generation Opel Kadett on the General Motors T-car platform and came in four-door sedan and two-door coupe body styles.

In addition to sedan and coupe models, Holden in Australia produced the Gemini as a three door station wagon and three door panel van, which were derived from the Vauxhall Chevette wagon, with Gemini front panels. The Australian Holden Gemini was fitted with an Isuzu G161Z engine, although some models were available with a diesel variant of an Isuzu G180 engine. The more common G161Z was a 1.6-liter 8 valve SOHC fed by a Nikki carburettor. The Holden Gemini was Wheels magazine’s Car of the Year for 1975.

In Europe, the 1976 Gemini was equipped with a 1.3-liter engine known as the 1g13c, which was adopted by Opel in Germany for their Opel Kadett.

In most of Asia, Africa, and Europe, Isuzu is mostly known for trucks of all sizes, after Isuzu small automobile sales drastically plummeted and Isuzu had to drop all sales of sedans and compact cars in the late 1990s. In the United States, Isuzu is mostly known for manufacturing rebadged Chevrolet Colorados as the Isuzu i-290 and the i-370, and also GMC’s Envoy has been rebadged as the Isuzu Ascender. These are currently the only passenger vehicles Isuzu markets in the United States. Isuzu as a corporation has always been primarily a manufacturer of small to medium compact automobiles and commercial trucks of sizes medium duty and larger, but markets around the world show different needs. Isuzu has a contract with Budget Truck Rental to manufacture their rental trucks. This contract is also shared with Ford, GMC, and Navistar International.