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r.;':i-.ll;,...i'lhi"l.o,,u;tll-,rd;l-,.;:.hr"-lave lived
in the UK rather

# than being based in
Brussels. I now spend

between 35 and 400/o
of my time in the l.lK
anyway. "

lsuzu Ul( Ghairman

Retiring fifier Gom[leting
IUniflue llouHe

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

to take over ownership of Isuzu Truck UK

and Yuki took on the additional post of

chairman of the now 100% whollv owned
ITUK alrd, with industry legend i'likki

King talking of retiremen! it was obviously

deemed prudent to secure her succession.

'ITUK is the most important and the best

selling market for Isuzu Tiucks in Europe,'

confirmed Yuki Murata. 'It is one of onlv