. for other uses see suzuki disambiguation . suzuki motor corporation way of life native name romanized name suzuki kabushiki kaisha type public k.k. traded as tyo 7269 industry automotive founded 1909 ; 107 years ago 1909 as suzuki loom works founder michio suzuki headquarters hamamatsu shizuoka japan area served worldwide key people osamu suzuki chairman & ceo 1 products automobiles engines motorcycles atvs outboard motors production output 2 878 000 automobiles fy2012 2 2 269 000 motorcycles and atvs fy2012 2 revenue 2 578.3 billion fy2012 3 us 26.27 billion profit 80.4 billion fy2012 3 us 819 million total assets 2 487.6 billion fy2012 3 us 25.34 billion number of employees 14 405 march 2013 4 subsidiaries maruti suzuki magyar suzuki pak suzuki motors bari suzuki suzuki canada american suzuki motor suzuki china suzuki gb plc suzuki motorcycle india limited website www.globalsuzuki.com www.suzuki.co.jp suzuki motor corporation japanese hepburn suzuki kabushiki kaisha 5 is a japanese multinational corporation headquartered in minami ku hamamatsu japan 6 which specializes in manufacturing automobiles four wheel drive vehicles motorcycles all terrain vehicles atvs outboard marine engines wheelchairs and a variety of other small internal combustion engines . in 2011 suzuki was thought to be the ninth biggest automaker by production worldwide . 7 suzuki has over 45 000 employees worldwide and has about 35 main production facilities in 23 countries and 133 distributors in 192 countries . citation needed contents 1 history 1.1 leadership 1.2 timeline 1.2.1 1909 1959 1.2.2 1960 1969 1.2.3 1970 1979 1.2.4 1980 1989 1.2.5 1990 1999 1.2.6 2000 2009 1.2.7 2010 2013 2 subsidiaries 2.1 maruti suzuki india limited formerly maruti udyog limited 2.2 american suzuki motor corp. 2.3 pakistani suzuki motor company limited 2.4 suzuki canada inc. 2.5 suzuki gb plc 2.6 suzuki motorcycle india limited 3 oem deals 3.1 production facilities 4 automobiles 4.1 concept automobiles 5 motorcycles 5.1 models 5.1.1 two stroke engines 5.1.2 four stroke engines 5.1.3 other power sources 5.2 concept motorcycles 6 all terrain vehicles atvs 7 event sponsorship 8 see also 9 references 10 external links history edit headquarters in hamamatsu in 1909 michio suzuki 1887 1982 founded the suzuki loom works in the small seacoast village of hamamatsu japan . business boomed as suzuki built weaving looms for japan s giant silk industry . 8 in 1929 michio suzuki invented a new type of weaving machine which was exported overseas . the company s first 30 years focused on the development and production of these machines . citation needed despite the success of his looms suzuki believed that his company would benefit from diversification and he began to look at other products . based on consumer demand he decided that building a small car would be the most practical new venture . the project began in 1937 and within two years suzuki had completed several compact prototype cars . these first suzuki motor vehicles were powered by a then innovative liquid cooled four stroke four cylinder engine . it had a cast aluminum crankcase and gearbox and generated 13 horsepower 9.7 kw from a displacement of less than 800cc . citation needed with the onset of world war ii production plans for suzuki s new vehicles were halted when the government declared civilian passenger cars a non essential commodity . at the conclusion of the war suzuki went back to producing looms . loom production was given a boost when the u.s. government approved the shipping of cotton to japan . suzuki s fortunes brightened as orders began to increase from domestic textile manufacturers . but the joy was short lived as the cotton market collapsed in 1951 . citation needed faced with this colossal challenge suzuki returned to the production of motor vehicles . after the war the japanese had a great need for affordable reliable personal transportation . a number of firms began offering clip on gas powered engines that could be attached to the typical bicycle . suzuki s first two wheeled vehicle was a bicycle fitted with a motor called the power free . designed to be inexpensive and simple to build and maintain the 1952 power free had a 36 cc one horsepower two stroke engine . 9 the new double sprocket gear system enabled the rider to either pedal with the engine assisting pedal without engine assist or simply disconnect the pedals and run on engine power alone . citation needed the patent office of the new democratic government granted suzuki a financial subsidy to continue research in motorcycle engineering . 1955 suzulight by 1954 suzuki was producing 6 000 motorcycles per month and had officially changed its name to suzuki motor co. ltd. following the success of its first motorcycles suzuki created an even more successful automobile the 1955 suzuki suzulight . the suzulight sold with front wheel drive four wheel independent suspension and rack and pinion steering which were not common on cars until three decades later . citation needed volkswagen held a 19.9 % non controlling shareholding in suzuki between 2009 and 2015 . an international arbitration court ordered volkswagen to sell the stake back to suzuki . 10 suzuki paid 3.8 bn to complete the stock buy back in september 2015 . 11 leadership edit the company was founded by michio suzuki ; its current chairman and ceo is osamu suzuki 1 the fourth adopted son in law in a row to run the company 12 timeline edit the suzuki loom company started in 1909 as a manufacturer of looms for weaving silk and cotton . michio suzuki was intent on making better more user friendly looms and for 30 years his focus was on the development of these machines . michio s desire to diversify into automotive products was interrupted by world war ii . 