In 1922, Tokyo Ishikawajima Shipbuilding & Engineering localized production of the Wolseley A9 - the first passenger car ever made in Japan.

By April 1952 six companies – Rootes, Renault, Standard, Opel, Fiat and Chrysler - had conducted Japanese market research studies.

In June 1952 the Japanese Ministry of International Trade and Industry (MITI) issued a policy regarding the entry of foreign manufacturers.

MITI stated that it would allow foreign firms to enter the market only through technical agreements with existing local "chassis makers".

MITI also controlled the amount of foreign currency that could be spent on auto imports and said they would only allocate enough to allow 1200 cars per manufacturer (per annum).

[7] Known in Japan as the PH10 model, these were basically the normal Mk VI Hillman Minx; 1265 cc side-valve motor, column shift manual gearbox etc.

Rootes introduced a new 1390 cc overhead valve motor with the Hillman Mk VIII, and this was also used in the Isuzu built PH12.

In 1955 MITI began to think that Isuzu was not moving quickly enough to localise production, apparently suspecting that Rootes was deliberately causing delays.

[11] In 1956, Rootes UK released the new Audax series Minx – a completely new body which carried over a few mechanical components, such as the OHV motor, from the previous Mk VIII.

Initially this meant full instrumentation (including ammeter, oil pressure gauge, clock) and a radio.

[13][independent source needed] The 1953 technical agreement with Rootes gave Isuzu the right to build and sell the "Commer delivery van".

This presumably meant the Commer Express – a light commercial van that Rootes had made in the Hillman "Mark" body shape since at least 1950.

It’s uncertain whether Isuzu actually built a Commer van in the early years, although contemporary brochures suggest they offered the estate version of the PH11 and PH12 (Mk VII/VIII) Hillman Minx.

With four doors, winding windows for the rear seat passengers, and the two-piece tailgate hinged at the top and bottom, this was much more "sedan like" than the Mark Hillman Minx estates had been.

It had a different roofline (more like the Mk Estate cars), two doors, sliding rear passenger windows, horizontal bars on the load-area side-windows, and a single-piece, side-opening tailgate.

Factory brochures show clearly that Isuzu marketed the Express as a multi-purpose vehicle: delivery van during the week, family estate at the weekend.

[3] They were apparently optimistic about the possibility of the market being ‘liberalised’, which would have allowed them to sell fully imported cars through the established dealer network (which they owned about half of).

The Bellel was a conventional four-door sedan which certainly owed little to the Minx in terms of styling (it was similar to contemporary Farina designs like the Fiat 2300).