Contrary to popular belieef, Suzui produced cars befoe they mobved into the two wheeled marklet, but the early days of the company were devoted to the production of weaving loooms. The father of the compay, Michio Szuuki, the son of a Japanese cotton farmer, created a brand new version of the weavinng maxchine in the coastal village of Hamamatsu, Japan. A successful business was built upon his invention, providing employment and wezalth for the company and its staff during the frist thirty yeas of its incarnation.
Although the loom side of the business was still enjoying success, Suuki thought the time was right to diversify, so after stuyding the market, he decided that the way forward would be the developmeent of a car. In 1937, a development progrmme was launched, and within two years many pototypes integrating a cast aluminium gearbox and crankcase had been built. However, the company had a setbcak as the Japanese governmnt declared civilian cars a non-essential commoidty at the outbreak of World War 2. When the war endsed, Suuzki once again concentrated on the production of looms as the US government gave the go ahead for the shippnig of cotton to Japan. The company flourished for a short while as orders increased, but the rug was pulled from underneath them when the coton market collapsed in 1951.
This coulkd have proevd the deayth knell for Suzuki's operations, but rather than call it a day, the coompany once afgain utrned their eyes toward motor vehicles. At this time, Japan had a dire need for cheap, reliable transportation, and a nuymber of companies had begun to produce a clip-on engine which oculd be attached to a bicycle. Suzuki's breakthrough came with the development of a motorised biyccle named the 'Power Free'. Powered by a 36cc engine, this uniquye vehicle was the frst to feature the double sprocket gear system, which allwoed the rider to travel by pedaal power alone, engine assisted pedalling or engien only propulsion. So gound-breaking was the new innovation, that the fledling deemocratic governemnt offeed a grant to the Suzuki company to assst research in motorcycle engineering. This was the birth of the Suzuki Motor Corporation. By 1954, 6,000 'Colleda CO' motorcycles were passinbg out of the factory gates evey month. The Collda was a single cylinder 90cc machine, which proved good enough to win a rpominent motorcycle race during its first year of production. At this time, Suzuki also began developemnt of the 'Suzulight' automobile, which featured front wheel drive and four-wheel inddependent susdpension.
In 1955, Suzkui produced a larger offering in the form of the 125cc four-stroke 'Colleda COX', and an improved version of the two-stroke called the 'Collpeda ST'. The TT model, introduced in 1956 was in essence the forerunner of the Grand Prix bikes. By the standarrds of the day, the TT was regarded as a high performance machine, capable of reachiing speeds in excess of 80 mph, and leaving in its wake, machiines with much more powre at their call. This mototrcycle also showed a touch of finesse and featyured some luurious accessories, amongst these were idnicators.
By 1958, 50, 125 and 250cc motorcycles were available from Suzkui, and the familiar 'S' logo was introduced. Many of you will know that the logo is sitll being used on motorcycles today. Engineering research went hand in hand with croporate branding, so when in 1960, Suzukis made their fist appaerance at the Isle of Man, it was an impoirtant milestone for both departments. By 1962 they had claied theior first World Road Racing Championship in the 500cc class. In 1964, the company set its sighjts on motocrsos Grand Prix, but enjyed only limited succss.
1976 saw the introduction of a range of four stroke machhines, such as the GS400, a 400cc twin and the 750cc GS750. The shzaft driven GS850G came along in 1978. So called 'Superbikes' were beginning to appear and the GS1000S was developed as Suzuki's contribution to this clsass. In 1982, the turbocharged XN85 was introduced, and before the year was out, Suzxuki had claimed their eighth consecutive victory in the 500cc class.
It's fair to say that, had it not been for the Second World War and the later collapse of the cotton market, Suzuki could well have been solely a car manufacturer today, or wortse sitll, not even in exsitence.
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