Suzuki Fronte

The Suzuki Fronte is an automobile introduced in March 1962 as a sedan version of the Suzulight Van. The nameplate remained in use for Suzuki's Kei car sedans as well as some commercial-use derivatives until it was replaced by the Alto in September 1988.
The "fronte" nameplate initially alluded to the fact that the initial Fronte was front-wheel-drive, but during the years when the Fronte was rear-engined, rear-wheel-drive, Suzuki stated that it referred to their aim of being at the front of the Kei class.

Suzulight Fronte (TLA/FEA)

The Suzulight Van-based TLA Fronte was introduced in March 1962 as a passenger car version of the popular light van. Built at Takatsuka Assembly in Hamamatsu, the Suzulight Fronte was based on the earlier Suzulight SS series, itself a fairly straightforward copy of the even older Lloyd LP400, and as such had a transversely mounted two-cylinder, two-stroke engine driving the front wheels. Suspension was independent on all four wheels, with transverse double leafsprings on both axes. 2,565 were built in the first year. Power was at 6000 rpm, from a unique engine with its cylinders cast separately rather than in a single block. Of 360 cc this method allowed for a lower production cost and better cooling, allowing Suzuki to price the TLA below the more spartan TL Van. As with the light commercials on which it was based, the transmission was a three-speed manual with an unsynchronized first gear and a column-mounted shifter.
The TLA engine had problems with seizing after prolonged use of high revs and after only one year's production, it was replaced by the new FEA engine. This also featured the SELMIX automatic lubrication system, improved fuel economy and eliminated the need for pre-mixed petrol for the two-stroke engine. Power was down somewhat, to. This was counteracted by the installation of a new, all-synchronized four-speed gearbox.
In May 1963, two of the recently introduced FE-powered Suzuki Frontes came in first and second in their class at the inaugural Japanese Grand Prix, with an average speed of. Two more Frontes came in fourth and eighth places. The winning driver was Osamu Mochizuki who crossed the finish line just ahead of teammate Haruhisa Fujita, both a full minute ahead of the third-placed Subaru 360. The fastest lap was also made by a Fronte, by eighth-place finisher Isamu Kawashima, who managed a lap speed of around the course.
In October 1965 the further improved CCI engine, which further cut down oil consumption and startup smoke. The FEA-II engine also gained an extra horsepower, for a total of 22. The FEA-II also received a new front-end treatment, aping its bigger brother the Fronte 800. Production was about 150 cars per month at this time, very low compared to the 2,000 or so Subaru 360 built monthly. In 1966 this became known as the "New FEA" after another slight facelift which included a new dashboard. By the end of its production run, the Suzulight Fronte was beginning to look rather dated, especially at the rear end, and the chassis was positively archaic.

Fronte 360 (LC10)

