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In 1909, [[Michio Suzuki (inventor)|Michio Suzuki]] (1887–1982) founded the Suzuki Loom Works in the small seacoast village of [[Hamamatsu]], Japan. Business boomed as Suzuki built [[loom|weaving looms]] for Japan's giant silk industry.<ref>{{Cite news |date=29 April 1996 |title=Cars are a sideline for Suzuki; sport-utes carry the load |periodical=Automotive News |issue=5656 |pages=S72(2) }}</ref> In 1929, Michio Suzuki invented a new type of weaving machine, which was exported overseas. The company's first 30 years focused on the development and production of these machines.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.companieshistory.com/suzuki-motor/ |title=Suzuki Motor| website=companieshistory.com|date=8 August 2013 |access-date=16 April 2022}}</ref>
Despite the success of his looms, Suzuki believed that his company would benefit from diversification and he began to look at other products. Based on consumer demand, he decided that building a small car would be the most practical new venture. The project began in 1937, and within two years Suzuki had completed several compact [[prototype]] cars. These first Suzuki motor vehicles were powered by a then-innovative, liquid-cooled, four-stroke, four-cylinder engine. It had a cast aluminum [[crankcase]] and [[gearbox]] and generated {{convert|13|hp}} from a displacement of less than 800cc.
With the onset of World War II, production plans for Suzuki's new vehicles were halted when the government declared civilian passenger cars a "non-essential commodity." At the conclusion of the war, Suzuki went back to producing looms. Loom production was given a boost when the U.S. government approved the shipping of cotton to Japan. Suzuki's fortunes brightened as orders began to increase from domestic textile manufacturers. But the joy was short-lived as the cotton market collapsed in 1951.{{Citation needed|date=December 2014}}
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