(first posted 4/12/2013) Quick: Name an American-built pickup truck from the late 1990s that is not called Ford, Chevy, GMC or Dodge. OK, then, I mean yesterday, before you read the headline. Would you have guessed “Isuzu Hombre”? If so, you are a better person than I am.
I am a sucker for oddball vehicles–you know, the kind that languish in showrooms and within five years are remembered by virtually nobody. Today we have such a vehicle. Just how obscure is this one? Wiki asserts it may be the rarest North American pickup of the ’90s. Wiki’s editors note that there is no citation for that fact, but is one really needed?
Poor Isuzu. Other than the Trooper of the 1980s and the Rodeo SUV that you read about here last week, have they ever been able to build a vehicle that more than a couple of hundred people in the entire U.S. can remember? In a way, Isuzu is sort of like Peugeot–revered and successful throughout the developing world, yet unable to even sniff at success in America. And poor Paul–is this an American or Asian truck? I’m glad I am not managing the CC index.
From 1988 through 1995, Isuzu built its own pickup (cleverly named the Isuzu Pickup), in Lafayette, Indiana. Related to the Rodeo (also built in Lafayette), the little truck was known worldwide as the TF (or third series) pickup, and as the Faster in its home market. It could have been the vehicle with more worldwide names than any other, including the Chevrolet LUV (Americas), Vauxhall Brava (UK), Isuzu Dragon Eyes (Thailand), Isuzu Fuego (Philippines), and so many others that I have tired of looking them up and re-typing them here. After the 1995 model year, production of the vehicle was discontinued at the Lafayette plant, although it continued to be built for another seven years elsewhere in the world. One may presume that Isuzu figured to sell more Passports through Honda dealers than it could sell pickups (sorry, I mean Pickups) through its own dealers.
So, you ask (and quite reasonably): Why is he talking so much about the TF series that came before the Hombre rather than the Hombre itself? The answer is that the TF at least had more than four paragraphs written about it across the entire internet, which is more than we can say about the Hombre. Really, now, a show of hands: Who out there has ever even HEARD of an Hombre? And be honest. Let’s see – six . . . seven . . . eight, back there by the door . . . OK, it looks like eight.
I will confess that I was one of the vast multitude who’d have lost a $5 bet on the existence of this car. Then, about two weeks ago, I stumbled across this one, which was parked next to a downtown Indianapolis parking meter. There was something odd about the grille on the green “S-10” I was approaching on the way back to my own car–it looked vaguely like a grille on some Isuzu models. Then I saw the “Hombre” badges on the doors and tailgate.
Photo source: Wikipedia
“Holy Crap” was all I could think. I whipped out my phone camera and started to document the automotive equivalent of finding an okapi (a rarely seen African animal that resembles both a giraffe and a zebra) in the wild. Just who exactly would be driving an Isuzu Hombre in downtown Indianapolis?
You have probably figured out that these were produced on the same Shreveport, LA assembly lines as the Chevy S-10 and GMC S-15 that came out that same year. Why they chose not to call it either an S-5 or an S-20, well, I can’t say. I also can’t tell you how the Hombre got completely different front fenders, front bumper and rear bed quarters than its line-mates. Undoubtedly, the GM product planners expected the Hombre to be the style (and volume) leader of the line, which required having fender flares at all four wheel openings. Or not. I quit trying to figure out the thinking of GM product planners a long time ago. Or could this have been an Isuzu project with enough of a budget for some unique sheet metal? Again, I have no answers; however, I can tell you that this is a 1999 or 2000 model from the revised grille. Does this mean I’m now ready for the exams to be certified as a national expert on this little truck? This is just sad.
Motor Trend gave this vehicle a look in its April 1996 issue. They liked the low price (around $11,500) and the fender flares (seriously), but wished that an automatic transmission would have been among the options available with the 2.2-liter four–but really, who needs an automatic when they have fender flares?
I tried unsuccessfully to find some production figures. Maybe MCT, our production number guru, can help out here. I did, however, stumble across a fabulous sentence on a timeline found on planetizuzu.com: “1996 – Isuzu’s sales peak in the United States. The Isuzu Hombre pickup was introduced.” There you have it. Isuzu was humming along, minding its own business and doing just fine, when the Hombre crashes the party and starts everything swirling down the drain. Clearly, the introduction of the Hombre marked the beginning of the end of Isuzu vehicles being taken seriously.
I have been trying to take the Hombre seriously, but I just can’t. I have, however, begun to develop an appreciation for its camp factor. I’ve never considered myself a big fan of this generation of S-10; how can you drive a pickup that looks so much like a big carp from the front? But the Hombre is, well, just different. You’ll certainly not find another one on your street. Or City. Or County. Or . . . oh, never mind. In fact, I did a search on AutoTrader.com. Would you guess that there was not a single Hombre for sale within 200 miles of my zip code? I sort of like the little thing, but I simply will NOT go more than 200 miles for one.
So, just what do I like about it? It’s simple, it looks better than an S-10, and if you find one it will absolutely have a stick shift. And say whatever else you will about the thing, it is undeniably unique. But there is one more reason–but dare I state it? OK, then. I know you’ve been waiting for this throughout the entire piece, so here goes: Because it’s one tough Hombre, that’s why.