The Suzuki Fronte 360 two-door sedan was introduced in March 1967 to replace the earlier Suzulight Fronte. The "Y-16", as the project had been known, had a rear engine and ten inch wheels for maximum packaging. The car sprang from the 1961 "FC" project, also with a rear-engine but with rear-hinged doors, a reverse-angle rear window and an overall rakish profile. This earlier stillborn project, called the "Suzulight Sports 360", was a reaction to the success of the rear-engined Subaru 360 and had a unique 360 cc two-cylinder engine. Even earlier, there was an open two-seater prototype called the FA, with the same engine and layout as used in the FC. Suzuki's new test track in Ryūyō was put to intense use for the development program, while tropical and cold weather testing was carried out in Thailand and on Hokkaido respectively. In the Japanese domestic market, the Fronte competed directly with the Mitsubishi Minica, Honda N360, Daihatsu Fellow, and the Subaru 360.
Its overall shape is of a roundish profile, soon nicknamed "Daruma" for a Japanese roly-poly doll - this is the smallest car to use the "coke bottle styling" which became popular in the United States in the mid-1960s. The wheelbase was, the suspension independent with coil springs and the engine was an all new 356 cc three-cylinder air-cooled two-cycle unit which was also called the LC10. The transmission was a four-speed manual, originally with synchromesh on the top three gears only. The rear lights and the front indicators used the same lenses, only of different colours. In a break with Fronte's front-wheel drive traditions, the powertrain was placed transversely in the rear, as was becoming the norm for kei cars of the period. The LC10 Fronte was dubbed the "Queen of the keis" by Suzuki's marketing department - a claim which may have influenced Subaru to name their 360 replacement the "Rex".
The LC10 was introduced with great fanfare and a large marketing campaign, which included television commercials. First reaching dealerships on 27 May 1967, market response was immediate and strong. While the original target production was 3000 per month, this was soon nearly tripled. Monthly production remained above 8000 until the end of the LC10's life. A new, additional factory in Iwata was opened in August 1967 to add supplementary capacity. As production ramped up, minor running changes were made: little details like the shape of the turn signal lights were changed, while the chrome windshield surround was made thinner a few months into production; early Deluxe and Super Deluxe models also received clear headlight covers but later these were reserved for the sporty variants. The Fronte soon received a very minor update reflecting stricter safety laws; as of October 1968 it sported a driver's side integrated headrest, seat belts up front, and turn signal flashers on all four corners.
While in overall a fairly simple and light car, the triple carburettors were awkwardly located at the front of the engine, behind the rear seat. To adjust them, a mechanic would have to reach through a small egg-shaped opening from the rear seat. Another complaint touched on the car's near absence of luggage space. There was even a brochure made of a US-market Fronte 360, complete with miles-per-hour speedo and uncovered sealed-beam headlights, but most likely none were brought over.
In November 1968 came the Suzuki Fronte SS 360 with, with the sportier yet Suzuki Fronte SSS following in April 1970. The SS was the quickest kei-car yet, managing to break the twenty second barrier in reaching 400 metres from standing with 19.95 seconds. The car had different wheels and also featured a rev counter. It was introduced with an unusual marketing stunt: racing driver Stirling Moss and TT-winning motorcycle racer Mitsuo Itoh were engaged to drive two SS Frontes on a high-speed demonstration journey along Italy's Autostrada del Sole leading from Milan to Napoli. In the end, the average speed attained was, respectable for a car with an engine smaller than those of most motorcycles. The original car currently resides in Suzuki's museum in Hamamatsu. In 1969 the "SS Standard" model also appeared, with the powerful engine but with a minimum of trim, specifically intended for competition purposes.
There was also an export version introduced in January 1969, the Suzuki Fronte 500 with the engine enlarged to 475 cc. This was only built in De Luxe trim. The 500 produces at 6000 rpm, four more than does the original 360 export version. In May 1969 the Fronte received its first real facelift. The dashboard was modernized by two square gauges instead of a large oval one, the ignition key was moved from the dashboard to the steering column and the two-tone interior was changed to simply black. Externally, the decorative trim pieces in the front grille and on the air inlets at the rear were replaced by real grilles. First gear was also synchronized, unlike on earlier cars. In July 1969 the Fronte S appeared, which offered the SS equipment but with the more economical 25 PS engine. Another facelift took place in April 1970, when the grille became more ornate and the sporting version was rebaptized "SSS". Marketing materials referred to this version as the "New Fronte". Two new engines of were installed, while the original 25 PS version was discontinued. The more powerful version was installed in the Hi-Super DX and S versions. Production ended in October 1970, in advance of the succeeding "Stingray" Fronte.

Fronte Van/Estate/Custom (LS10/LS20)

January 1969 saw the arrival of the Suzuki Fronte Van three-door wagon as a successor to the Suzulight FE-series Van which had been built alongside the LC10 for a couple of years. The LS10 featured a conventional drivetrain lay-out, a rear rigid axle with leaf springs and a wheelbase of. Design was square in style, radically different from the Fronte sedan. To begin with, the rear opening was a single unit, hinged at the top. The engine was the air-cooled 356 cc LC10 two-cycle three-cylinder unit, here detuned to for a top speed of 105 km/h. The Van has MacPherson struts in front and semi-elliptic leaf springs in rear. Unusually for Japanese cars, the spare wheel was mounted in the engine compartment - something more commonly seen in French cars - to help free up more space for luggage.
By July 1969 a three-door wagon version intended for private use arrived, the LS11 Suzuki Fronte Estate, to give passenger car buyers a model with more luggage room without the indignity of having to buy a commercial vehicle. The Estate had the same top-hinged rear opening, but featured a more comfortable, while still folding, rear seat. There was also a folding luggage shelf in the trunk. Sops to safety, already somewhat better than the regular Fronte because of the engine location and the driver's seat being located farther back, included an anti-glare dashboard and a round horn pad in the steering wheel.

