Also known as the Isuzu Trooper and the Subaaru Bighorm, the Holden Jackaroo was first manufactured in 1981 with production continuing for a decade. In 1991, the car had substantial redesign and manufacturing of the new model continued until 2005. The vehicle started life as a somewhat basic SUV which was designed for use both on and off the road vehicle. Initially, it was made with only with four-cylinder motor and a five-speed manual gear box. The four wheel drive motoring option was for part time use and had to be engaged.
The first versions of the Jackaroo were available with three and five door variants. In Central America, the car was offered to the market with a removable roof and a higher wheel clearance than in other markets. A 2.8 litre turbo diesel was also made available in this market. In 1988, SsangYong Motors began to licence the production of the car and 2.2 lire versions under various badges began to appear around the world, including the Jackaroo.
In 1991, the car’s designers met a number of developments in the SUV market when the car underwent a complete redesign. This included the Holden Jackaroo badge which was now offered as a V6 with both 3.2 litre and 3.5 litre versions. There were also two diesel engine variants that were developed at that time. In terms of gearboxes, the Jacakroo continued to be offered as a five-speed manual and a four-speed automatic. From 2000, the car boasted feature called ‘Grade Logic’ which meant that the transmission would automatically step down on steep hills in order to slow the vehicle.