The End of Suzuki ????

[Marc.com]

. And that car had an engine that was an exact copy of a Ford Laser/Mazda 323, to the point where a Laser rocker cover fitted straight on.  

Yeah Kia produced quite a few cars under license including Honda/Mazda. The Benz 4x4 is the same with the Diesel made by Kia as a joint venture.

So VW and Suzuki will build hybrids and plug ins using the Swift as base. Suzuki has done well in small cars for years and hybrid and full electric is the future. Honda will have hybrid touring bike/scooters in production shortly.

[Marc.com]

What ever happens , happens . They are all guessing them selfes . First we are all about to brace our selfes for a rough 5 year ride conquering  the deflation or depression circle . Mainly the yanks and europeans  will be blessed with that

Australians are blessed with highest household debt in the world so we havn't dodged the bullet despite the spin.

[Tim754]

Lotus is owned by Malaysian company Proton.

[EML]

I can see where all our bikes will be made in the Great wall factory and you will get a packet of stickers so you can decal it up yourself. I just hope they can build some decent wheels as the ones on the current range of Chinkers don'e last long enough to get them off the trailer!!
I can't wait for the new VW V10 turbo diesel engine to come out in a 2 wheeler. I'll put a chair on it and might just catch wally up the start straight.

[oldfart]

Weren't    GM and Suzuki in bed at some time.

[bazza]

Have you seen the new 2011 Kombi Rh factory bike? 1200 cc flatbed single port

[tony27]

Weren't    GM and Suzuki in bed at some time.

Thats where Suzuki's problem came from, GM was losing bulk cash through playing finance company & came up with the idea of telling Suzuki you either buy our shares back or we dump them on the sharemarket which will effectively kill your company. They had no choice but to fork out the money if they wanted to stay in business

[Mick D]

Have you seen the new 2011 Kombi Rh factory bike? 1200 cc flatbed single port

[Marc.com]

Weren't    GM and Suzuki in bed at some time.

GM was losing bulk cash through playing finance company

Funny there is bike maker in Milwaukee with the very same problem/

[MX?]

Weren't    GM and Suzuki in bed at some time.

Were not Suzi and Kawasaki bed mates there not so long ago?

Sounds like ole Suzi is quite the tart .

[Marc.com]

Sounds like ole Suzi is quite the tart .
[/quote]

Yeah there are a few tarts about right now. I think VW is serious as for a very solvent car maker who owns already a chunk of it, buying the bike division is peanuts.

Suzuki has brand value both in cars and bikes so I don't think the name will disappear any time soon. Expect a hybrid Swift rebadged as a VW sooner though.

[oldfart]

Hang onto your hats chaps, Vw has only bought  19.9 % of Suzuki  thats a long way short of Ownership. The Japs are still in control 

[mx250]

Hang onto your hats chaps, Vw has only bought  19.9 % of Suzuki  thats a long way short of Ownership. The Japs are still in control 

19.9% might make them the largest shareholder - that could be significant. (I don't know ).

[Marc.com]

Hang onto your hats chaps, Vw has only bought  19.9 % of Suzuki  thats a long way short of Ownership. The Japs are still in control 

No in a Japanese company thats a short way from selling ownership as shows they are willing to give up control. Real issue in Japanese companies is cross ownership where they trade debt for equity, so I know Suzuki may not be making the decision.

Anyway the story I got from someone senior and Japanese, who would probably know, is the main game here is the car division and a new German battery technology that VW has a big stake in, another major shareholder of Suzuki wants to make the new batteries under license and has Government funding to set up. Suzuki are trying to flick the loss making motorcycle divisions equity in on the deal to raise some funds.

[Marc.com]

That makes all sense then  . So nobody is in absolut control anymoore and ship will sail sigg  sagg where ever the wind blows  from.

A lot of companies post Lehmann desperately issued equity in a bid to raise cash, and these issues were bought and sold on by finance houses so you have some fairly unlikely cross ownership. The ship sails wherever someone needs cash or can squeeze a profit. Osamu Suzuki CEO of Suzuki denied a deal in 2009, but VW links to Toshiba allow them to combine stakes in Suzuki and then Mr Suzuki can go whistle.

The CEO of VW (Winterkorn) is firmly in control, I believe they have the leverage and the cash.