Osamu Suzuki, historic boss of the Japanese car manufacturer, has died

Osamu Suzuki, in Tokyo, May 31, 2016. ISSEI KATO / REUTERS Osamu Suzuki, who led the Japanese car and two-wheeler manufacturer of the same name for more than forty years, died Wednesday, December 25, of lymphoma, at the age of 94, the group announced Friday. This charismatic character, renowned for his outspokenness and humor, played a leading role in the development of the group, which he joined in 1958, notably overseeing its entry into the light vehicle segment and its establishment in the Indian market. . Born Osamu Matsuda in 1930, the future boss married Shoko Suzuki, granddaughter of the company founder, whose surname he took. He became director of the group in 1978. It was under his watch that Suzuki entered the market for kei cars, these typically Japanese mini-cars, with the dimensions and power set by law, which today represent 36% of vehicle sales in Japan. Suzuki regained first place in this segment last year, overtaking its compatriot Daihatsu for the first time in eighteen years. Osamu Suzuki had established alliances with two of the world’s largest automakers, Volkswagen and General Motors, which ended in failure. The Suzuki group, which celebrated its 100th anniversary in 2020, also established a technological partnership with its compatriot Toyota in 2017, consolidated by cross-shareholdings two years later. Mr. Suzuki passed on the title of executive CEO to his son Toshihiro in 2015, before relinquishing his other functions within the company the following year, apart from that of chairman of the board of directors, then retiring in 2021. Read also | Article reserved for our subscribers The Japanese automobile industry weakened by a vast certification scandal Read later Le Monde with AFP Reuse this content



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