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56 TRANSPORT NEWS JUNE 201 7

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lsuzu Ul( Ghairman

Retiring fifier Gom[leting

IUniflue llouHe

Globally,Isuzu only has two wholly owned distributors; and ironically, if Australia had moved from
Australia and the United Kingdom, and one man in his Euro 5 to Euro 6 at the same time as Europq
we might have made more progress
coreer has headed the development of both. However on with heavier weight products for Britain,
31 May, Yuki Murota retires from Isuzu Truck UKwith both however the latest in-formation we have
the Oz and Britmarkets in good shape and in good hands. is that Australia won't be going to Euro 6
urrttl2022.
'Still on the subject of emissions, I feel we
AlistairVallance had the honour of saying farewell to a have an opportunity with Brexit to take a
remqrkable person, not only becouse initially he was a long look at global emissions standards.
Japanese gentwho spoke Englishwith an Australian accenl When we leave Europe we may or may
not stick to current Euro 6 emissions, but
but more importantly he continually demonstrated his now we should be looking at intemational
belief in the Isuzu product and its future... standards such as an amalgam of say
California and Japan to try and build a
global parity.
lf Uru MURATAis about to reach the two wholly or.r,ned Isuzu distributors in 'If that was possible, it would in the
! golclen age oL 05, Urt f,e n* ul."rJy the world, the other being Australia. And fufure be less of a barrier to international
I enjoyed a number of golden years I have been extremely forfunate to have trade when all markets would be singing
as head man in the truck sales business, headed both. from the same emissions song sheet.
all starting back in 2004 when he was 'Coming to the UK was a challenge, and 'At the moment our hottest selling line is
despatched from Japan to take charge of whereas we were market leader'down the 7.5 tonne range where we are number
Isuzu's enlarging share of the Australian under' this was certainly not the case in the three behind DAF and Iveco in the UK
truck market. UnitedKingdom. with just under 16/o of the market whidr,
As chairman he was continuallv on the '\lVith the British truck market we had to remarkably we have only just found out!
lookout for a managing director ind in Phil compete in what is generally accepted to be 'I and all other manufacfurers competing
Taylor he eventually found the right man the most open minded sales sector in Europe in the UK market cannot understand
to ensure that Isuzu retained its position as where all hrrck manulacturers are given a how truck registrations information on a
number one truck registrations company in fair crack of the whip. However in many month to month basis contravenes anti-
Australia. respects thafs why we have been successfuf' competition laws. I'm a member of the
And that probably prompted the move and ITUK managing director Pete Murphy SMMT commercial vehicle group and we
for Yuki Murata to the post of chairman aSrees. made a demand for monthly, not quarterly
Isuzu Truck Europe based in Belgium. 'We go down the standard route of statistics, however'Europe' insists such
Then in 2013 Isuzu HQ in japan decided placing demo vehicles in fleets and of information is'anti-competitive'.
to take over ownership of Isuzu Truck UK course Isuzu trucks provide their own
and Yuki took on the additional post of particular transport solutions like extra
chairman of the now 100% whollv owned payload. Also, we have the famous ITUK
ITUK alrd, with industry legend i'likki Customer Care programme initiated by Pete Murphy is working on expanding
King talking of retiremen! it was obviously Nikki King. the Isuzu Trucks network in Britain
deemed prudent to secure her succession. 'Currently we're offering rigid trucks up by recently introducing a new'service
'ITUK is the most important and the best to 12 tonnes and we're hoping to have an only' dealer status and on this basis two
selling market for Isuzu Tiucks in Europe,' 18 tonner in the not too distant future. We such dealers have started in the north of
confirmed Yuki Murata. 'It is one of onlv have regularly telegraphed this to japan Scotland; Bri-Nick in Inverness and Almar