Osamu Suzuki, an emblematic figure of the Japanese automobile and two-wheeled vehicle manufacturer of the same name that he led for more than forty years, died this Wednesday, December 25, due to lymphoma at the age of 94, the group announced on Friday.
The husband of the founder’s granddaughter.
This charismatic character, known for his candor and humor, played a leading role in the development of the group which he joined in 1958, overseeing in particular its entry into the light vehicle segment and its implementation in the Indian market.
Born Osamu Matsuda in 1930, the future boss married Shoko Suzuki, granddaughter of the company’s founder, whose surname he adopted. He became director of the group in 1978.
Return to the beginning of “kei cars”
Under the patriarch’s gaze, Suzuki enters the “kei cars” market, these typically Japanese minicars with dimensions and power determined by law, which today represent 36% of vehicle sales in the country.
Suzuki regained the top spot in this segment last year, overtaking compatriot Daihatsu for the first time in 18 years.
Osamu Suzuki had attempted to establish alliances with two of the world’s largest automobile manufacturers, Volkswagen and General Motors, which ended in failure.
His son Toshihiro as successor
Suzuki, which celebrated its centenary in 2020, also established a technological partnership with compatriot Toyota in 2017, consolidated through cross-shareholdings two years later.
Osamu Suzuki handed over the title of CEO to his son Toshihiro in 2015, before resigning the following year from other roles within the company, in addition to that of chairman of the board of directors, which he left in 2021.
Source: BFM TV
