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Launched November 1, 1960, the Benelux Market was started by the Netherlands, Belgium
and Luxembourg, and is seen as the predecessor to the European Union. Benelux is quite the
clever name, made up of the “Be” from Belgium, “Ne” from the Netherlands, and “Lux” from
Luxembourg. The fact that Luxembourg was given three letters instead of two was probably a
compromise, since the country is also mentioned last. Or maybe “Benelu” sounded too much like
it belonged in the Ricky Ricardo Top 10.
At any rate, the Benelux market will soon be home to 2006 Isuzus, including seven models of its N-series trucks and
the Rodeo pickup truck. The manufacturer, beleaguered in the US by droopy sales, will begin
importing the vehicles this month.