The Blog Has Reached a Tipping Point: 1987 Suzuki Samurai

Suzuki was selling this vehicle around the world long before it arrived in the US, and still sells it today. It was marketed here from 1985 to 1995; Suzuki pulled out of the US entirely in 2012. We remember the Samurai for Suzuki's lawsuit against Consumer Reports after that organization rated the vehicle as unsafe due to its tendency to rollover in certain situations. The lawsuit was settled, with Consumer Reports not shown to be wrong really, but because they exaggerated the Samurai's problems, sort of.

From Wikipedia, "A Suzuki memorandum dated July 14, 1985, stated: "It is imperative that we develop a crisis plan that will primarily deal with the ‘roll’ factor. Because of the narrow wheelbase, similar to the Jeep, the car is bound to turn over." Over the years, over 200 Suzuki Samurai rollover lawsuits have been settled, and Suzuki's own expert witnesses testified the automaker was aware of 213 deaths and 8,200 injuries involving Suzuki Samurai rollovers." "The dispute and eventual lawsuit stemmed from the CR statement easily rolls over in turns, which CR attributed to the sudden swerve test and was not meant to generally apply to the Samurai in respect to other tests that CR undertakes to simulate normal routine driving such as 0-60 mph acceleration and stopping."

The Samurai's defenders usually say things like, "Hey, it's unlikely that you'll swerve like that, and the the Samurai is no more prone to rollover than other similar SUVs." Reminds me of the old joke:
Patient: "Doctor, it hurts when I do this."
Doctor: "Don't do that."

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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1994 Suzuki Cappuccino

Designed to Japanese mini-car standards, the right-hand drive Cappuccino makes a Mazda Miata look big.

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1990 Suzuki Every Van Landventure

There are minivans, and then there are microvans. Continuing with our theme of vehicles designed for the Japanese market that have somehow made it to the US, this "kei car" van boasts a 657cc inline 3-cylinder engine.
Observation: It's interesting that vehicles designed for use in Japan get these catchy names in English.

    

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1990 Suzuki Alto Works

Continuing with our theme of Japanese cars not designed for the US market, the Alto Works is (from bringatrailer.com), "a high range sport model featuring a turbo twin cam 660cc triple capable of 9k RPM, its 64 HP the first to reach Kei car regulation limits."

A Kei car is a mini-vehicle that gives the owner in Japan a break on taxation and and insurance as well as exemption from proving they have access to parking. From jalopnik.com: "These vehicles have some strict limitations to be considered a Kei: the engine must be 660cc or smaller, they cannot produce more than 64 horsepower, they can only seat four people maximum, and dimensions are also limited to about 11.2 feet long, 4.85 feet wide and 6.5 feet tall."

 

 

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1991 Honda Acty - minitruck roundup

All of the big carmakers in Japan make this same truck: very small engine mounted forward of the rear axle under the bed, full-time 4-wheel drive, manual transmission. The Acty engine is 547 cc; an engine that size would not be considered large in a motorcycle. These trucks do not of course meet American standards for safety and emissions, but it's legal to drive vehicles on the street that don't meet those standards once they are 25 years old. The other two trucks below are a 1990 Mitsubishi Mini Cab with dump truck bed, and a circa-1990 Suzuki Carry 660.

 

   

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