Isuzu Piazza

The Isuzu Piazza (also known as the Isuzu Impulse in the United States and the Holden Piazza in Australia) is a small sporty 3-door liftback coupé that was manufactured by Isuzu from 1981 to 1992 in two generations. In Australia it was sold by Holden, the local division of Isuzu's parent company, General Motors (GM).

The first generation Impulse was a rear-wheel drive car, and in the United Kingdom it was the first widely available Isuzu.

The second generation was available as front-wheel drive or all-wheel drive. It was the basis for the Gemini Coupe, or Geo Storm as it was known in the U.S. market.

1980–1990

In 1978, Isuzu commissioned Giorgetto Giugiaro to design a new sporty car to replace the 117 Coupe (also a Giugiaro design). They delivered several T Series Chevettes (developed in 1973 in South America) to the Italdesign studio in Italy and allowed Giugiaro free rein over the design. The result of this effort was the wedge-shaped three-door hatchback called the Asso di Fiori ("Ace of Clubs") prototype and show car, that was shown at the 1979 Tokyo Motor Show to rave reviews. Giugiaro referred to the design as his fifth "Copernican revolution", integrating the design innovations of many different previous designs into one, mass producible, vehicle.Alfieri, Giugiaro Italdesign Catalogue Raisonné 1959–1987, Vol. 2, . Accessed 2007-02-13. Within 48 hours of its unveiling at the...
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