Holden Shuttle
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The Isuzu Fargo is a light commercial
van A van is a type of road vehicle used for transporting goods or people. There is some variation in the scope of the word across the different English-speaking countries. The smallest vans, microvans, are used for transporting either goods or ...
manufactured between 1980 and 2001 by
Japan Japan is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean off the northeast coast of the Asia, Asian mainland, it is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan and extends from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea ...
ese automaker
Isuzu , commonly known as Isuzu (, ), is a Japanese multinational automobile manufacturer headquartered in Yokohama, Kanagawa Prefecture. Its principal activity is the production, marketing and sale of Isuzu commercial vehicles and diesel engines ...
in
Japan Japan is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean off the northeast coast of the Asia, Asian mainland, it is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan and extends from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea ...
. The Fargo spanned two generations, the first of which was sold between 1980 and 1995 as both
van A van is a type of road vehicle used for transporting goods or people. There is some variation in the scope of the word across the different English-speaking countries. The smallest vans, microvans, are used for transporting either goods or ...
and pickup body styles, with the second generation, introduced in 1995, confined to a single
van A van is a type of road vehicle used for transporting goods or people. There is some variation in the scope of the word across the different English-speaking countries. The smallest vans, microvans, are used for transporting either goods or ...
body style. This second generation was a
badge-engineered In the automotive industry, rebadging (also known as badge engineering, an intentionally ironic misnomer in that little or no actual engineering takes place) is a form of market segmentation used by automobile manufacturers around the world. ...
version of the Nissan Caravan (E24), as opposed to an Isuzu design. Between 1982 and 1990, the first-generation Fargo was marketed in Australia by
Holden Holden, formerly known as General Motors-Holden, was an Australian subsidiary company of General Motors. Founded in Adelaide, it was an automobile manufacturer, importer, and exporter that sold cars under its own marque in Australia. It was ...
, the Australian subsidiary of
General Motors General Motors Company (GM) is an American Multinational corporation, multinational Automotive industry, automotive manufacturing company headquartered in Detroit, Michigan, United States. The company is most known for owning and manufacturing f ...
as the Holden Shuttle. In Europe and New Zealand, the first series Isuzu Fargo was sold under the Isuzu WFR name. In Colombia, it was sold as the Chevrolet WFR. It was also built in the United Kingdom by
Vauxhall Motors Vauxhall Motors Limited , ;Company No. 00135767. Incorporated 12 May 1914, name changed from Vauxhall Motors Limited to General Motors UK Limited on 16 April 2008, reverted to Vauxhall Motors Limited on 18 September 2017. is a British Automoti ...
and sold as the Bedford Midi, then the Vauxhall Midi. Export versions of the Midi in Europe were badged GME Midi, Isuzu Midi, Bedford Midi and Bedford Seta (in Portugal). __TOC__


First generation (1980–1995)

The first-generation Isuzu Fargo was introduced in December 1980 with a 1.6- and 1.8-litre
petrol engine A petrol engine (gasoline engine in American and Canadian English) is an internal combustion engine designed to run on petrol (gasoline). Petrol engines can often be adapted to also run on fuels such as liquefied petroleum gas and ethanol blends ...
s, and a 1.8-litre
diesel engine The diesel engine, named after the German engineer Rudolf Diesel, is an internal combustion engine in which Combustion, ignition of diesel fuel is caused by the elevated temperature of the air in the cylinder due to Mechanics, mechanical Compr ...
. A 2.0-litre diesel was also available, but originally only in the wagon version. The commercial (van) version gained this option beginning in August 1981. Designed very much in the mould of contemporary Japanese vehicles of the time, it featured an underfloor engine.


