History
The history of Suzuki four wheel drive cars goes back to 1969. Suzuki bought out Hope Motor Company and produced fifteen vehicles called the HopeStar ON360. Then in 1970, they produced the first "real" Suzuki 4x4. It was called the LJ10, and it had an air cooled, 359 cc, two-stroke, in-line two-cylinder engine. 1972 saw the introduction of the LJ20. The cooling was changed from air cooling to water cooling but was not enlarged or increased in power. In 1974, Suzuki replaced the LJ20 with the LJ50, which had a larger 537 cc, two-stroke, in-line three-cylinder engine and bigger differentials.
The LJ80 was an updated version of the LJ50 with an 800 cc, four-stroke, in-line four-cylinder engine, followed by the SJ410 and SJ413. A version of the SJ413 known as the Samurai was released in the US. The series from SJ410 to SJ413 was known as the Sierra in Australia, and remained the Jimny in some markets.
The new Jimny was released in 1998, and now bears the same name in all markets. The 1998 release used the G13BB EFI engine, replaced by the M13AA EFI engine in 2001 and the M13AA VVT engine in 2005, in conjunction with some interior redesign.
HopeStar ON360
The vehicle was originally developed by the Hope Motor Company of Japan in 1965 and sold as the HopeStar ON360 . It used a Mitsubishi 360 cc (21 in³) air-cooled 2-stroke engine which produced just 21 hp (15.7 kW). It was a basic vehicle with no doors, but a sturdy four wheel drive system allowed it to go anywhere. The tiny Hope was unable to sell many of these vehicles and sold the design to Suzuki in 1968.
LJ Series
The Suzuki LJ series (light jeep) was a small SUV produced between 1960 and 1981.
LJ10
Suzuki's first move on acquiring the rights to the ON360 was replacing the Mitsubishi engine with a 359 cc (21 in³) Suzuki 2-cylinder which produced 25 hp (18.6 kW). The new unit was still below 360 cc, and Suzuki placed the spare tire inside the truck to keep it under 3 meters in overall length, allowing it to be introduced in 1970 as the first 4x4 kei car. The LJ weighed just 1300 lb (590 kg), but could scarcely reach 45 mph (72 km/h).
LJ20
The LJ was updated for 1972 as the LJ20 . The grille bars were changed from horizontal to vertical for the LJ20. The engine was swapped out for a water-cooled unit, and its 32 hp (24 kW) enabled the LJ to hit 47 mph (76 km/h). The introduction of left hand drive was a major switch and signalled Suzuki's worldwide ambitions for the truck. The Hard Top (Van) was also introduced. Suzuki did not export them to America, a US company called IEC (International Equipment Co.) imported them.
LJ50
The LJ50 , (Japanese: Suzuki LJ50 ) introduced in 1974 as the Jimny 550, SJ10, reflected the changing kei car rules. The engine was now a 539 cc (32 in³) 3-cylinder, though still a 2-stroke, and produced 33 hp (25 kW) and more low-end torque. The 1400 lb (635 kg) vehicle could now hit 60 mph (97 km/h), and the spare tire was relocated to the rear door, allowing for a fourth seat.
LJ80
The final iteration of the original LJ design was the 1977 LJ80 . Although the LJ50 remained in production, the new 1700 lb (770 kg) LJ boasted a 797 cc (48 in³) 4-stroke SOHC four-cylinder engine capable of 41 hp (31 kW). The additional power and torque of this engine allowed the differential and gearing to be raised for better cruising and offroad performance, and the track was widened by 4 in (100 mm).
The interior was also improved, with new seats and steering wheel. Metal doors were available for the first time in 1979, and a pickup truck model appeared that year as well. Though the LJ80 was retired in 1981.
SJ Series
The Suzuki SJ-Series began production in 1982 in Hamamatsu, Japan. In Japan, the SJ-Series was sold as the Suzuki Jimny and was a kei car. It was produced with both 550 cc and 660 cc 3-cylinder engines for domestic use. The SJ-Series was lengthened and widened for export purposes and had many names worldwide: Suzuki Samurai, Suzuki Sierra, Suzuki Potohar, Suzuki Caribbean, Suzuki Santana, Holden Drover (Australia) and Maruti Gypsy (India).
SJ10
Jimny 55
SJ20
Jimny 8
SJ30
Jimny 550
SJ410
SJ40 Jimny 1000
The SJ410 was introduced in 1982 as an updated version of the LJ80. It used a larger version of that LJ's 1.0 liter 4-cylinder engine. This engine produced 45 hp (34 kW) and it had a top speed of 68 mph (109 km/h).
A 4-speed manual transmission was standard, as were non-power assisted drum brakes front and rear. The SJ-410 came as a half-door convertible, pickup truck, 2-door hardtop, raised-roof hardtop, and no-glass hardtop. The SJ was produced in Spain by Santana Motors in their Linares, Jaén factory and sold as a domestic vehicle in Europe due to its over 60% native parts.
SJ413
JA51 Jimmy 1300
In 1984, the SJ was revamped with the launch of the SJ413. The SJ413 included a larger 1.3 liter 4-cylinder engine, 5-speed manual transmission and power brakes all around. The body and interior were also redesigned, with a new dashboard, seats, and grille. The SJ410 remained in production through 1985 with the old specifications.
