Suzuki Motor Corp. Chairman Osamu Suzuki (centre) walks through the Daihatsu Motor Co. booth during the Tokyo Motor Show at Tokyo Big Sight on October 25, 2017 in Tokyo, Japan. Photo: Getty Images
Osamu Suzuki turned the Japanese compact vehicle specialist into a globally competitive enterprise. Born Osamu Matsuda in 1930, Suzuki worked in banking after graduating from Tokyo’s Chuo University School of Law. He joined Suzuki Motor in 1958 after marrying one of the company’s founder’s granddaughters, Shoko. The firm specialised in small cars built to suit Japan’s cramped and teeming cities, and soon after Osamu Suzuki became the company chief executive in 1978 it launched the Alto, a compact city vehicle which would become Suzuki’s longest-running and best-selling car. Osamu Suzuki was also the driving force behind expanding the firm’s sales overseas. In 1980 the company formed a joint venture with the Indian government and the state-owned Maruti company; it is estimated a third of the cars on India’s roads are Suzukis. The firm also drew prestige from its motorcycle division; as well as being prominent on the international racing circuit, Suzuki was consistently among the top 10 sellers of motorcycles worldwide. A key to the firm’s stability and success was that Suzuki never sought to challenge giants such as Honda or Toyota, the CEO saying that he was content to be an “old guy from a small to mid-size company”. Osamu Suzuki died on December 25 aged 94. — Agencies.