13 before it began building four stroke engines suzuki motor corp. was known for its two stroke engines for motorcycles and autos . 14 after the war suzuki made a two stroke motorized bicycle but eventually the company would be known for hayabusa and gsx r motorcycles for the quadrunner and for dominating racetracks around the world . even after producing its first car in 1955 the company didn t have an automobile division until 1961 . 15 today suzuki is among the world s largest automakers and a major brand name in important markets including japan and india but no longer sells cars in north america . 16 1909 1959 edit michio suzuki 1909 michio suzuki founds suzuki loom works founded in hamamatsu shizuoka prefecture japan . 17 1920 incorporated and capitalized at 500 000 as suzuki loom manufacturing co. with michio suzuki as president . 17 1937 suzuki begins a project to diversify into manufacturing small cars . within two years several innovative prototypes are completed but the government declares civilian passenger cars a non essential commodity at the onset of world war ii thwarting production plans . 13 1940 takatsuka plant is built in kami mura hamana gun shizuoka japan . 6 17 1945 plants close due to severe war damage . company offices move to the takatsuka plant site . 17 1947 head office moves to the present address . 6 17 1949 company lists on the tokyo osaka and nagoya stock exchanges . 17 1950 company has financial crisis due to labor difficulties . 17 1952 power free motorized bicycle marketed . 9 15 1953 introduction of diamond free 60cc 2 cycle motorized bicycle displacement subsequently increases to 70cc . 18 1954 company name changed to suzuki motor co. ltd. 17 1955 introduction of colleda cox 125cc 4 stroke single cylinder 18 and colleda st 125cc two stroke single cylinder motorcycles . suzulight 360cc two stroke front wheel drive car introduced at the start of japan s minivehicle age . 19 1957 michio suzuki designated as adviser and his son shunzo suzuki appointed as company president . 17 20 1958 s mark adopted as corporate emblem . 17 1959 launch of colleda sel twin 2 cylinder 125cc two stroke motorcycle with electric starter . introduction of all new suzulight tl 360cc light commercial two stroke minivehicle . 17 september 26 typhoon vera ise wan destroys suzuki s assembly plant . 21 1960 1969 edit 1960 in march suzuki s new modern assembly line plant is finished . 21 suzuki enter a motorcycle race team into grands prix under the manufacturing name colleda with riders toshio matsumoto michio ichino and ray fay placing 15th 16th and 18th in isle of man tt races . 22 1961 separation of the loom machine division from the motor company as suzuki loom manufacturing co. 17 suzuki enter race motorcycles of rt61 125 cc and rv61 250 cc into grands prix under the suzuki name 23 with two riders from the team of mitsuo itoh michio ichino sadao masuda toshio matsumoto paddy driver hugh anderson and alastair king placing 10th and 12th in 250 cc isle of man tt races . 24 25 production of the suzulight carry 360cc two stroke lightweight truck begins at new plant in toyokawa aichi prefecture japan . 17 26 1962 first victory in the inaugural season of 50 cc grand prix motorcycle racing comes at the end of a three way battle between suzuki honda and kreidler at the isle of man tt . the winning rm62 machine was ridden by ernst degner who had defected from the east german mz team to suzuki the previous year . 27 28 1963 mitsuo itoh makes history as the first japanese rider to win the isle of man tt when he takes the lead on the last lap of the 50cc race after suzuki teammate degner breaks down . suzuki wins both the rider s and manufacturer s championships in both 50cc and 125cc classes for this season of world grand prix motorcycle racing . 27 29 subsidiary company opens in los angeles to enter the american motorcycle market as u.s. suzuki motor corp. 30 1965 enters outboard motor market with the launch of d55 5.5 hp two stroke engine . 17 introduction of fronte 800 two stroke subcompact passenger vehicle . 31 t20 motorcycle introduced as the fastest 250cc motorcycle in the world aimed at the us market but gets worldwide attention . 32 suzuki t500 at the salon de la moto 2011 in paris 1967 thailand gets the first motorcycle assembly plant outside japan creating thai suzuki motor co. ltd. 17 automobile plant built in iwata shizuoka japan . 17 33 debut of fronte 360cc two stroke minivehicle . 17 1968 after a winning 1967 season the suzuki motorcycle race team withdraws from world grand prix due to changes in fim rules . hans georg anscheidt rides a 1967 machine in 1968 as a privateer for the seventh season of suzuki gp championships . 27 introduction of carry van 360cc two stroke minivan with a full cab over design . 17 launch of t500 motorcycle with an air cooled parallel twin 500cc engine the largest displacement of any two stroke at the time . 32 1969 motorcycle plant built in oyabe toyama japan . 17 1970 1979 edit suzuki jimny lj10 1970 foundry is built in ogasa shizuoka japan ; automobile plant is built in kosai shizuoka . 34 35 frank whiteway easily wins the 500cc class at the isle of man tt race on a production t500 motorcycle prepared by eddie crooks . 36 lj10 the first mass production 4x4 domestic mini car becomes available in japan powered by a 360cc twin cylinder air cooled two stroke engine . 37 38 1971 production plant for medium to large motorcycles is built in toyokawa aichi japan . 26 35 gt750 motorcycle debuts with a liquid cooled two stroke straight three engine . 39 suzuki s production motocrosser the tm400 arrives to participate in 500cc class motocross world championship racing . 40 suzuki rider roger de coster becomes the 500cc class world motocross champion on his 396cc rn71 factory machine