The Suzuki CV1 is a microcar first presented at the 24th Tokyo Motor Show in 1981.
| Suzuki CV1 | |
|---|---|
 Suzuki CV1 on display at a festival near Himeji Castle in Hyōgo Prefecture, ^ | |
| Overview | |
| Manufacturer | Suzuki |
| Production | 1981-1985 |
| Body and chassis | |
| Class | Microcar |
| Powertrain | |
| Engine | 50 cc (3.1 cu in) 2-stroke Single cylinder |
| Dimensions | |
| Wheelbase | 1,310 mm (4 ft 4 in) |
| Length | 1,940 mm (6 ft 4 in) |
| Width | 1,185 mm (3 ft 10.7 in) |
| Height | 1,290 mm (4 ft 3 in) |
| Kerb weight | 168 kg (3.31 long cwt) |
Displayed under the banner of Suzuki Community Vehicle, the CV1 was a single-seat, four-wheeler, with a narrower track at the rear. It had a single door in its fiberglass body and originally had a claimed maximum speed of 30 km/h (19 mph), the legal limit for a moped in Japan at the time, and a fuel economy of 2.0 L/100 km (140 mpg‑imp; 120 mpg‑US).[1] The vehicle could be driven on a moped licence in Japan and was sold in very limited numbers on a trial basis at a price of 300,000 Yen. Somewhere between 50 and 100 examples were manufactured.[1][2][3]
After a governmental review, it was determined that the CV1 could only be driven by someone with a full license, rather than a moped license (which only required a written test). While this allowed Suzuki to increase the top speed to 60 km/h (37 mph), it also removed the reason for the CV1's existence. The car had windows on either side that could be slid upwards and early versions had a single headlamp. Its design was a modernized take on the post-war German bubble cars like the Heinkel Kabine and the BMW Isetta. Production ended in 1985 when Japanese licensing laws were changed.
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Suzuki CV1 front -
Suzuki CV1 rear
Sources
edit- ^ a b Rees, Chris (1995). Microcar Mania. Minster Lovell & New Yatt, Oxfordshire, UK: Bookmarque Publishing. p. 142. ISBN 1-870519-18-3.
- ^ "谷保天満宮旧車祭 其の４ コレ…自動車？なんですCAR？" [Yabo Tenmangu Shrine Vintage Car Festival, Part 4: Is this a car? Is that a car?]. ChameleonArms. 2013-01-24.
- ^ Hancocks, Simon (2022-02-07). "Ultra-rare Suzuki CV1 is up for sale, and we are strangely attracted to it!". Visor Down. Crash Media Group Ltd. Archived from the original on 2022-08-15.
- Von Mende, Hans-Ulrich; Dietz, Matthias (1994), Kleinwagen, Small Cars, Petites Voitures, Benedikt Taschen, ISBN 9783822889107