Founded in 1955, Suzuki is better known for
the manufacture of motorcycles, although there
have been some worthy four-wheeled versions to
come from the Japanese manufacturer. Their first
iteration was the tiny Suzulite; designed to
benefit from Japanese tax laws with its little
21.97ci 360cc engine, it would pave the way for
larger, albeit still very small versions. The
most significant of the early exports was the
4 stroke LJ80, later renamed Jimny.
A treasure
off road with exceptional economy to boot, its
reputation in the bush would see it garner an
allegiance of fans across Australia, although
those that chose to use it as a cheap form of
urban run-about were in for considerable disappointment.
The LJ80 would morph into the much more sophisticated
Vitara, while small sedans would help fill out
the Suzuki product line.
The Swift was anything
but, although the latest version has received
considerable praise and is a much superior car.
Suzuki’s are not collectable, but they
have been a popular part of the Australian motoring
landscape since the early 1970’s.
1977 - 1984
The original Suzuki Hatchback was marketed as a commercial
vehicle; the reason was simple, at the time the government
was enforcing a strict quota on imports, however “Commercial” vehicles
were not subject to the quota. Besides, referring to
is as a commercial vehicle also helped explain the
little Suzuki’s lack of creature comforts and
utilitarian nature. The Suzuki Hatch was far from being
a beauty to behold, with styling rather like the Honda
Scamp, however it was powered by the diminutive 543cc
three-cylinder engine making it the perfect 2nd car
or city run-about for those that sought good fuel economy.
Using a paltry 4.4 litres per 100 kilometres, the Suzuki
Hatch was a frugal as it was cheap to buy – and
many saw that as a good thing. More>>
1977 - 1984
When the four-wheel-drive market boomed in the late 1970’s,
never before had so many people discovered so much leisure
time – and this was the cue for the full scale
invasion of the Japanese light car manufacturers. Almost
overnight many turned their attentions to the manufacture
of off-roading style vehicles, and unlike the established
4WD legends such as Jeep and Land Rover these new iterations
were extremely affordable. More>>
