Private company
Motorcycle company
Marusho Motor Co., Ltd. (丸正自動車製造株式会社, marushō jidōsha seizō kabushiki gaisha) was a company that manufactured motorcycles from 1948 to 1967. The company's Lilac model motorcycle was recognized by the Society of Automotive Engineers of Japan (in Japanese), who included the 1950 Marusho Lilac ML as one of their 240 Landmarks of Japanese Automotive Technology.2 Wikipedia text CC BY-SA 4.0
Last updated Oct 21, 2026.
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Marusho Motor Co., Ltd. (丸正自動車製造株式会社, marushō jidōsha seizō kabushiki gaisha) was a company that manufactured motorcycles from 1948 to 1967. The company's Lilac model motorcycle was recognized by the Society of Automotive Engineers of Japan (in Japanese), who included the 1950 Marusho Lilac ML as one of their 240 Landmarks of Japanese Automotive Technology.2
Masashi Itō started Marusho in Hamamatsu, Japan, in 1948 after being apprenticed with Soichiro Honda. The company produced shaft driven models like the Lilac, and showcased its technical prowess to the world in the Mount Asama Volcano Race, competing well against the likes of Honda, Meguro, Yamaha, and Suzuki. Company founder Masashi Itō died in 2005 at the age of 92.
From Wikipedia’s article on Marusho, shared under CC BY-SA 4.0.3
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