Aug 2: Sayonara Suzuki

Remember how it all started way back around 1980? I was in Vancouver on business and I saw a dealership with these things sitting out front and I wondered what the heck were they. Kinda figured that they were some sort of Japanese import, but which one? Not long after, their distribution spread across Canada and they were everywhere. People love Jeeps and here was a bargain basement knockoff. Seems you'd see one quietly rusting away no matter where you looked. Well, that was then and this is now and Suzuki is folding up their passenger vehicle business and heading back to Japan and the countless other countries where they are sold quite successfully. Ever wonder what might have been?

I've seen this little Swift all over Europe, but we never got it here. Not a bad looking little hatch in 2 or 4 doors, while the Sport model (shown) added the make believe "go fast" parts, like larger alloy wheels. Or how about this Alto.......

Again kinda cute and with really compact cars being very popular these days, maybe it would have struck a cord. GM held the reigns for awhile, so maybe they had a greater plan that precluded these models reaching our shores. Now what could that have been?

That original little 4x4, called the Jimny (yes, it is spelled correctly) everywhere else, is still around, although I would imagine it is so much better these days. But it looks very similar to the original........

Sure, the edges are rounded, like most vehicles these days, but you can still see its ancestry.

What could Suzuki have done better in order to stay in the North American market? Would these other models have helped? Or did it need something super special and almost completely different?

How about this then........

Right on, a Suzuki "Veyron". This copycat little model is being built somewhere and is based on a Suzuki chassis. Lots of flash, but who needs the unusable 1000 HP of the real thing? No one, so this little show off uses a standard Suzuki power plant. Who would dare race you anyway, assuming they'd be humiliated plenty and plenty quickly. I can see this model bringing the lookers into the Suzuki showrooms and then the pros could sell them something that they really needed.

Suzuki it's not too late. And you can thank me later  -  a nice note on company letterhead will do. No emails, please.

Time for a vacation. My wife and I are headed to Russia for a couple of weeks, where we are doing a river cruise starting in Moscow. Hope to get some pics of old Soviet iron to share with you. Miss me? Then read my older posts until I return on the 20th.

Until next time........