In case you’ve missed the epic debate in the JNC Forums regarding the Isuzu Piazza (called the Impulse in the US market), here’s your chance to read all about what could be either one of the greatest (or one of the worst) Japanese cars ever built.
In 2006 two friends named Joe Kremzer and Chris Warr took off on a trip around the Australian continent to meet as many owners of the Piazza (badged as a Holden down under) as they could. Their faithful steed was a heavily worn example of the very car they were searching for, which they christened Alyce. With admittedly little experience wrenching on cars they set off on their journey in search of answers to questions like, “What prompted anyone to buy what they call ‘the dodgiest car ever imported’ and how many had survived?”
Along the way they became minor celebrities on a local radio show and documented the entire escapade tongue-in-cheek in a book called In Search of the Holden Piazza. From the parts we’ve perused at Google Books it seems like a terrifically entertaining read. We don’t know if the conclusions they draw about the Giugiaro designed coupe are ultimately flattering or not, but we’ve all probably felt some kind of bond to a car that is largely unloved. And by that measure the fondness for machine Piazza evokes makes both the car and the book a winner.
