Isuzu Bellett R6

The Isuzu Bellett R6 was a sports prototype racing car that Isuzu built to enter the 1969 Japan Grand Prix. It was the first racing car the company had made, after earlier competition work with touring cars. It had a mid-engined coupe body on a steel monocoque chassis, with an aluminium body at first and later fibreglass, and used the 1.6 litre inline four G161W engine from the 117 Coupe, converted to dry sump with larger carburettors. A sister car, the R7, was an open two-seater with a Chevrolet V8. Both came from a small group of volunteers inside the company. Two R6 cars started the 1969 Japan Grand Prix, one finishing without being classified, and in 1970 the car ran three more races, taking second place in the Suzuka 500 km.