• Smart and clean Vitara with desirable body kit

• No corrosion advisories in MOT history

• Recent new clutch

• Refurbished alloy wheels

Originally intended as a replacement for the legendary Suzuki CJ Jeep, the Vitara made its debut in Japan as the Suzuki Escudo in 1988, then as the Suzuki Sidekick in the USA in 1989. 

In 1990, it was given a new 1.6-litre eight-valve engine, and it was in such a form that it was introduced in the UK, in entry level JX or plusher JLX trim.

For the British market, the timing was just right. The market for leisure SUVs was at the start of its rapid ascent and the funky little Suzuki was completely on-trend, rapidly becoming the best-selling model in the sector. 

It was highly customisable, too. Available with a soft or hard top, you could have it in bright yellow, or even nail varnish pink if that’s the direction in which your tastes led you. 

One of the most popular options, tough, was the factory ‘Fatboy’ bodykit, which increased the width of the car by 90mm on each side to accommodate wide, lower profile tyres and chunky alloy wheels, which sat beneath flare arches and bold side skirts. It was certainly a distinctive look, and it’s one that’s sought after by fans of the model today, especially in unmolested condition.

And that’s what we have here – a very original and well-presented Vitara JLX Fatboy, which the owner has been using as his daily transport. 

This Vitara spent most of its life in the South East before it was acquired by its current owner, a Japanese car enthusiast, in part-exchange for a Mitsubishi Shogun that he sold last year. The Vitara’s previous owner wanted something bigger and the current owner had always fancied trying one, so a deal was struck.

He has used it for the past few months as his daily transport and has maintained it himself, with a new clutch being fitted during his ownership. However, he now fancies something more suited to long distance driving so is reluctantly selling the Vitara to make way for a more conventional car. 

One thing the owner is keen to disclose is that the recorded mileage of 77,000 should be disregarded, as the Suzuki has had a replacement second-hand instrument cluster fitted in the past two years. The correct mileage is believed to be in the region of 120,000.

There isn’t a huge amount of paperwork with the Suzuki – just a few receipts and a V5 in the name of the current owner. 

It is supplied with an MOT due until June 2022, where it picked up minor advisories for having greased brake pipes, some minor play in a ball joint and a minor exhaust leak.

With its chunky wheels and bold ‘Fatboy’ arches, the Vitara is certainly a distinctive looker, complemented by a chrome-finish A-frame nudge bar and accessory roof bars, along with rear privacy glass. 

It’s exactly as any Nineties-o-phile will remember Vitaras looking, right down to the white paint that would look perfectly at home on the set of Eastenders. It’s so of-its-era that it’s incredibly cool as a result, while the body is in good order. 

The vendor reports that there’s a small dent on one door, which is barely noticeable, but that otherwise the white paint is in fine condition.

Underneath it appears solid and has never had a corrosion advisory on any previous MOT tests, which is reassuring for a Japanese model of this vintage. 

It is fitted with a set of quality Cooper off-road tyres, which were a recent addition and have plenty of remaining tread. 

Aside from the replacement instrument cluster, the interior is all original and is said by the vendor to be in fine condition, with all of the dials and switches working as they should and only minor aspects of wear. 

It features Suzuki’s extremely cool ‘ET’ head restraints and is a full-foor seater, though the individual rear seats can each be folded flat to give van-like carrying capacity where required. 

It also has an upgraded modern stereo with USB input, adding to its daily use credentials.

Suzuki’s 1590cc engine appeared in almost all of its models in the 1990s, including the Swift and Baleno, so it’s an easy one to get parts for. Not that you’ll necessarily need them, as the eight-valver is renowned for being extremely tough and dependable. 

The seller reports that it drives really well, with surprisingly peppy performance and good brakes. A recent new clutch is a further plus point.

Nineties cars are on the up in terms of collectability and the Vitara – especially with the Fatboy body kit – is one of the icons of the decade’s street scene. 

It’ll appeal hugely to buyers of a certain age who remember seeing them everywhere, while at the same time proving itself to be an entirely usable, enjoyable and most probably dependable companion for everyday use, or as something a bit retro and different from the norm to use as a second car. 

These are getting harder and harder to find these days – a good one like this is well worth keeping hold of.