Out of curiosity, I checked out my local Craigslist, and what do you know — there’s a Hombre for sale. A 2000 Hombre with 221,000 miles for the oddly precise asking price of $1,218:
https://norfolk.craigslist.org/cto/d/2000-isuzu-hombre/6563109023.html
I test drove a purple one in Indy last year with the 2.2L and a claimed 80k on the clock, ended up buying a ’97 Ranger. This spring I was once again in the hunt for a cheap hauler/commuter and there was one listed in Noblesville (rust free Florida truck with working A/C and faded paint) for $2500ish that I never heard back from the seller on. Ended up with another Ranger, this time a ’94 (both Lima 5spd RWD reg cabs). I also test drove a ’95 S10 with the 4.3L and stick in a regular cab down in Beech Grove before settling on another Ranger. The S10s and their derivatives have smoother rides as a function of not having the Ford’s ancient but sturdy twin I beam front end, but the Rangers just feel like actual tought little trucks. Like an F150 that was shrunk down. The S10s feel flimsier and more car like, but I certainly know they can go the distance mechanically. The ’03-’97 Rangers seem much less rust prone than the equivalent year GMs as well.
i have a 96 hombre. uncle bought it new here in upstate ny. For some reason, most of them (mine included) were bright teal or other weird colors. Maybe part of the bad deal with GM. And oddly optioned, as previously mentioned, they were all 4 cyl 5spd manual but with uplevel AC, carpet, stereo and seats. Like an LT level interior, but with manual windows and no automatic.
Anyhow I keep it as a beater for teens to drive; very rusty but will run and drive forever. I dont think you could make a case that the 4cyl S10 is any less of a cockroach then the 4cyl Ranger. Both run forever with no maintenance.
I’ve heard of the S10s wearing timing chains on the 2.2L by 100k and a smattering of head gasket issues, but certainly many have also gotten to 200k+ miles with few issues. I do give Rangers the edge (in a big way) in rust resistance. I also think the crude Ranger front suspension is sturdier in the long run. But I’ve not actually owned an S10, just test driven used ones.
I am sure some bought the Hombre, thinking “it’s an import, so it has to be better than the Chevy”. And would still think better if shown was built in same factory. “Well they have better inspectors after they are built” ?
Someone once said the Mazda version of Ranger is better, since Mazda has a ‘better dealer experience”. Really?
I like the way you blocked out the license plate so that it just reads “TK”. It makes it look like the license plate is going to be filled in later (because TK is editor shorthand for “to come”, a placeholder for additional content to be added later).
I’ve seen an Hombre or two but I have never seen an Isuzu i-series (the Chevy Colorado rebadge). Bet those are even more rare…
There is one of these on a Craigslist near me, it is white and has the same type of front end damage as this one has.
I never understood the flared rear fenders, either, unless it was another case of GM copying it’s crosstown rival. Ford built Mazdas with a slightly different set of rear fenders than the nearly identical Ranger.
More puzzling is the not being able to get an automatic transmission with a 4 cylinder.
Probably the rarest model for these is the extended cab model, I have seen maybe 1 in the last 20 years.
CC effect – saw my first ever Hombre today (AFAIK) about an hour after reading this.
Another rebadge of this thing is Holden, we have a very similar turbo diesel ute in the runabout fleet where I work behind the cab its a flat deck with multiple tool boxes it was the mechanics ute but now is just a general purpose ute it a Hilux and an old Terrano are my favourites as they are five speed manuals all the Rangers we have are auto.
I’ve only seen two of them, a white one sitting along a curb with parking tickets under the wiper, and I swear, the one pictured in the article, both about a year ago. I’ve known a lot of people with S-10s and S-15’s, and most of them were very happy with them, they are one tough little truck.
IIRC, the ’94 or ’95 Hombre was the last carbureted vehicle sold in America
That was the Isuzu Pickup in ’94 as I remember. Simply being a rebadged/restyled S10, the Hombre was always fuel injected.
I see this thread has been on a long time. I just purchased a 1999 Hombre. Extended cab, 2.2 engine. 5spd trans. I didn’t realize the family connection with S-10, but it did have something familiar about it. 129,533 miles. Runs great. Green. I too lik the front end better than the S-10. Bediner, tail lights have been upgraded to LED. I (and my wife)
are que happy with our little “Izzy”. It took about 2 weeks to get with the seller and test drive the truck. We paid $1800 and are happy. Parts are cheap and plentiful. We hope to drive Izzy for a long time.
My parents bought an Hombre for a basic work truck back in 2004. Fifteen years later it’s still alive and kicking. Never died and keeps going. We’ve towed three times what its supposed to be able to tow back and forth between Oregon and California and its never let us down. Really been an amazing vehicle.
I still Own and drive the 1997 Isuzu Hombre that I bought new for $8695 plus tax .. 181k and still going .
Saw this one in Nashville TN today
I bought my little 1998 hombre off my brother a few years ago, he still kicks himself every time I roll up in it! He bought it down in Florida so it had little rust, Minnesota winters have been working on that. I knew it was rare because people comment on it all the time. Even had one guy who thought I had named my truck Hombre! I had no idea how rare it is until I read this article. Mine says 163,600 on the dash and it’s an automatic transmission. Best little truck ever! I plan on keeping it running till I die.
Another odd little vehicle .
Now I’ll have to begin looking for these, oughta be a few in So. Cal……
I can’t understand why they’d sell a bare bones truck with pillowy cloth seats .
-Nate
Mazda B-Series same time period. They were Ford Rangers.