Japanese market timeline

The 1.8-litre options were dropped in March 1982, both replaced by 2.0-litre engines. In July 1982, the luxury-oriented 9-seater LS Wagon was introduced, featuring a standard sunroof among other features. At the same time, the column shifter was retired and a floor-mounted shifter became standard across the line. In November 1983, diesels became available with part-time four-wheel drive. In January 1984, turbodiesel engines were introduced in the Wagon LF model, followed by the addition of optional four-wheel drive on wagons in November of that year. In January 1986, the Fargo received a facelift, with changes to the headlights (now somewhat wider and with a more trapezoidal shape) and the instrument panel. One year later, an
automatic transmission An automatic transmission (AT) or automatic gearbox is a multi-speed transmission (mechanics), transmission used in motor vehicles that does not require any input from the driver to change forward gears under normal driving conditions. The 1904 ...
became available on
rear-wheel drive Rear-wheel drive (RWD) is a form of engine and transmission layout used in motor vehicles, in which the engine drives the rear wheels only. Until the late 20th century, rear-wheel drive was the most common configuration for cars. Most rear-whee ...
variants. In September 1987, the naturally aspirated diesel wagons were discontinued, leaving only turbodiesels for these noncommercial versions. In October 1988, a short-lived cab-forward pickup (truck) body style was added; it was soon replaced by the more popular Isuzu Faster trucks. In January 1991, the 2.4-litre ''4FG1'' diesel engine introduced, replacing the earlier 1.8- and 2.0-litre units. Design changes were also made, to both the interior and exterior. In August 1993, the 2.4-litre ''4FG1-T''
turbodiesel The term turbo-diesel, also written as turbodiesel and turbo diesel, refers to any diesel engine equipped with a turbocharger. As with other engine types, turbocharging a diesel engine can significantly increase its efficiency and power output, ...
standardised across the range. Three-point rear seatbelts were now fitted to models fitted with rear seats and the
air conditioning Air conditioning, often abbreviated as A/C (US) or air con (UK), is the process of removing heat from an enclosed space to achieve a more comfortable interior temperature, and in some cases, also controlling the humidity of internal air. Air c ...
unit is now
chlorofluorocarbon Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) and hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs) are fully or partly Halogenation, halogenated hydrocarbons that contain carbon (C), hydrogen (H), chlorine (Cl), and fluorine (F). They are produced as volatility (chemistry), volat ...
free (CFC). File:Isuzu Fargo Truck 001.JPG, 1991–1995 Isuzu Fargo truck File:Isuzu Fargo Wagon 001.jpg, 1993–1995 Isuzu Fargo LS van File:Isuzu Fargo Wagon 002.jpg, 1993–1995 Isuzu Fargo LS van File:1996_Vauxhall_Midi_2.4_Diesel_(16115124668).jpg, Vauxhall Midi (United Kingdom) File:1990 Vauxhall Albany.jpeg, Vauxhall Albany, an upmarket version of the Bedford/Vauxhall Midi (United Kingdom) File:GME Midi, Donostia-San Sebastian, Spain.jpg, GME Midi (Europe)


Bedford Midi / Vauxhall Midi

General Motors-owned
Vauxhall Motors Vauxhall Motors Limited , ;Company No. 00135767. Incorporated 12 May 1914, name changed from Vauxhall Motors Limited to General Motors UK Limited on 16 April 2008, reverted to Vauxhall Motors Limited on 18 September 2017. is a British Automoti ...
offered a version of the Fargo as the Bedford Midi between 1985 and 1994. Following the sale of the Bedford Vehicles to AWD, the Bedford Midi was rebadged as the Vauxhall Midi. Versions sold in
continental Europe Continental Europe or mainland Europe is the contiguous mainland of Europe, excluding its surrounding islands. It can also be referred to ambiguously as the European continent, – which can conversely mean the whole of Europe – and, by som ...
and Ireland were sold under various names, including Bedford Seta (in Portugal), General Motors Midi, GME Midi, and Isuzu Midi. Between 1983 and 1988,
Industries Mécaniques Maghrébines The Industries Mécaniques Maghrébines S.A. (IMM) are a Tunisian car manufacturer headquartered in the city of Kairouan. The company was founded in 1982 by GM and other investors and closed for the first time in 1988; the plant was reopened in ...
(IMM) produced the Isuzu Midi at its
Kairouan Kairouan (, ), also spelled El Qayrawān or Kairwan ( , ), is the capital of the Kairouan Governorate in Tunisia and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The city was founded by the Umayyads around 670, in the period of Caliph Mu'awiya (reigned 661 ...
,
Tunisia Tunisia, officially the Republic of Tunisia, is a country in the Maghreb region of North Africa. It is bordered by Algeria to the west and southwest, Libya to the southeast, and the Mediterranean Sea to the north and east. Tunisia also shares m ...
, manufacturing facility. Built in
Luton Luton () is a town and borough in Bedfordshire, England. The borough had a population of 225,262 at the 2021 census. Luton is on the River Lea, about north-west of London. The town's foundation dates to the sixth century as a Saxon settleme ...
, the Midi brought few changes to the Japanese Fargo and replaced the old Bedford CF van. This was very much a stop-gap design to replace the old CF range, but a true CF replacement never came. The van also signified the end of Bedford, and its own designs as GM used other companies designs it co owned as a cheaper option. Talks were held with
Freight Rover Freight Rover was a British commercial vehicle manufacturer based in the Washwood Heath area of Birmingham, England. History Freight Rover was created as a division of the Land Rover Group of British Leyland (BL) in 1981, creating a new singl ...
during 1985 to produce the Sherpa 300 series van under licence; the idea was abandoned by the end of 1986. Also, concerns arose over its
crashworthiness Crashworthiness is the ability of a structure to protect its occupants during an impact. This is commonly tested when investigating the safety of aircraft and vehicles. Different criteria are used to figure out how safe a structure is in a crash, ...
in this same issue, following a test on the Japanese-built WFR. Engines offered were both petrol (1.8- and 2.0-litre) and diesel (2.0-, 2.2-, or 2.4-litre turbo). The Midi could be ordered with either an old fashioned, column-mounted gear change allowing a third central passenger seat in the front, or with a conventional floor shift, and was available in short and long wheelbases with a choice of standard or high roof lines. A minibus version, named the Albany, was also produced. The Midi was also restyled in 1989 and given a new dashboard panel and seating, together with new door trims and front end fascia. The engine range remained much the same. While production ceased in 1994, SWB models were replaced by the Vauxhall Arena, while the LWB models were replaced in 1997 by the Vauxhall Movano, both of which were based on
Renault Renault S.A., commonly referred to as Groupe Renault ( , , , also known as the Renault Group in English), is a French Multinational corporation, multinational Automotive industry, automobile manufacturer established in 1899. The company curr ...
products.


