One of Paul Niedermeyer’s most prized Curbside finds in The Land That Rust Forgot (aka Eugene, Oregon) was an Isuzu I-Mark diesel. He first covered it in 2014, following up his piece in 2015 to advise us the car was still running. And it’s not much of a gamble to say that, a year later, that trusty, reliable Isuzu is probably still clattering around Eugene. Paul pondered how many of these cars could still be running (well, ambling) around as daily drivers. The answer is: at least two.
It’s not a coupe like Paul’s I-Mark mark, as Australia lost that bodystyle in 1978. It also wears Holden badges rather than Isuzu ones and was assembled in Australia, but otherwise it’s the same car right down to that “power”-plant under the hood. The naturally-aspirated 1.8 four-cylinder Isuzu diesel produced a mere 51 hp and 72 ft-lbs of torque.
While many Geminis of this era have been tricked out, ridden hard and used up, this diesel seems to have enjoyed a much more placid life befitting its leisurely demeanor. Holden made the diesel available only in the top-spec SL/X sedan and, thankfully, with only a five-speed manual transmission available. The oiler also commanded a sizeable $1,000 premium over the regular 1.6 petrol mill. The Gemini (and I-Mark) had been restyled for 1979 and, in sedan form, it strongly resembled the new Holden Commodore; wagons used carryover sheetmetal aft of the A-pillar. The diesel engine was a new mill developed by Isuzu and first launched in other markets in 1980. The T-Car platform was ageing, however, having first launched in 1973; it would live into the mid-1980s in most markets and, astonishingly, lasted until as late as 1998 in Colombia.
The Gemini was an enduring sales success for Holden and thousands left the old Acacia Ridge factory on Brisbane’s southside each year. The diesel was only a niche player however, given it was limited to one transmission, one body style and one trim level. The diesel was restricted to the SL/X because the engine was imported from Japan and Holden still had to reach an 85% local content figure. Although a small seller, the diesel’s buyers were loyal: a resident of Kenmore, around half an hour from the old Gemini factory, reached a million kilometres in his 1984 Gemini diesel (link here) and claims his trusty diesel has only broken down once. Another owner says he regularly gets between 5-6 l/100km (42-45 mpg), which must make that agonizingly slow acceleration somewhat worthwhile; Popular Science recorded a 0-60 time of 25 seconds, on par with other diesels of the era but absolutely tepid by modern standards. For comparison’s sake, the 1.6 petrol achieved around 9-10 l/100km (23-26 mpg) and produced 67 hp and 81 ft-lbs. Despite slow sales, Holden offered the diesel until the end of the RWD Gemini’s run in 1985.
Geminis of all different stripes are becoming an increasingly rare sight on Australian roads so spying one of the rarest Geminis at my local shopping mall was as much of a delight to me as Paul’s I-Mark spotting was for him. Now, has anyone else spotted one of these?
Related Reading:
Curbside Classic: 1985-89 Isuzu I-Mark
Holden WH Statesman at 1:00 in the first photo!
I promise to shoot a Daewoo Maepsi if I ever find one, which means I’ll never have too!
Maepsy has always sounded like a medical condition to me.
Although I’m not from Australia, I’ve always liked cars that were designed, tested, and built in Australia, and I always wish that our American cars were designed, tested, and built the same way. Among my favourite Aussie built cars are the Holden HR Premier, the HQ Premier, the HQ Statesman, the WB Statesman, and the VB Commodore.
*VERY* cool ! .
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Many decades ago I spotted a yellow Isuzu Diesel Sedan in a rural Central California Junk Yard that was closing .
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It looked in O.K. shape but I knew nothing about Isuzu products and even less about Diesels at the time , just one more interesting Imported car at the time .
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When I lived in Guatemala City in 1976 , my brother in law had a brandy new Isuzu Diesel Sedan he was much enamored with .
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-Nate
Here in the USA, it was called the Isuzu I-Mark. At the time, I thought it was the most hideous looking car Isuzu offered. Today, I find it more attractive than anything produced today. I also like the diesel engine that came with the car. I’d buy one in a heartbeat if I could find one in decent driveable condition. 🙂
Isuzu build quite good diesel engines I’m driving a million km Giga cab 460 right now pulls like a train even from under 1000 rpm in top gear almost like a US type diesel if you want slooow acceleration this has it grossing 44 tonnes loaded its anything but fast, but back to the wee Gemini those engine spec are quite similar to my Hillman and even with the original engine it easily kept up with traffic including merging, thats what the entry lane is for, to get up to speed and then just blend into the traffic lane, Very few gemini alive over here theres one about locally sporting a blown Rover V8 but i havent seen a diesel in a long time, The Isuzu car diesel also got exported to Germany for assembly into Opels to supplement local Opel engine production we have quite a few early diesel Opel Vectras in NZ the Isuzu powered one is the better more durable engine.