Samurai
The SJ-Series was introduced to the United States (Puerto Rico (SJ-410) and Canada earlier) in 1985 for the 1986 model year. It was priced at just $6200 and 47,000 were sold in its first year. The Samurai had a 1.3 liter, 63 hp (47 kW), 4-cylinder engine and was available as a convertible or a hardtop. The Suzuki Samurai became intensely popular within the serious 4WD community for its extreme off road performance and reliability compared to other 4WDs of the time.
The Samurai is also considered a great beginner 4WD due to its simple design and ease of modifications with engine swaps and suspension upgrades.
The 1988.5 model Samurai was re-tuned for better on-road use in the United States. This revision included softer suspension settings and a larger anti-sway bar to reduce body roll. A lower 5th gear (.865:1 vs the earlier .795:1) increased engine rpm and power on the highway, and improved dashboard and seats made the Samurai more comfortable.
A new 1.3 4-cylinder engine with throttle-body fuel injection was introduced with 66 hp (49 kW). The Samurai was withdrawn in Canada in 1989 as the Suzuki Sidekick replaced it; however, sales in the United States market continued until 1995. Low sales prompted the withdrawal of the Samurai from the United States and it was replaced by the Suzuki X-90. The disputed 1988 rollover report by Consumer Reports was recognized as the cause of the Samurai's declining sales..
Suzuki Samurai was sold in Colombia and Venezuela as Chevrolet Samurai. Produced by General Motors Colmotores (Colombia). Other countries in South America (Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Peru, Paraguay and Uruguay) was sold as Suzuki Samurai, Soft Top, Hard Top, Long Body (No Mercosur), Pickup (No Mercosur). (Produced by Suzuki (Japan) & Santana Motors (Spain). A long-wheel-base Samurai variant is produced in India by Maruti-Suzuki as the Maruti Gypsy using the 16V 1.3 liter 80 hp (60 kW) engine.
Sierra
Exactly the same as the Suzuki Samurai but were assembled in Australia.
Maruti Gypsy
Similar to the SJ-413/Samurai. It is only available in a LWB version and is still in production. More information can be found at Maruti Gypsy
Coily
The Samurai continued for sale outside the United States (referred to as the 'Coily'), with a substantial update in 1996. This included a coil spring suspension, though the live axles were retained. The rest of the truck was redesigned as well, with new seats, dashboard, steering wheel, and doors joining a "macho" exterior.
Not all SJ models were updated however, with the original narrow SJ410 still in production in some countries. Even though the Jimny replaced the SJ in most markets after 1998, the SJ remains in production today.
JA Series
JB Series
Suzuki Jimny
The Suzuki Jimny is a small four wheel drive built by the Japanese manufacturer Suzuki. Three body styles are available: a metal top, a hard top and soft top. The Jimny replaced the popular Sierra/Samurai model in most markets in 1999, though its predecessor remains in limited production in some regions. The Jimny (3rd generation) was equipped with a newly designed 1.3 L 16-valve four-cylinder electronically fuel injected engine or a 1.5 Diesel engine (again Market specific). A ladder type chassis and a dual ratio transfer case is standard, unlike many competing compact 4WDs which lack a low range, and are strictly in the crossover category.
The Jimny's vacuum-locking hubs
YouTube - Suzuki Samurai Off-Road
@superchris445 it is cute jeeps are awesome right? or do you like fat land rovers or hummers?
suzuki samurai links-english
Suzuki pages: www.vintagesuzuki.com Ted Holman; www.off-road.com/suzuki/index.htm Don't we know it all..... http://drive.to/jeepagubbarna Jim and kimme's page from Sweden!
Suzuki Samurai Turbo Diesel conversion kit for Suzuki Samurai
We carry many parts for the Suzuki Samurai. Click to go to our main Suzuki Samurai webpage. ...
Suzuki-Suzuki Samurai Parts
We manufacture the finest offroad Samurai Sidekick and Tracker bumpers, rock sliders for protecting your rocker panels, skid plates and many other 4x4 parts & accessories for you ...
Suzuki Samurai - Cars.com
Research new and used Suzuki Samurai models and find a Suzuki Samurai for sale near you.
J.E. Reel Drive Line Specialists Suzuki Samurai Drivelines Page
Heavy Duty Slip & Stub 1310 Series U-Joints Available with C.V. Joint: Stronger Tube and Increased Operating Angle as compared to Original Equipment Driveline
Category:Suzuki Samurai - Wikimedia Commons
Media in category "Suzuki Samurai" The following 16 files are in this category, out of 16 total.
Suzuki Samurai Fights Back? - Car and Driver Blog
Suzuki is mulling what to do next to catch the American public’s attention, but at the launch of the new mid-sized Kizashi sedan in Portland, Oregon, company spokesmen and ...
Suzuki Jimny - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
[edit] History. The history of Suzuki four wheel drive cars goes back to 1969. Suzuki bought out Hope Motor Company and produced fifteen vehicles called the HopeStar ON360.
suzuki samurai specs-english
Hello, I'm Henry van Gorkom and I'm coming from the Netherlands. It's a very small country in Europe. On this page something about the changes on my '91 samurai.