Fusehiro

Fusehiro Motors is a Japanese company, famous for their performance in Rally events. Since 2016, it has been a part of the BIF Group.

History

Fusehiro Motors is part of the Fusehiro Group, a massive keiretsu that owns a lot of things, including industries. Fusehiro Motors was founded in 1970.

The group isn’t stranger to automobiles, producing Japan's first series-production automobile, the Fusehiro Model F, however it was too expensive to be made and was discontinued shortly after. The company also made several vehicles for the military during World War II.

After the war, the Fusehiro Heavy Metal Industries was dismantled by Allied forces, and three companies formed to keep producing basic parts for lots of things. As time went on, the three companies created different vehicles for different markets. The 1960s proved to be a good time for Japan, and in 1964 the three companies were reintegrated, this time as a single entity called Fusehiro Motors. Their first successful models were the Maverick and Chival, and the former continues to be sold to this day.

In 1971, Fusehiro Motors sold 30% of their shares to Mahogany, who imported the Maverick as the Mahogany Maverick, making Fusehiro debut in the USA unofficially. The company expanded their efforts in Europe and by 1978, the company was selling just shy of a million vehicles.

The official USA debut was in 1982, after Mahogany was going through financial troubles, selling plenty of assets to keep themselves afloat. The Chival was a resounding success, and later the company added more cars to the lineup, like the SUV Lynx. Things weren’t looking so nice with the Mahogany deal however, and the two companies decided to create a shared vehicle manufacturing operation in 1984. By 1987, the number of Fusehiro vehicles produced in the US almost quadrupled, with the Sunset and rebadged versions of it being introduced to the market.

The company went public in 1989, and in 1990, the company turned around to make and sell their SUV Leopard to the masses, and it proved to be incredibly successful, not only in Japan but internationally. The company had such a good time that rumors started to spread that they would be acquiring Hamamatsu but ultimately nothing happened. By 1993, Mahogany announced they had sold all their shares in Fusehiro.

The end of the 1990s and start of the 2000s for Fusehiro weren’t so kind, as the company had to be rescued by their parent company. Fusehiro Motors cut jobs and closed factories around the world, as well removed many vehicles from markets that weren’t selling well, retracting greatly from several markets. The company announced a partnership with Itashi, to produce and use several of their parts for many markets.

In 2016, Itashi purchased over 40% of Fusehiro Motors' shares, turning them into a member of the Boulogne-Itashi group, now named BIF Group, where each company had the same amount of shares while 1% was destined to the public. This allowed the company to sell rebadged Boulogne cars and they did so with the Boulogne Calliope V being sold as the new generation of the Maverick.

In 2024, Hamamatsu, Itashi and Fusehiro announced a three way strategic partnership, for their future electric vehicles. As Fusehiro looks for electrification of their lineup, they announced that they would no longer develop vehicle platforms in Japan, and would be using Itashi’s instead.

FR

FR stands for Fusehiro Racing, founded in 1984. Despite being a newcomer into motorsports, FR made its name quickly in the late 1980s, where the company competed in circuit racing with plenty of success. However they made a name for themselves in Rally racing, taking part in many FIMV sponsored or approved competitions and winning most of them, being the most successful winner of the Cape Verde Rally.

In turn, the company sold factory-tuned versions of their cars to the general public with the FR label.

Featured Vehicles In Project Redline

Regular

Sunset SX (1999)

The second generation Sunset was redesigned for the 1995 model, and it managed to win car fans over in a flash. Firmly set in the ‘bubbly’ era of cars, the Sunset is unique on its liftback two door coupé body, with a somewhat timeless and unmistakable look. It received a facelift in 1997, adding a more aggressive profile overall.

The version here is the 1999 SX trim, coming with a F4 layout, powered by a 2.0L turbocharged inline-4 engine with a 5 speed manual transmission.

Archer NextStep10 FR (2015)

The Archer NextStep 10 FR was the final version of the Archer NextStep series, finally adding the FR label to the vehicle after several generations. Launched in 2007, it was the company’s solution to the sporty JDM of the 2000s, and it sold over twenty thousand units, impressive for a higher tiered model of the Archer. Ultimately the car was discontinued, ending the NextStep series for good.

The vehicle comes with a 2.0L turbocharged inline-4 engine, with a 6-speed dual-clutch transmission, in a F4 layout.

Archer NextStep6 FR (2000)

A minor upgrade over the previous model, the Archer NextStep 6 FR comes with minor changes, so minor that only those that are fans of the Archer series can tell them apart. This trim carries the FR badge, being also factory-tuned to work in rally as well on the road.

Powering the vehicle is a 2.0L turbocharged inline-4 engine, with a 6-speed dual-clutch transmission, in a F4 layout.

Custom

Archer X FLFA (2015)

The body tuning company FLFA took the Archer NextStep 10 and made their own take on it, called the Archer X FLFA. This amazing version of the vehicle comes with custom head and tail lights, new body work, custom wheels from PRA, and a slight custom engine tuning.

Archer NextStep6 Mikko Liikanen Edition (2000)

Named after Finnish rally driver Mikko Liikanen who had won five FIMV World Rally (now known as the FIMV RallyTouring Championship) drivers championships, the Archer NextStep6 Mikko Liikanen Edition is a custom version of the Archer NS6, with a new bodywork, lowered ride height and a custom vinyl inspired by the rally car’s colour scheme.