Moscow, August 17, 2023. 55 years ago, in less than 5 hours, two spectacular sports cars Suzuki Fronte SS 360 (LC10) rushed into the era of high speeds. The legendary Autostrada del Sole run from Milan to Naples made the subcompact cars and Suzuki brand famous throughout the world.
The run took place during the test of a new modified engine for the Fronte 360, and its scale may well impress even modern car enthusiasts. Just imagine: Italy, August, the magnificent «Sunny Highway» (Autostrada del Sole) with a length of about 750 km connects the cities of Milan and Naples; along its entire length, with the exception of turns and tunnels, two wide traffic lanes on each side; two unique cars, two top class drivers and no speed limit… And it was only 1968!
However, first things first. The trigger for the legendary mileage, worldwide popularity and recognition, as has happened more than once at Suzuki, was once again extraordinary technical ideas and social trends, namely: the release of minivans, an innovative engine and drive arrangement for that time, and the transition to the production of passenger cars.
Suzulight
The first Suzulight subcompact car with a 2-stroke 360cc engine saw the light of day in October 1955. The Suzu part of the name Suzulight was short for Suzuki, and the word light emphasized both the «lightness» of the car and the «brightness» of its headlights.
Since then, the Suzulight lineup has undergone many significant changes, depending mainly on economic factors and consumer expectations. Initially, it included sedans, light vans and pickup trucks, but by May 1957, Suzuki focused on the production of light vans. In addition, cars at that time were purchased mainly for commercial activities, and the truck industry was additionally supported by the government. Therefore, after weighing all the factors, Suzuki reduced the line to one model — a minivan, which could also serve as a passenger car, and in 1959 released the Suzulight TL. Thanks to its roomy interior and luggage compartment, combined with powerful acceleration, the TL modification gained wide popularity, and in April 1963 it was replaced by the Suzulight Van FE variant, which used a separate Selmix lubrication system in the engine.
In general, Suzulight has become a true symbol of the company's pioneering spirit, since when developing this line, Suzuki did not limit itself to generally accepted knowledge, but actively search for a new category, simultaneously inventing fresh technological solutions. This is how the FF layout appeared in the Suzulight model — «front engine and front wheel drive.»
The name Fronte comes from the concept of frontier spirit («spirit of the discoverer», characteristic of Suzuki) and the name of the unique layout «front-engine and front-wheel drive» (FF). At its launch, the Fronte was Suzuki's only passenger car, and in May 1963 it was replaced by the significantly redesigned Suzulight Fronte FEA, renowned for its excellent handling, finishing 1st, 2nd, 4th and 8th in the first Grand Prix race. Japan at the international race track Suzuka Circuit.
In May 1967, the Suzulight Fronte FEA was replaced by the Fronte 360 (LC10), which also became extremely popular. During the shipment of the first batch of LC10s to the car carriers, all employees gathered in front of the gates of the plant in Hamamatsu and saw off the fruits of their labor to all corners of the country with loud applause. The LC10's sales growth was immediate and explosive.
However, there is no limit to perfection, and the “rebellious spirit” of Fronte began to “beckon” speed. The development of a network of expressways around the world and in Japan provoked an increased demand for sports cars, and Suzuki decided to develop a version of the engine for the high-speed Fronte 360, released in May 1967. The company planned to install this modified engine in the Fronte SS 360 (LC10) and release it in October 1968.
Ride «for the whole world»
It was to test the new engine that an unprecedented run of the Fronte LC10 SS was organized on the Italian «Sunny Motorway».
During the tests, two Fronte LC10 SS cars were driven by top class racers: Stirling Moss (Stirling Moss), a world famous race car driver from Great Britain, and Mitsuo Ito, an international Japanese motorcycle racer from Team Suzuki.
The tests began on August 12, 1968 at 8:26. Two Fronte, racing at an average speed of more than 125 km/h, arrived in Rome at 14:45. The news quickly spread around the world: a subcompact car developed by Suzuki covered 550 km from Milan to Rome in an amazing time of 4 hours 27 minutes and with an incredible average speed of 125 km/h. At 18:35 the two Frontes set off again, bound for Naples, arriving at their final destination at 20:13.
Cars crossed the entire Solnechnaya Freeway at an average speed of 122.4 km/h! This event not only “thundered the whole world”, but also turned the generally accepted ideas about the capabilities of subcompact cars, clearly demonstrating the high technical and speed qualities of the Fronte SS 360 (LC10).
The exploits of the swift Fronte do not end here — in December 1968, a group of academic researchers of the Asian Highway Network, taking two Fronte SS 360 (LC10) and one Carry Panel Van, set off on another run along the «new Silk Road», covering 14 countries and consisting of about 40% of difficult dirt roads, but that's another Suzuki story…
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