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 an impressionable age. Even now, five years after its introduction, its crisp, purposeful lines have hardly dated.

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

Road testing the Isuzu Bellett 1600GTR

When Paul Frere visited Japan, he remarked that among the domestic cars he had driven, his favorite was the Isuzu Bellett 1600GT with its low and stiff suspension tuning. He further suggested that the Isuzu Bellett GTX, which had been competing in races with the twin-cam engine from the Isuzu 117 Coupe, ought to be placed into production. Evidently the manufacturer had already been thinking along similar lines, for the result appeared almost immediately as the Isuzu Bellett 1600GTR tested here, priced in Tokyo at 1.16 million yen.

Publication: Motor Magazine
Format: Test Drive Report
Date: December 1969
Author: Hiroshi Shinozaki

Bellett 1600GTR: High Performance is its Main Attraction

When the 117 Coupe was unveiled, there were probably quite a few enthusiasts who immediately thought that its superb twin-cam engine ought to be installed in the Bellett GT as well.

More than six years have passed since the Bellett GT first appeared, yet its excellent driving performance has hardly lost any of its luster, and with its distinctive character, it continues to enjoy a loyal following among enthusiasts. Even so, the performance of its 1.6-liter pushrod engine had begun to feel somewhat left behind among the increasingly powerful sports touring cars of this class.

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, Ichiro Kaneshige, Kenji Higuchi, Kenzaburo Ishikawa, Zo Doi, Kenichi Noguchi, Toshihide Hirata, Minoru Onda, Motor Fan Editorial Staff (uncredited)

Aiming for a High-Performance Car

Magazine: To begin, could we ask Mr. Shimizu to tell us about the development aims behind the Bellett 1600GTR?

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

Summary: The ultimate Bellett GT. The ride is excessively firm at low speeds and noise becomes excessive at high speeds, but performance and handling are the best in its class. The steering is exceptionally quick and precise. Power-off oversteer, inherent in the swing-axle rear suspension, is kept within reasonable bounds, making the car exceptionally fast and exhilarating on winding roads. Rear-seat space is limited, making it effectively a 2+2. The inadequate ventilation and heating system betray the age of the design.