The Suzuki Mighty Boy is a small pickup built from February 1983 to 1988. It was the only three-box coupé utility ever sold in the 550 cc era of the Japanese kei class, where almost every other truck used a cab-over layout.
Suzuki Mighty Boy at a glance
| Production | February 1983 – January 1988 |
|---|---|
| Model code | SS40T |
| Body | three-box coupé utility, two doors |
| Bed length | 600 mm at most |
| Engine | 543 cc F5A three-cylinder, SOHC |
| Carburettor | single, compression ratio 8.5:1 |
| Power | 28 PS at 6,000 rpm |
| Gearbox | four-speed manual, two-speed automatic optional |
| Drive | front-wheel drive |
| Wheels | 10 inch, 12 inch after the 1985 facelift |
| Exports | Australia and Cyprus only |
History of the Suzuki Mighty Boy
A Cervo turned into a truck
When the rear-engined Cervo coupé was replaced in June 1982 by a front-wheel-drive car based on the Alto and Fronte, Suzuki surprised everybody by developing a kei coupé utility from the Cervo. The Mighty Boy, model SS40T, arrived in February 1983. It kept the Cervo’s wide B-pillars but had its own rear end, with a bed no more than 600 mm long. That made it of limited practical use, yet the low-slung driving position was far more comfortable than a cab-over kei truck’s, and the cabin had sliding, reclining seats and a reasonable luggage area behind them.
Engineering
The engine was a transversely mounted 543 cc SOHC three-cylinder F5A with a single carburettor and an 8.5:1 compression ratio. Unlike the Cervo, no turbo was offered. It drove the front wheels through a four-speed manual or an optional two-speed automatic and made 28 PS at 6,000 rpm with 40 Nm at 4,000 rpm. Early cars had 10-inch wheels and a horizontally finned grille shared with the Cervo, but the Mighty Boy used cheaper round sealed-beam headlamps on most versions, and its dashboard, seats and steering wheel came from the Alto Van.
Versions and facelift
The range had two main variants. The PS-A kept the 10-inch wheels and came only with the four-speed manual, while the PS-L and PS-QL added bucket seats, chrome roof tie-down rails, a coupé-style rear deck cover and a tachometer, with the two-speed automatic in the PS-QL. Early in 1985 a facelift brought a restyled grille and mirrors; the costlier PS-L gained a five-speed manual, new seats, 12-inch wheels and rectangular headlamps, and a new carburettor lifted output to 31 PS and 43 Nm. Australian cars were all of the facelifted type.
Australia and the end
The only regular export markets were Australia and Cyprus between 1985 and 1988. Australia received a hybrid of the Japanese PS-A and PS-QL with chrome roof rails, bucket seats and 12-inch wheels but no tachometer or five-speed; the manual cost AU$5,495 at launch, making it the cheapest car on sale there. About 2,800 were imported and only 300 to 400 are thought to survive. By January 1988 a new Cervo had arrived and the SS40C was dropped, ending the Mighty Boy; it was never replaced, though it retains a following in Japan.
Design and features
- Unique layout: the only three-box coupé utility of the 550 cc kei era.
- Car-like cabin: low seating and reclining seats instead of a cab-over bench.
- Tiny bed: no more than 600 mm long, so utility was limited.
- Cult favourite: a dedicated following in Japan and a well-known V8 conversion scene abroad.
Suzuki Mighty Boy versions
- PS-A: base model, 10-inch wheels, four-speed manual.
- PS-L / PS-QL: bucket seats, roof rails, deck cover and tachometer.
- Facelift (1985): five-speed manual, 12-inch wheels and rectangular headlamps on the PS-L.
- Australian version: a hybrid of PS-A and PS-QL specification.
The Mighty Boy was based on the Cervo and used the engine of the Alto; more Suzukis are in the Suzuki collection.
Video: CORUPT – LS1 V8 Powered Suzuki Mighty Boy
Video by ScottysGarage on YouTube.
Sources
- Suzuki Mighty Boy, English Wikipedia: history, engine, versions, exports
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