This Elf generation launched a name still used today: it's the truck that first wore the Isuzu N-Series badge.
Median 72 hp across 31 similar cars
Lead trim: Elf 4JA1 2.5 direct-injection diesel · up to 220 hp
Nobody in Burbles has spotted a Isuzu Elf fourth generation / N-Series yet. See one on the street, point the app at it, and the first card is yours — with your @handle permanently credited on this page.
FactThis Elf generation launched a name still used today: it's the truck that first wore the Isuzu N-Series badge.
The fourth generation Elf appeared in July 1984 and was exported widely and manufactured in several countries including the United States; it was the first model to use the long-running Isuzu N-series label, with twin rectangular headlamps and a five-segment grille (seven for the Wide Cab), facelifts in February 1987 (two-segment grille, altered engine lineup) and June 1990 (single lower opening, aerodynamic headlights). It was the last to be rebadged as a Bedford in Australian and European markets, the Isuzu badge used from 1992 (UK variants still assembled at IBC Vehicles in Luton), and was built in China by BLAC from 1984 to 2002 and later by Guangzhou. In Japan it was offered only with direct injection diesels, introducing the 2.5-litre 4JA1 family which replaced the long-running C240; a four-wheel-drive Elf 250 came in September 1987 with the 110 PS (81 kW) 4BE1, with a 2.8-litre 87 PS (64 kW) 4JB1 (dual mode transmission) and the 3.6-litre 4BE1 direct-injection engine for the Elf 250 and 350 NPR, plus the long-stroke 4BD1 with or without a turbo, and in December 1986 the NAVi5 electronically controlled five-speed manual that could shift itself. In the US it was sold as the Chevrolet Tiltmaster and GMC Forward (replacing the L series of 1960) from the 1984 model year with a 165 hp (123 kW) turbo-diesel straight-six, a heavier 220 hp (164 kW) 8.4-litre diesel Forward (W7) added in 1986, and Class 3 and Class 5 trucks (13,250 or 16,000 lb GVWR); the smaller W4 has a 126 hp (94 kW) diesel four, the W6 a 154 hp (115 kW) diesel six, also sold as the Isuzu NPR/NRR (1986 US sales: 507 W4 Tiltmasters, 1,292 W4 Forwards, 4,954 NPRs and 2,267 GM-badged W7s).
Real Isuzu Elf cards spotted on the street by Burbles collectors. Tap any card to flip it over, inspect the collector’s binder, or follow them.
VerifiedFIRST · WORLDWIDEFIRST PRINTONLY ONE IN VANCOUVERThe sixth-gen Elf's headlight-and-turnsignal cluster is shaped to echo Isuzu's old 'twin bar' logo — a company emblem the brand had already retired back in 1991.
5 published trims in the catalogue. A blank is a figure not recorded, not zero.
| Trim | Years | Engine | Power | Torque | 0–60 | Drive | Gearbox | MSRP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Elf 250 4WD 4BE1 3.6 diesel (110 PS) | 1987–1993 | 3.6 L Inline-4 | 108 hp | — | — | — | — | — |
| Elf 4JA1 2.5 direct-injection diesel | 1984–1993 | 2.5 L Inline-4 | 75 hp | 127 lb-ft | — | RWD | — | — |
| Elf 4JB1 2.8 diesel (87 PS) | 1987–1993 | 2.8 L Inline-4 | 86 hp | 135 lb-ft | — | RWD | — | — |
| GMC Forward / Chevrolet Tiltmaster turbo-diesel six (165 hp) | 1984–1993 | Inline-6 | 165 hp | — | — | RWD | — | — |
| GMC Forward W7 8.4-litre diesel (220 hp) | 1986–1993 | 8.4 L | 220 hp | — | — | RWD | — | — |
We don’t estimate running costs for a car like this. What it costs depends on its condition, its specialist and how it is driven, and an average would mislead.
Nobody has claimed one yet.
The 2024 Elf Mio is sized so small it legally counts as a compact car in Japan -- meaning you can drive this truck on an ordinary license, no commercial endorsement required.
The sixth-gen Elf's headlight-and-turnsignal cluster is shaped to echo Isuzu's old 'twin bar' logo — a company emblem the brand had already retired back in 1991.
This generation of Elf lived a double life: an OEM deal had Nissan selling the identical truck as the Atlas and Diesel Condor.
This Elf generation launched a name still used today: it's the truck that first wore the Isuzu N-Series badge.
Three years into this generation, Isuzu sold its millionth Elf — proof the little truck had become a workhorse staple well beyond Japan.
The second-gen Elf's 'Hi-Roof' walk-through van let drivers move through the cargo box without stepping outside — a first for Japan's commercial trucks.
The Elf's 1960 diesel option was a first for its truck class in Japan, arriving just seven months after the gasoline-only launch.
Same body, same money, other badges — tap any card to flip.
When Mazda's E2000 — the truck that became the Titan — launched in January 1964, the factory was tasked with building 1,900 of them a month.
Swaraj Mazda built this truck under license in India from 1985, and the plant survived name changes all the way to SML Isuzu.
Indonesia built this pickup for 28 years with no successor, the last one leaving the Jakarta line in January 2019 after 324,960 units.
Suzuki's first-ever diesel engine, fitted to the Super Carry, is so small that it isn't able to power an air-conditioning system at all.
A right-hand-drive DJ-3A was built so postal drivers could reach roadside mailboxes without leaving the seat.
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Suzuki kept the L20 Carry at the exact same 21 hp as its predecessor but still called it progress — the gain was a patented Cylinder Crank Injection lubrication system, not more power.
This generation of Titan quietly became the ancestor of two other trucks entirely: it was license-built by Kia as the Kia Titan in South Korea, and formed the basis of the Australian Ford Trader.
