Publication: Auto Sport
Format: Road Impressions
Date: November 1969
Author: Tomohiko Tsutsumi, Jiro Yoneyama, Auto Sport Editorial Staff (uncredited)

With a 0-400m time of 16.6 seconds and a top speed of 190km/h, the Bellett 1600GTR has the performance and mechanical sophistication to rival 2-liter sports cars, thanks to its DOHC engine.

On August 10th, it was Shigeki Asaoka and Hirotsugu Katayama’s Bellett 1600GTX that won the Suzuka 12 Hours endurance race, beating pure racing cars such as the Carrera 6 and Honda R1300. This car could be called the prototype of the Bellett GTR.

Publication: Motor Fan
Format: Test Drive Report
Date: November 1969
Author: Jun Todoroki

A Long-Awaited Performance Car

The Bellett GT, alongside the former Prince Skyline 2000GT, once enjoyed almost unrivaled status as an idol for car-obsessed youth. First introduced in the autumn of 1964 as a sporting variant of the Bellett, which had debuted the previous year, its smart body shell has possessed a unique ability to captivate enthusiasts with a taste for sports cars at their most impressionable age. Even now, five years after its introduction, its crisp, purposeful lines show little sign of aging.

Publication: Car Graphic
Format: Road Impressions
Date: December 1969
Author: Shotaro Kobayashi

Road testing the Isuzu Bellett 1600GTR

When Paul Frere first came to Japan, he said that his favorite of all the Japanese cars he test drove was the Bellett 1600GT, which had been tuned to be low and stiff. He also suggested that the Bellett GTX, which was active in touring car racing with a twin-cam engine from the 117 Coupe, should be made commercially available. The manufacturer seemed interested in this idea as well, and almost immediately, the car was released under the name 1600GTR (Tokyo price, 1.16 million yen). The general outline of the GTR, compared to the GT, is that its suspension has been lowered and stiffened to a standard similar to that of Isuzu’s existing Stage I sports kit (for gymkhana), radial tires have been fitted, and it is equipped with the same DOHC four-cylinder engine as the 117 Coupe.

Publication: Motor Fan
Format: Road Test
Date: March 1970
Authors (Roundtable): Yozo Shimizu, Osamu Hirao, Ichiro Oka, Ren Ueda, Mineo Yamamoto, Hiroshi Toishi, Hiroshi Hoshijima, Hiroshi Okazaki, Kiyoshi Suzuki, Akio Miyamoto, Kunitaka Furutani, Masahide Sano, Katsuji Takanami, Taizo Tateishi, Atsushi Watari, Kenji Higuchi, Kenzaburo Ishikawa, Zo Doi, Ken Noguchi, Toshihide Hirata, Minoru Onda, Motor Fan Editorial Staff (uncredited)

Aiming For High-Performance Cars

Magazine: To get things started, I would like to ask Mr. Shimizu about the aims of developing the Bellett 1600GTR.

Publication: Car Graphic
Format: Road Test
Date: June 1971
Author: “C/G Test Group” (uncredited)

Summary: The ultimate Bellett GT. In exchange for a stiff ride at low speeds and excessive noise at high speeds, the performance and maneuverability are the best in the class, the steering is unmatched in its quickness, the power-off oversteer from the rear swing axle is moderately suppressed, it is extremely fast and exciting to drive on winding roads, and even with limited space in the back seat, which effectively makes it a 2+2, it is a very good car. The poor ventilation and heating system shows the age of the design.