Opel used the 1.5, 1.7 and 3.0 liter Isuzu diesels. The 3.0 V6 was also used by Renault and Saab.
The biggest Isuzu engine I’ve read about here was a 300 hp 7.8 liter in a Chevrolet tractor unit, owned by a rental company up north. Both the tractor and its engine are unique in Euro-trucking, as far as I know.
Which 3.0 and which Saab? I thought Saab used a GM engine in the 9.5. II can’t imagine the PRV unit in a Saab or Renault using a GM 3.0 litre (Safrane? Espace?). I’m curious!
Saab 9-5 3.0 TiD.
Brilliant. I didn’t know that. Super.
The one I drive is 460 + 18 speed road ranger but the same engine is chipped to 530hp in later models available in six and eight wheeler rigids and tractor units.
Good catch!
And the one here is still clattering along…
Chevy should have offered a ‘trunk-back’ Chevette, like other T-bodies. But they probably wanted to not steal sales from Nova/Malibu.
Or better yet, import an Australian version of the Gemini.
Its actually Japanese, just built in Australia by GMH.
Either way, I’d buy it. 🙂
They had later on in South America during the early 1990s. This body variation also had a two door station wagon as well.
I saw tons of those in Chile during the early-90s, they were popular as taxicabs.
I think they were just called ‘Chevys’ which was appropriate, since they were the ultimate in generic cars.
During the recent gas price crisis, around yr 2009, I saw light brown color one running to new York city from garden state Parkway, via NJ turnpike. I caught my attention was that it was a diesel engine car. I first saw this car was used as taxi in Guangzhou, China in late 1970s when China just opened to west, it, along with toyota crown diesel and datsun cerdic dieselcommon scene on the streets then
I would’ve preferred the 81-83 Isuzu I-Mark Diesel any day over the 06 Toyota Corolla that I bought in 2007.
It maybe an old boring and unattractive design but I don’t know why GM and Isuzu always finds a way to rename this car depending on the division. This was the last Chevrolet Chevette Sedan design in South America. Besides Chevy, this car had a lot of aliases such as: Buick Opel Isuzu, Opel Kadett, Isuzu Gemini which later became the Isuzu I-Mark at least here in North America and in Australia a Holden Gemini. Even Daewoo (now Korean General Motors) even got into the act and called this car Daewoo Maepsi. This Isuzu Gemini also gave beginnings to its same but stretched platform/chassis version of the 1G Isuzu Piazza/Impulse which BTW was almost as large as the Chevrolet Vega.
Holy moly, that car sports both a roof rack and a trailer hitch….I would not want to ever be behind it when it’s loaded. If nothing else, gear changes must produce a smokey black cloud at least as big as the car.
Wow, it’s been a long time since I’ve seen one of those! In fact, even with a Holden Dealer as an uncle, I wasn’t aware of their existence until I went to uni with a guy that had a red one – his was from QLD too! He replaced it with a VP Berlina LX in oh-so-fashionable 90s aqua before we graduated in the mid-late 90s, and I haven’t seen once since. And he went on to be a fighter pilot, so a diesel Gemini would not have fitted the image requirement there!
Surprised there hasn’t been a comment yet on the “Radial Tuned Suspension” badge that looks to be the same one used on mid-’70s Pontiac dashboards.
The RTS badge was on all Holdens from about 78 on, the handling did improve so the badges worked,
I wonder what difference it really made in the Gemini, compared with the full-size Holden that was sorely in need of the upgrades?
There was so much publicity around RTS after the HQ-HX debacle that they probably added it to everything just to get some sort of cross-vehicle halo (of sorts). But you’re right, it actually did make a difference on our fullsizers.
Oh definitely, but when you consider that they also put the RTS badges on Commodores which I doubt ever saw a cross-ply tyre, it is hard not to be a little cynical!
I occasionally see Geminis, even a wagon, but I doubt any were the diesel. At the Winton Festival of Speed recently there was a display of Isuzus from early Belletts, a Chev LUV and a 117 coupe to Geminis, including a ZZ/Z (on the right with the wind-splits on the front fenders). The name sounds like it should be a sleeper, but it was more like a snoozer because there weren’t any performance modifications just cosmetics. Later in the year there is going to be a big Isuzu Bellett show in Albury/Wodonga if any local Isuzu fans are reading.
ZZ/Z. Stupidest name in go-fasterdom.
Has anyone else spotted one of these? Yes, yes I have. Found this one at my workplace back in 2012–haven’t seen it since (I moved out of state) but based in its condition, it may well still be roaming the roads. No diesel badging but the rear bumper has a pronounced dark spot right over the tailpipe, so I’d call it likely.
I drive past the factory every day. It’s now a huge warehouse. Still, I don’t see any Gemini’s anymore.