TOKYO—Osamu Suzuki, who grew small-car specialist Suzuki Motor into an international brand with huge successes in India, died Wednesday at age 94 after bouts with cancer, the company said Friday.
Under the charismatic businessman’s four-decade leadership through 2021, the firm’s sales grew more than 10-fold.
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Born on January 30, 1930, in the central Japanese region of Gifu, he married into the firm’s founding family and later became its president in 1978.
Calling himself an “old man at a small business,” he focused on building light-weight “kei” vehicles, many of which became big hits for their fuel efficiency and easy-to-handle quality.
He also actively sought international partners and opportunities overseas to expand his business. AFP