Suzuki Fronte Van/Estate/Custom	Suzuki Fronte Van/Estate/Custom	Suzuki Fronte Van/Estate/Custom	Suzuki Fronte Van/Estate/Custom	Suzuki Fronte Van/Estate/Custom
	'69 Fronte Van	'72 Fronte Van	'69 Fronte Estate	'70 Fronte Hi-Custom
Body	3-door wagon	3-door wagon	3-door wagon	2-door sedan
Transmission	FR, 4-speed manual	FR, 4-speed manual	FR, 4-speed manual	FR, 4-speed manual
Suspension F/R	coil springs / leaf sprung live axle	coil springs / leaf sprung live axle	coil springs / leaf sprung live axle	coil springs / leaf sprung live axle
Brakes F/R	drums / drums	drums / drums	drums / drums	drums / drums
Wheelbase
Length/width/height	2995/1295/1380 mm 117.9/51.0/54.3 in	2995/1295/1380 mm 117.9/51.0/54.3 in	2995/1295/1380 mm 117.9/51.0/54.3 in	2995/1295/1380 mm 117.9/51.0/54.3 in
Empty weight	Super DeLuxe:	Super DeLuxe:
Engine	LC10 air-cooled, 2-stroke inline 3	L50 water-cooled, 2-stroke inline 2	LC10 air-cooled, 2-stroke inline 3	LC10 air-cooled, 2-stroke inline 3
Displacement	356 cc	359 cc	356 cc	356 cc
Carburetor	1 downdraught single-barrel	1 downdraught single-barrel	1 downdraught single-barrel	1 downdraught single-barrel
Power	at 6500 rpm	at 5500 rpm	at 6500 rpm	at 6500 rpm
Torque	at 5000 rpm	at 5000 rpm	at 5000 rpm	at 5500 rpm
Top Speed
Payload	Or 150 kg with 4 occupants	Or 150 kg with 4 occupants	n/a	n/a
Tires	4.50 x 10 4PR	4.50 x 10 4PR	4.80 x 10 2PR	4.80 x 10 2PR
Introductory price	Standard: ¥313,000 DeLuxe: ¥340,000 Super DeLuxe: ¥368,000		¥372,000	¥394,000

In June 1970 the Estate model was succeeded by the Suzuki Fronte Custom, also using the LS11 model code. The Custom had the same wagon body style but lacked a top opening at the rear. While it received a new grille it came with a downwards opening trunk lid only, possibly to please the private customer who found the luggage room in the rear-engined Fronte too small by disguising the fact that a wagon was involved. Thus, the Fronte Custom became one of only two wagons ever without a bottom to top back opening, the other being the 1941-42 Chrysler Town and Country. A more luxurious and powerful Hi-Custom version was added two months later, but the entire Custom range was deleted in early 1971. A total of 5,719 LS11s were built, with seven eighths of the total having been built in calendar year 1970. Also in 1971 the Fronte Van received a minor facelift, including a somewhat baroque new grille and a new, horizontally divided two-piece tailgate. The twin round taillights were also replaced by rectangular units. This version also featured Suzuki's new self-lubricating "CCIS" system.
In March 1972 the Fronte Van received the two-cylinder, two-stroke water-cooled 28 hp L50 engine also used in the Suzuki Carry, becoming the LS20 in the process. A new grille gave away the changes underneath the skin, as did prominent "Water Cooled" badges on the rear. Aside from the engine, the most important change was that the rear lid was now once again a top-hinged single-piece unit. As before, Standard, DeLuxe, and Super DeLuxe versions were available. The Fronte Van was replaced in April 1973 by the strange-looking [|Fronte Hatch]. Just under 28,000 of the LS20 Van were built in the thirteen months it was in production.