Suzuki’s amazing 114-year ride from loom machines to flying cars

Less than seven decades after producing its first production car, Suzuki is working on a flying car. That is how far the Japanese manufacturer has progressed since starting out as a loom machine maker in 1909.

The Citizen Motoring got first-hand experience Suzuki’s remarkable journey over its 114-year history in Japan recently.

As a guest of Suzuki Auto South Africa, I got a glimpse of the manufacturer’s exciting future at the Japan Mobility Show in Tokyo before soaking in its fascinating history at the Suzuki Museum at its headquarters in Hamamatsu.

And as a bonus, I got to tour the Kosai assembly plant, its biggest production facility in Japan, which builds over 400 000 units a year.

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Suzuki a major player

Kosai is one of five assembly plants in Japan, with another 20 scattered over five continents.
In 2021, Suzuki built 2.82 million cars and another 1.78 million motorcycles globally. On top of this, the company is also a major manufacturer of outboard motors and motorised wheelchairs.

After manufacturing loom machines for over three decades, it was in 1952 that Suzuki introduced its first vehicle to the world in the form of an automated bicycle.

The Power Free featured a two-stroke, one-cylinder, 36cc auxiliary engine producing a solitary horse power. It was regarded as “sufficient output for driving”.

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It still required pedalling, but unique technology at the time, like a double sprocket wheel, ensured it was much easier to operate than a standard bicycle.

Today the flagship in the Suzuki motorbike stable, the Hayabusa, is powered a beast of a 1 339cc powerplant, producing an eye-watering 138kW of power and 149Nm of torque.

First car

A few years after the introduction of the Power Free, the company changed its official name from Suzuki Loom Manufacturing Co to Suzuki Motor Co before rolling out its historic first motorcar, the Suzulight, in 1955. And light the two-door, four-seater sedan most certainly was.

It was powered by a two-cylinder, two-stroke, 360cc petrol engine producing 14 more horses that the Power Free for a princely sum of 11 kW of power.

The Suzulight spawned into various body styles, including a delivery van and bakkie, which must be the cutest bakkie built in history – even cuter than the Mini bakkie of yesteryear, which at 3.4m in length seems enormous compared to the Suzulight bakkie.

Once the Suzuki mobility juggernaut gained momentum, it went from strength to strength. It always stuck to its basic craftsmanship policy called “Sho-Sho-Kei-Tan-Bi”, or “smaller, fewer, lighter, shorter and neater”.

Suzuki says this mantra doesn’t only apply to its cars, bikes and outboard motors, but also to the factories where its products are built. And, after seeing the assembly line in action in Kosai, I can certainly attest to this.

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Kei-car approach

Throughout its history, Suzuki has focussed mainly on building Kei cars, which is a small vehicle category in Japan. Kei cars’ engine capacity are restricted to 660cc, their length to 3.4 m and width to 1.48 m to allow owners tax and insurance exemptions.

Kei cars, which include the likes of the Hustler and WagonR, are not offered in South Africa. But many of the local Suzuki models are sourced from India where they conform to the sub-four-meter rule. The Indian government charge less tax on them, like the Baleno, because they are shorter than four meters in length.

A trip through the museum in the Suzuki Plaza in Hamamatsu is a fascinating experience. And you don’t need to be a history buff to appreciate the collection of loom machines where it all started right through to the amazing display of motorcycles and cars depicting special milestones.

Suzuki’s rotary bike engine

Rare gems include the revolutionary RE-5, Suzuki’s sole venture into rotary engine motorbikes. It featured a distinctive look, penned by renowned Italian supercar designer Giorgetto. Sadly, in the aftermath of the global oil crisis in 1973, production was terminated after just one year.

Other historic two-wheelers include Kevin Schwantz’s personally signed RGV500 in its famous Lucky Strike livery, which took him to 500cc world championship honours in 1993, and the last production unit built of the popular GSX-1100S Katana.

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A huge attraction in the museum is a soft-top Cappuccino from the 1990s. It’s a beautifully crafted little sports car, but its Kei-conforming 660cc engine would have probably been frown upon had it found its way to South Africa back then.

An integral part of the trip down memory lane is the row of Jimnys, starting with the LJ10. In just over half a century Suzuki has sold almost three million Jimnys, which has become a halo model for them.

Back to the future

A few decades from now, new exhibits in the museum are bound to include the eVX, Suzuki’s first global strategic SUV. And its first flying car.

While the eVX’s styling fits the bill of a modern-day electric car, it’s the flying car that gets you thinking. Developed in collaboration with SkyDrive Inc, the car does look more like a big drone. It is propelled by 12 rotor blades with space for a pilot and two passengers in the cabin.

Still in its infancy, the flying car aims to taxi passengers on short trips to alleviate inner city traffic congestion.

But think twice before rolling your eyes at this idea. Some people probably thought the horse could never be replaced when Suzuki introduced the auxiliary bicycle.