Founder Michio Suzuki established Suzuki Loom Works in 1909 in Hamamatsu, Japan,
Suzuki outboard motors are made by Suzuki Motor Corporation, the same Japanese company behind Suzuki's cars and motorcycles. The marine division, Suzuki Marine, designs and builds outboard engines specifically, drawing on more than a century of engineering experience.
Suzuki's story starts far from the water. Founder Michio Suzuki established Suzuki Loom Works in 1909 in Hamamatsu, Japan, building weaving equipment for the country's textile industry. It wasn't until after WWII that the company shifted into motorized vehicles, eventually becoming Suzuki Motor Corporation and growing into one of Japan's top automakers. With decades of engine expertise already in place, moving into outboards was a natural next step.
Suzuki launched its first outboard motor, the D55, in 1965, a 5.5 horsepower, 98cc two stroke motor built at the Takatsuka headquarters plant. The Suzuki Marine brand itself was formed in 1977 to market outboards in the US, and production later expanded to dedicated facilities in Toyokawa and Kosai in Japan's Shizuoka and Aichi prefectures, plus a Thailand plant opened in 1999 for smaller models.
Suzuki has driven several industry firsts along the way, including the first oil injection system for two stroke outboards in 1980 and multiple NMMA Innovation Awards for models like the DT200 and DF350A.
Suzuki outboards are now sold in more than 170 countries, with mid to large engines produced at the Kosai Plant in Japan and smaller models assembled at Thai Suzuki. In 2022, Suzuki celebrated 4 million accumulated global production units, a milestone reflecting decades of engineering focus, from the original D55 up to today's flagship DF350A.
So, when you're running a Suzuki outboard, you're running an engine built by a company that has been making engines, in one form or another, since before outboards even existed.