Suzuki Cappuccino – A Real Classic
The Suzuki Cappuccino is a great fun classic 2 seater sports car. They were built in Kosai, Japan from 1991 to 1997, at which point the C2 replaced it. They were only exported to Europe for a few years, so are quite rare and sought after.
The car was designed to meet strict weight and size restrictions to qualify for lower taxes and insurance in Japan. As a result, it is a very light car at just 725kg, and is fast because of this. It has a DOHC in-line three-cylinder, 657cc engine, which is turbocharged and inter-cooled. Its power output is 63 hp.
The hard top is removable, it is made up of 3 panels you can drive the car as a full convertible, a T-top or a hardtop. All 3 of the panels can be stored in the boot, but they take up 90% of the space available leaving very little room for much else.
The plant at Kosai produced 15,113 cars in the first 2 years, but 88% of these were sold in Japan and the rest in Asia. From 1993 the car was sold in the UK for 11,995. Only 1,182 were available to the UK, and they all sold within 2 years. 1,110 were registered in the UK, the other 72 were registered in other European countries. To meet UK regulations the car underwent 23 major changes.
In September 1995 new emissions standards lead to the car being withdrawn from the UK market. Suzuki had realised that the modifications needed to meet the new standards for cars sold after 1995 was too high. The last few cars that were registered prior to September 1995 had a new lighter engine with chain-driven camshafts, which helped improve the torque. There was also an option to add an automatic gearbox and power steering. If you are looking to buy one try to find one that was registered in 1995.
Despite the small number of Cappuccinos sold in the UK there are still a few around. You can pick them up in reasonable condition for 1,500-4,500. They are not cheap to maintain, but are still good fun to own and drive as an occasional car. There is also a good owners club that can help with finding spares and give you general advice.
For the best deal on Used Suzukis in Manchester, visit www.rrg-group.com where you can also find great offers onSuzukis in Manchester.
