50,000th Isuzu/Gm Gas Low Cab Forward Rolls Off The Line In Janesville

Janesville, WI April 13, 2005; The 50,000th Isuzu/GM Gas Low Cab Forward (LCF) rolled off the line at the Janesville Assembly Plant in Janesville, Wis., today. Flowers Industries, Inc, the nation’s top N-Series Gas model purchaser received the medium-duty truck.

"We are extremely proud of this milestone," said Jim Underwood, president, General Motors Isuzu Commercial Truck, LLC (GMICT). "Durability, reliability and customer satisfaction have been cornerstones of Isuzu medium-duty trucks; this event reinforces our dedication to these foundations. This product is ideal for the commercial business which desires the outstanding maneuverability and visibility of an LCF truck but is driving less than 25,000 miles per year."

In 1985 Isuzu manufactured their first N-Series truck, and then expanded the line with the only gasoline models in the industry. Today the gasoline NPR and NPR HD models are available with the Vortec 6000 6.0L engine, which delivers 300 horsepower and 360 lb.-ft of torque. The gas LCF models are also marketed as General Motors Chevrolet and GMC W-Series products.

"Hitting the 50,000 production mark is an amazing experience for everyone involved," said Jim Burke, NPR production superintendent. "We are unique in that the NPR is the only LCF gasoline model in the U.S. We have built a reputation based on the product’s strength and quality of production. That is why we are here today."

The NPR plant, located next to Janesville Assembly Plant, manufactures all gasoline-powered versions of the Isuzu N-Series and GM W-Series LCF trucks. They are then shipped to Isuzu and General Motors for badging.

Isuzu and GM LCF commercial trucks dominated the Class 3-5 low cab forward medium-duty truck market share in 2004 with a 79 percent share. Isuzu also has been the best-selling cab-over brand in the U.S. since 1986. Of the over 340,000 Isuzu-built diesel trucks sold in the US since 1984, more than 86 percent are still registered and in service, as are 98.6 percent of gasoline trucks sold since 1993.