Inaugural Jimny Gathering a smash hit for Suzuki!
A project that was three years in the making came to fruition this past weekend as the AutoTrader team visited the picturesque town of Clarens for the first-ever Jimny Gathering, which was also the setting for an official Guinness World Record attempt!
This writer used this past weekend's Jimny Gathering to celebrate nearly five years of Jimny ownership, having taken delivery of a Silky Silver JB74 in November of 2018. I headed to Clarens as a media representative, an owner and a guest of Suzuki South Africa for a three-day celebration of the little Jimny.
I was one of more than 794 Jimny owners to have made my way to Clarens in the Eastern Free State. The weekend event, known as the Suzuki Safari Town Festival and Jimny Gathering, brought together Suzuki Jimny enthusiasts from all corners of Southern Africa. The event celebrated the close-knit community of Jimny drivers, and as I discovered, this micro-4x4 attracts people from all walks of life!
Related: Suzuki Jimny 5-door debuts at Festival of Motoring!
Three years in the making
2020 was the 50th anniversary of Jimny, but since the world was trying to make its way through the global pandemic, the celebration had to be put on hold for two years, to be exact. It was then precisely one year after Suzuki Auto South Africa announced its ambitious plan to host a gathering for Jimny owners and fans that the gathering took place. The festivities were divided into two main parts: the Jimny Gathering at Langkranz Farm, which spanned from Friday, September 22, to Sunday, September 24, and the Suzuki Safari Town Festival featuring music, food, crafts, and social gatherings in Clarens Town Square on Saturday, September 23.
A visit from the designer himself
A name few will be familiar with is Hisanori Matsushima, the Manager of the Automobile Styling Department at Suzuki Motor Corporation. Matsushima-san is the man behind Jimny's design, which, to put it lightly, has received near-universal acclaim. He attended the gathering, enjoying the festivities while sharing his most recent work, the design of the new five-door Jimny.
Brendon Carpenter, Brand Marketing Manager of Suzuki Auto South Africa, said, “It was a privilege to host Matsushima-san at the South African Jimny Gathering. While he is well versed on the global success of the Jimny, it was great to introduce him to the fun and friendly South African Jimny fans and show him how his creation is used by adventure-seeking fans to explore every corner of our beautiful country.”
Matsushima-san took the media through the design of the new 5-door Jimny and expressed some of the challenges and triumphs he and his team encountered during the design process. We are yet to drive the 5-door variant of the Jimny. Still, from the anecdotal driving experiences relayed by fellow media colleagues and our opportunity to view the newcomer, it should be just as popular as its 3-door sibling when it launches in the final quarter of this year.
A new world record!
The Suzuki Auto South Africa team orchestrated a unique activity: an attempt to set a Guinness World Record. On the final day of the gathering, Sunday the 24th of September, all of the Jimny owners in attendance joined forces to achieve a new world record for the most vehicles simultaneously switching on their headlights. This record-breaking feat celebrated the Jimny's heritage and South African Heritage Day. An official representative from the Guinness World Records organization was present to verify the accomplishment, confirming that 787 Suzuki vehicles successfully illuminated their headlights in unison. Comedian Schalk Bezuidenhout, a Jimny owner, provided entertaining narration for this special moment.
Closing thoughts
The Jimny Gathering looks set to become one of South Africa's premier vehicle-based festivals. With a loyal Jimny fanbase that looks set to grow exponentially with the imminent introduction of the 5-door, we are seriously looking forward to the 2024 event, which should be bigger and better than what I'd call a fantastic first attempt at such a monumental task!
