Suzuki bought a design from a bankrupt company — the Jimny became a global off-road icon

In 1967, the Hope Motor Company developed a small four-wheel drive vehicle called the HopeStar ON360. It was a tiny off-roader designed for Japan's kei car class — a category of ultra-compact vehicles with tax and insurance benefits. But Hope Motor Company went bankrupt, leaving the design without a manufacturer.

Suzuki bought the design from the bankrupt Hope Motor Company in 1968. The company had no experience with four-wheel drive vehicles. The acquisition was a small, low-risk bet — Suzuki was primarily a motorcycle manufacturer and saw the kei off-roader as a niche product for the Japanese market.

The first Suzuki-badged version, the LJ10, launched in April 1970. It was the first four-wheel drive kei car in series production. Suzuki's expectations were modest. But the Jimny was an unexpected hit. It sold nearly 5,000 units in its first year in Japan, immediately outselling the market leader, the Mitsubishi Jeep. Suzuki had to create a dedicated assembly line to keep up with demand.

The Jimny became Suzuki's first global success. It found an unfilled gap in the market: a small, lightweight, affordable off-roader. By 2018, Suzuki had sold 2.85 million units in 194 countries. The vehicle that Suzuki bought from a bankrupt company as a small bet had become a global cult classic.