At $4,500, Will This 1991 Suzuki Swift GT-I Go Fast?

While the holiday season can be a stressful time for a lot of folks, today’s Nice Price or No Dice Suzuki Swift GT-I is likely to put a smile on the face of even the most down-in-the-dumps seasonal sufferer. Let’s see if this happy little drop-top’s price is just as heartwarming.

Jungle bells, Batman smells, Robin laid an egg… Oops, sorry. I was just basking in a little bit of the holiday spirit. After all, it ’tis the season for… well, apparently not buying the 2003 Ferrari 360 Modena Spider we looked at on Christmas Eve, Wednesday. At $79,000, the seemingly decent, if not spectacular, super sports car elicited more “bah, humbug” responses than “bellissima” ones. Perhaps it was the somewhat staid color scheme that proved a turn-off. Or maybe it was its F1 gearbox. Whatever the reason, not many of you were having it. Ultimately, that saw the Ferrari fall in a 57% ‘No Dice’ loss.

Today is a busy day, as, respectively, both Kwanzaa and Boxing Day are observed. It’s also the day in which college football fans steel their resolve and gird their loins in preparation for Saturday’s spate of six Bowl games, including (checks notes, incredulously) the Snoop Dog Arizona Bowl. Wow, who knew?

For those who consider bowls something you eat Count Chocula out of rather than testosterone-fueled tests of teams, there’s plenty else to do. Maybe even getting out for a drive if the weather cooperates. That could prove especially smile-inducing if the ride were as fun and fabulous as today’s 1991 Suzuki Swift GT-I convertible. I mean, isn’t it totally adorable?

We’ve had a few Suzuki-built cars and trucks come our way recently, for no apparent reason other than pure happenstance. None, however, has been quite as weirdly wonderful appearing as this soft-top Swift. This isn’t just a run-of-the-mill Swift convertible; it has had GT-I bits and bobs added. And, based on the aftermarket accoutrements—decals, fender flares, a bra—it has been shown some extra love by its owners.

Small, quirky, and with a ride that challenges the fixture of the fillings in your teeth, the Swift convertible is something of an anachronism in today’s car market. However, being a two-seat drop top with a DOHC engine, it’s almost exactly the same specs as Wednesday’s Ferrari, give or take a few details. It should also be noted that Suzuki never offered the convertible in the U.S. as a GT-I, so with the badging and a hot engine, this is something of an odd duck here.

That engine is a 16-valve, 1.3-liter, naturally aspirated inline-four. Fuel-injected, it made a factory claimed 100 horsepower and 83 pound-feet of torque, both pretty decent numbers for the time. One-upping the Ferrari, that engine is matched to a five-speed manual driving the front wheels. According to the ad, the car is in excellent shape, save for a few niggling issues. I’ll let the seller explain:

This is an extremely dependable car, and has been my daily driver for 2yrs. If not for a couple of issues to resolve I’d be asking alot more for this amazing little car: the 3rd gear synchro is wearing and the front end steering needs some work, and there’s some very minor hail dings on the hood.

And it needs a little tinkering: one rattle in the exhaust, the hood release lever is wonky (but it works), the speedo needle is off, and tight window cranking.

If it were perfect, it’d be boring, right?

As part of Swift’s conversion to a convertible, the rear seat was eliminated, making it a two-seater exclusively. Being a high-zoot GTI model—or at least a cobbled-together car with GT-I parts—those seats are sport buckets with deeply hugging bolsters and grippy cloth upholstery. They appear to have survived the years and the car’s modest 40,000 miles of travel admirably. The steering wheel and shift knob, on the other hand, have been replaced by, respectively, a Grant GT four-spoke and Hurst-style T-handle. Neither is doing the cabin any favors, but neither should be problematic in any way beyond aesthetic concerns. 

The exterior is as expressive as the Swift’s diminutive dimensions will afford, with decals on the doors, a luggage rack in the back, and oddly disproportionate 17-inch wheels underneath. A set of smaller 15-inch wheels might provide better balance and allow the speedometer to read correctly. 

Aside from the few issues the seller has identified, there’s much to like about this Suzuki. It’s clean, has an issue-free title, and a top that does its job. Plus, just looking at it could easily elicit a smile if not a full-on chortle. Could that be worth the $4,500 asking price for the car?

Yes, I agree, pre-pandemic, this would have likely been a two-grand car on its best day. This is the timeline we’re living in, though, so let’s get over our communal indignation over how things have gone.

With that put to rest, what’s your opinion on this Swift and that $4,500 asking? Does that seem fair for so much expression stuffed into so small a package? Or is that too much for too little, even given allowances for the holiday season?

You decide!

Albuquerque, New Mexico Craigslist, or go here if the ad disappears.

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