Osamu Suzuki, the visionary leader who transformed Suzuki Motor into a global small-car powerhouse, passed away on Wednesday at the age of 94 after battling cancer, the company announced on Friday.

Suzuki, born on January 30, 1930, in Gifu, Japan, led the company for over four decades until his retirement in 2021. Under his guidance, the company’s sales grew more than tenfold, evolving from a regional automaker into an international brand renowned for its compact, fuel-efficient vehicles.

Suzuki married into the founding family and became the company’s president in 1978. Despite his success, he often referred to himself as an “old man at a small business.” His strategic focus on lightweight “kei” cars made Suzuki a market leader, thanks to their fuel efficiency and ease of handling.

Osamu Suzuki also spearheaded the company’s international expansion, forging key partnerships with General Motors, Volkswagen, and, most notably, a capital alliance with Toyota in 2019.

One of his greatest achievements was establishing Suzuki’s dominance in India, where the company’s subsidiary, Maruti Suzuki, holds the top position in the automobile market.

When he stepped down as chairman in 2021, Suzuki Motor’s annual sales had reached 3.18 trillion yen ($20 billion), a monumental increase from the 323 billion yen recorded when he took over in 1978, according to the Nikkei Shimbun.

Osamu Suzuki’s legacy lives on in the company he helped build and in the innovative small cars that continue to drive his vision of accessible and efficient mobility worldwide.