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The history of Isuzu began with the first Japanese truck built in 1918 by Tokyo Ishikawajima Shipbuilding & Engineering Company (TISEC) and Tokyo Gas & Electric Industrial Company. TISEC would experience several unions and divisions until its establishment as Isuzu Motors Limited in 1949 and it continues to be recognized for producing heavy-duty trucks. In 1959, they manufactured the world's first two-ton light-duty forward-control truck. An agreement with General Motors Corporation in 1971 allowed them to jointly produce vehicles in the United States before it established American Isuzu Motors Inc. (AIMI) in 1980. From 1981, AIMI began selling vehicles in the country. In 1992, AIMI became the first import manufacturer providing the expanding sport utility market with mini, compact and full-size vehicles. Isuzu Motors America Inc. merged with AIMI in 2004 and is the present United States distributor of Isuzu light vehicles and diesel engines. The current models include small to medium compact automobiles, and medium to large duty commercial trucks, with its headquarters in Tokyo, Japan."
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