A WALK THROUGH TIME WITH SUZUKI

For almost 35 years, American Suzuki Motor Corporation has been a leading player in America's passion for motor vehicles.

Today, Suzuki's U.S. automotive line includes six models acclaimed by media experts for the quality of their engineering and reliability. The economical Swift, Esteem subcompact sedan, all new Esteem Wagon, head-turning X-90, and base-model Sidekick SUVs are joined by Suzuki's best-seller, the Sidekick Sport, a slick four-door judged the "Best Buy" of any sport/utility by the Wall Street Journal's Smart Money magazine. For 1998, Suzuki is updating its line-up of more than 30 motorcycles and ATV's with three totally new models: the highly anticipated V-twin racer, the TL1000R ... a cruiser to set the standard for all big custom cruisers, the Intruder 1500LC ... and the ultimate work tool, the LT-F500 QuadRunner.

An Innovative Beginning

Suzuki's rise to its current position as a manufacturer and distributor of high-quality automobiles, sport/utility vehicles, motorcycles, all-terrain vehicles, and outboard motors would have been hard to predict 88 years ago when the company was started by Michio Suzuki in the small seacoast village of Hamamatsu, Japan. At that time, Suzuki's only desire was to build better, more user-friendly weaving looms.

For the first 30 years of the company's existence, its sole production focus was on these exceptionally complex machines. Suzuki textile looms were more innovative and higher in quality than competing machines of that era, and displaced the previously dominant British and Dutch products. Michio Suzuki was even awarded a Blue Ribbon Medal by the government of Japan for his contribution to the growth of the nation's economy through his industry-leading inventions.

Despite the success of his looms, Michio Suzuki realized that his company had to diversify, and he began to look at other products. Focusing on burgeoning consumer demand, he decided that building a small car would be the most practical new venture, based on the company's financial situation and expertise. The project was begun in 1937, and by 1939 several compact automobiles had been completed. These first vehicles were powered by a Suzuki original: a then-innovative, liquid-cooled, four-stroke, four-cylinder engine. It featured a cast aluminum crankcase and gearbox, and generated an impressive 13 horsepower from a displacement of less than 50 cubic inches (800cc).

Development of the project came to a halt when the government declared civilian passenger cars to be a "non-essential commodity," and Suzuki was ordered to halt production. Following the conclusion of the war in the Pacific in 1945, Suzuki once again began the production of looms. However, because materials were scarce and demand fluctuated wildly, Suzuki was unable to reach pre-war levels of production. In order to ensure that the enterprise would survive, Suzuki applied its engineering power to every product for which there was a demand: farm implements, heaters, tools--and even musical instruments.

In 1946 loom production was spurred by the U.S. government's approval of shipping cotton to Japan. Suzuki's fortunes brightened as orders began to increase from domestic textile manufacturers. The joy was short-lived, however, because in 1951 the cotton market collapsed.

Faced with this colossal challenge, Michio Suzuki once again considered the average Japanese citizen's need for inexpensive transportation, and decided to create a new type of motor vehicle. His first effort was a motorized bicycle called the "Power Free." Designed to be inexpensive and simple to build and maintain, the "Power Free" featured a 36cc two-stroke engine. An unprecedented feature was the double-sprocket gear system, which enabled the rider to pedal with the engine assisting, pedal without engine assist, or disconnect the pedals and run with engine power alone. The system was so ingenious, the Patent Office of the new democratic government granted Suzuki a financial subsidy to continue research into motorcycle engineering.

In a short time, the "Power Free" got a two-speed transmission, and was joined by a more powerful 60cc version called the "Diamond Free." By 1954, Suzuki was producing 6,000 motorcycles per month, and had changed its name to Suzuki Motor Co., Ltd. The die for Suzuki's future was cast.

Following the success of its first motorcycles, Suzuki created an even more successful automobile: the 1955 Suzulight. This technological home run included such then-radical innovations as front-wheel drive...four-wheel independent suspension...and rack-and-pinion steering. Four decades later, these features have become standard features on cars throughout the world.

Broadening Horizons

In 1982, Suzuki took the lead in the hot new market for all-terrain vehicles by introducing the first four-wheeled ATV, the best-selling QuadRunner® LT125. A full line of four-wheeled ATVs soon followed. Shortly afterward, competing manufacturers copied Suzuki's pioneering design concept and introduced their own four-wheeled ATVs.

In 1985, Suzuki made a bigger breakthrough by introducing its automotive line to the U.S. For 30 years, Suzuki had been building a reputation in Japan as the manufacturer of the world's best-engineered, best-running small cars. Forging ahead of the automotive pack, Suzuki transformed the U.S. market with the introduction of an affordable 4WD vehicle called the Samurai. Suzuki's revolutionary sport/utility vehicles were snapped up by hundreds of thousands of Americans who wanted a tough, sporty, and practical means of transportation.

In the 12 years since Suzuki introduced its first automobiles to the States, the line-up has gone from a single vehicle to six--led by the 4-door Sidekick Sport. Available in either two- or four-wheel-drive models, with a long list of standard features and plenty of premium-quality accessories, the Sidekick Sport and its 2- and 4-door Sidekick stablemates offer maximum fun and value, at minimum cost

Based on the success of its 4WDs, Suzuki expanded the U.S. vehicle line-up in 1988 with a sensible performance coupe, the Swift GT hatchback. In 1995, Suzuki added the five-passenger Esteem sedan, featuring dual airbags, optional four-wheel anti-lock brakes, and a state-of-the-art 16-valve overhead cam engine.

This year Suzuki expanded the Esteem model line to include the all new Esteem Wagon. This model raises the bar for the competition in terms of sleek styling and comfortable, quiet ride. The value of this new practical vehicle is evident by its long list of standard features. Check out the wagon page, you'll be impressed.

The Tradition Continues

What was once a small group of dedicated engineers, designing the world's finest weaving machinery, has today grown into a worldwide company of almost 15,000 people, who create and distribute products in more than 170 nations. Worldwide, Suzuki sells more than 1,800,000 automobiles and sport/utilities a year, surpassing the sales of such renowned marques as BMW, Mercedes and Saab. Suzuki motorcycles are the first choice of more than 2,000,000 riders every year. And global sales of Suzuki outboards continue to grow.

Throughout the '90s, Suzuki will continue its unique tradition of technological trailblazing--for a unique group of customers who appreciate solid value, superior engineering, and designs that reach ahead into the new century.