Ex-Suzuki Motor Chm. Osamu Suzuki has died at the age of 94

Tokyo, Dec. 27 (Jiji Press)–The former president of Suzuki Motor Corp. Osamu Suzuki died of malignant lymphoma at a hospital in Hamamatsu, Shizuoka Prefecture, central Japan, on Wednesday at 3:53 p.m. He was 94 years old.

Suzuki, a charismatic businessman who helped popularize minicars in the country, served as chairman or president of Suzuki Motor for over 40 years.

He was born in the central Japanese prefecture of Gifu and graduated from Chuo University. He worked at a bank until he became the son-in-law of Shunzo Suzuki, the second president of Suzuki Motor, and joined the automaker in 1958.

Suzuki became the company’s fourth president in 1978. Suzuki Motor’s Alto minicar, launched the following year, became a big hit thanks to its low price. Since then, the company has produced successful vehicles, including the Wagon R, to make motor vehicles popular among the public.

Suzuki Motor also explored foreign markets, expanding into India in the 1980s. It holds over 40% of the populous country’s passenger vehicle market.

(Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.)