Isuzu Hillman Minx

The Isuzu Hillman Minx was a series of middle-sized family cars that Isuzu built in Japan under licence from the Rootes Group between 1953 and 1964. The models were broadly equivalent to the Hillman Minx Mark VI to Mark VIII and Series 1 to 3A built in the United Kingdom at the same time, although they diverged as production became localised in Japan. Japanese policy of 1952 let foreign firms enter the market only through technical agreements with local makers, and Rootes agreed terms with Isuzu, which gained the right to build the Hillman Minx and Commer delivery vans. The first car, the PH10, was assembled on 28 October 1953 at Isuzu's new factory from knock-down kits, and the PH11 and PH12 followed in 1954 and 1955, the PH12 using the 1390 cc overhead valve engine. The cars were sold through the Yamato Motor Company.