Hard to believe it's been near-enough four
years since I last did a post about these..
It's Suzuki's third-generation Alto Works; which while may not come close to stealing my heart away from the
oh-God-I-want-one second-generation cars.. is genuinely a ripper little thing on its own. Urgh, it's almost a shame for these things that the previous generation had to exist!
Regardless.. spotted this in the usual classifieds-website market-browsings, listed at a dealer in Hyogo, Japan (Mamba Auto Service); quickly followed by a thorough *right-click, save target as* session - it looked to be one of the tidier (/more original) examples of the model I'd seen in a
while!
In detail?
A 1989 CM11V Suzuki Alto Works RS/R: top-tier for the third-generation of Suzuki's Kei-segment Alto, introduced the year before; the Works RS/R just nudging past the Works RS/
X with its extra pair of driven wheels.
Yep, not only is it bloody adorable, this compact Kei hot-hatch is absolutely jam-packed with tech: an intercooled turbo on a twin-cam sraight three, a five-speed, 4WD....
...and multiple spoilers, vents, skirts, and intakes... all dressed in a dapper shadow-tone paint job!
The RS/R's original 5spoke 13" alloys, seemingly a visual point-of-difference from the RS/X and its basket-weave mesh.
Spinning those wheels...
..the RS/R's dainty all-wheel drive setup. Trailing coil-strut-sprung solid-axle, with an independent strut/coil setup at the steering end.
Hiding under the offset intake on the bonnet/hood; a little top-mount air-to-air intercooler, and Suzuki's DOHC, 547cc, F5B three.
The following year saw the Kei limit bump up to 660cc, and the Works RS/R blossom into the F6A-powered CP21S; but power 'remained' at the maximum '64ps'(47kW).
..and as always, don't scoff - remember these things weighed well under 700kg!
Moving in-and-through. Light wear and tear, a little oxidation to some plastics; but like the exterior, has otherwise held up very well for it's near-thirty years.
The sports steering-wheel and space-age seats are standard, as could well be the lack of audio. For whatever reason, an aftermarket shift-knob looks to be the only change..
..and back outside. We're done.
As written above, it looks to be a fantastic original example of a model only becoming rarer.
It
is flagged as some accident history (repair), but seemingly this sorted overall, ~90,000km, and ~800,000yen; it'd still be worth a closer look.
Definitely a favourite.
Sooo... I bought this car. I think it'll be here around November. Funny how googling the chassis code will bring up this car. It's not a common model!
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed your perspective on getting the most out of older vehicles—especially your point about maintenance making a huge difference. In Brisbane, many people don’t realise their car still holds value even when it's no longer roadworthy. Services like cash for scrap cars brisbane have made it easier for owners to turn old vehicles into instant cash while supporting local recycling efforts. Thanks for highlighting the value of keeping cars running longer!
ReplyDeleteReally enjoyed this nostalgic take on the Alto—it's amazing how some older models can still be practical daily drivers. In a city like Melbourne, where car trends change fast, it's refreshing to hear about cars that truly last. If you ever decide to part ways with it, a used car buyer Melbourne could be a good option to consider.
ReplyDelete