Fuji Outboard???

[Ron Hill]

Same company that made Fuji Film???

[Bill Van Steenwyk]

Ron:

I think I remember that the Yamato company that built the motors imported here into the US, both the Model 80, 102,202,302, etc., series., AND the alky racing motors, was owned by a parent company called FUJI Industries. They (FUJI), IF it is the same FUJI company I am thinking about, is a quite large integrated company with many other companies under the umbrella, including shipbuilding, aircraft manufacture, and other heavy industry. Many Japanese companies are like this, one large company, owning many smaller companies, manufacturing a multitude of products.

The way the Japanese structure their companies, I would not think it unusual at all if FUJI film company was under the same umbrella. Don't have absolute knowledge, but I would think it is certainly possible. If you are further interested, perhaps "GOOGLE" FUJI, and the website might have a list of associated companies as corporate sites here in the US do.

ADD: I am intrigued by the 6 cyl "C" motor in the photo. I notice that the photo and article on the "B" Yamato is written by a person named "Kaneko". Eileen and I know him quite well, and he entertained us and showed us around in Tokyo some years back, and we returned the favor when he was here in the US for several National and World championships held here in this country, when the Japanese Motor Boat Association sent drivers and equipment to participate. He was an official with the association, and is now retired, but I will send him an e-mail and see what he might know about the "C" motor. Evidently it was not very successful or it would seem they would have imported it to the US........., or, maybe not.

We still get a Christmas card from him every year.

[Bill Gohr]

yes, Fuji is a large engine company, they used to build Polaris' engines

[Mark75H]

The opposed 6 is a big surprise to me, I've never seen or read even a hint of such a motor.

For a short period the Fuji 4 cylinder B motor held the BOH record. This was about a year after the piston port Konig V motors came out. Very soon after, Yamato came out with an identical motor.

I don't know if I read it some where or just assumed that Fuji had also put in a bid to make motors for the Japanese gambling circuit ... and then Yamato acquired the tooling and engineers for the Fuji motor; becoming the Yamato RB and RC alky motors.

If Bill Van's friend can confirm or deny this, it would be great.

At about the same time the Yamato & Fuji crews attended the Worlds in Germany and a few teaser pics from there exist as well. I've been looking for more info on these for decades. In the German pics, there is no clue to the configuration of the Yamato alky motor.

[Mark75H]

Here are the pics from AOMC's Outboarder regarding the Fuji and early Yamato alky motor. I see they Yamato is designated "MT-5" ... completely different designation from the later "RB" which is clearly a later generation of the Fuji with the same designation.

[Bill Van Steenwyk]

On the Seattle Outboard site, various models of the engines used in parimutuel betting racing in Japan are represented. There were several before the Model 80, which is probably the first that was widely knowN here in the US, being imported by McKean at that time.

The 80 is shown as being mfgd by "World Motor" or something similar, and I remember that name being on the manuals furnished with the motors also. A previous motor is shown as being mfgd by Fuji, and other previous and then later models after the 80 are shown by other companies including the name Yamato.

Would be interesting to know if all these various named companies were under the umbrella of Fuji, and since the number of motors for this purpose were relatively small, the manufacture of same was farmed out to smaller companies and this was the reason for the number of companies that made the parimutuel motors that we are familiar with, i.e. Fuji or whoever changed the companies several times for whatever reason.

I have to think that the Japan Motor Boat Association had much to do with the specification that the motors were built to, as they were the controlling body for the parimutuel racing in Japan. I think they still are and are now known by the name "MARIS". Hopefully my friend will know something about this history if I am able to get in touch with him.

Most folks here in the US would probably be most familiar with FUJI as they are the parent company of Subaru. I looked briefly on the Fuji web site, but did not see any thing that
would obviously connect them to Fuji film.