THE STORY OF JIMNY: LJ50/SJ10 Worldwide Expansion

The LJ10 and LJ20 proved to be very successful in the Japanese domestic market, but the two were exported only in very small numbers. Suzuki needed a bigger and more powerful engine to give the Jimny more appeal to export markets. The LJ50 was created with that idea in their mind.

Initially made for export markets only, the LJ50 was powered by a new two-stroke, water-cooled, three-cylinder, 0.55L engine that gave more power. Another notable change was the external mounting of the spare tire, as the export markets had no size limitations.

The LJ50 was available in both hard and soft top models

The LJ50 was sold in nearly three times as many countries as it’s predecessors and gained reputation as an all-round fun off-road vehicle, especially in Australia.



In 1976, the Japanese government revised their Kei-car regulations, allowing the LJ50’s 0.55L engine and the externally mounted spare tire to make it to the Japanese domestic market. The LJ50 was sold in the Japanese domestic market as the SJ10 (also known as the Jimny 55).

The SJ10 a.k.a. "Jimny55"

An interesting option available for the LJ50 was the PTO (Power Take Off), which was connected via am axle from the box transfer to a small 500kg winch mounted at the rear of the car. The winch could be replaced with water pump or other sort of equipment, which could be connected to the command post and worked according to engine speed.

Specifications:

Engine: 2-stroke, water cooled, 3-cylinder (type LJ50)
Displacement: 539cc
Max. output: 33PS/5,500rpm
Max. torque: 5.85kgm/3,500rpm
Suspension: leaf spring
Dimensions (L x W x H): 3,180mm x 1,295mm x 1,710mm
Wheelbase: 1,930mm


Sources:
- Suzuki Jimny 40 Years Global Website
- Suzuki Jimny Japanese Website
- History of Suzuki 4x4 - Global Suzuki
- suzuki4x4.cl