Holden Shuttle

General Motors' (GM) Australian subsidiary, Holden released the Isuzu Fargo van in February 1982 as the WFR series Holden Shuttle. The original release Shuttle was available in short and long
wheelbase In both road and rail vehicles, the wheelbase is the horizontal distance between the centers of the front and rear wheels. For road vehicles with more than two axles (e.g. some trucks), the wheelbase is the distance between the steering (front ...
guises, in combination with either low or high roofs, all available with or without side cargo windows. Two engines were initially offered: a 1.8-litre ''4ZB1'' petrol engine rated at , and a 2.0-litre ''4FC1'' diesel putting out . In 1986, the 1.8 petrol was withdrawn and replaced by the 2.0 litre ''4ZC1'' petrol producing . All three engines were coupled with a four speed
manual transmission A manual transmission (MT), also known as manual gearbox, standard transmission (in Canadian English, Canada, British English, the United Kingdom and American English, the United States), or stick shift (in the United States), is a multi-speed ...
. The single, cargo-carrying model was accompanied by the
limited edition The terms special edition, limited edition, and variants such as deluxe edition, collector's edition or expanded edition are used as a marketing incentive for various kinds of products, originally published products related to the arts, such as b ...
LS—a highly specified 9-seater people-mover variant in October 1982. Only 250 were built for Australian consumption; however, in August 1983, Holden introduced the LT 9-seater people mover. The lower-specification LT was not equipped with many of the LS Shuttle's luxury features, including the dual-zone
air conditioning Air conditioning, often abbreviated as A/C (US) or air con (UK), is the process of removing heat from an enclosed space to achieve a more comfortable interior temperature, and in some cases, also controlling the humidity of internal air. Air c ...
. An AM/ FM radio with
compact cassette The Compact Cassette, also commonly called a cassette tape, audio cassette, or simply tape or cassette, is an analog magnetic tape recording format for audio recording and playback. Invented by Lou Ottens and his team at the Dutch company ...
player and a digital clock were standard on the LT, with single zone air conditioning available as an option. Both the LS and LT were powered exclusively by the petrol engine. The Shuttle was subject to several minor facelifts and running changes over its production run. In the middle of 1983, a centre front seat was added. This consisted of two outer
bucket seat A bucket seat is a car seat contoured to hold one person, distinct from a flat bench seat designed to fit multiple people. In its simplest form, it contours somewhat to the human body, but may have a deep seat and exaggerated sides that partially ...
s and a centre
bench seat A bench seat is a full width continuous pad forming the front seat of automobiles. The second row of seating in most sedans is usually a bench. The third row of most SUVs and minivans, which may be forward-facing or rear-facing, is also a benc ...
, giving the impression of a single bench. June 1985 had the model range restructured, with the five-speed manual transmission from the LS and LT models now standard on the base model. A facelifted model came in June 1986, involving the relocation of badging, re shaped
headlamps A headlamp is a lamp attached to the front of a vehicle to illuminate the road ahead. Headlamps are also often called headlights, but in the most precise usage, ''headlamp'' is the term for the device itself and ''headlight'' is the term for t ...
, and newly designed steel wheels for the base Shuttle. This refresh coincided with a reduced line up; Holden deleted the diesel and long wheelbase options. From December 1987, a four speed
automatic transmission An automatic transmission (AT) or automatic gearbox is a multi-speed transmission (mechanics), transmission used in motor vehicles that does not require any input from the driver to change forward gears under normal driving conditions. The 1904 ...
option was made available, and the LT people mover variant was removed—transforming the Shuttle into a single model range. Holden discontinued the Shuttle in 1990, and opted not to replace it with another model.Bebbington (1998), p. 175. "The Shuttle range was discontinued in 1990 and was not replaced by any other vehicle." The Shuttle's immediate predecessor were the Bedford CF vans sourced from the United Kingdom. These Bedford vans were not however, distributed under the "Holden" brand.


Second generation (1995–2001)

* August 1995: All new model, now a
badge-engineered In the automotive industry, rebadging (also known as badge engineering, an intentionally ironic misnomer in that little or no actual engineering takes place) is a form of market segmentation used by automobile manufacturers around the world. ...
Nissan Caravan/Urvan (E24)
van A van is a type of road vehicle used for transporting goods or people. There is some variation in the scope of the word across the different English-speaking countries. The smallest vans, microvans, are used for transporting either goods or ...
. * June 1999: Modified gasoline engine * May 2001: Discontinuation


References


Further reading

* * {{Vauxhall Motors Fargo Vehicles introduced in 1980 Vans Minibuses Cab over vehicles