Cristiano Ronaldo’s first endorsement car wasn’t a Bugatti or Ferrari, It was India’s favourite car, name is…

Before the $25 million car collection and the lifetime Nike deal, Cristiano Ronaldo was just a 19-year-old kid from Madeira trying to make it in Manchester. While the world now associates CR7 with Bugatti Centodiecis and custom Ferraris, his entry into the high-stakes world of automotive endorsements began with a car you probably see in your local grocery store parking lot: the Suzuki Swift (One of India’s favourite cars).

In 2004, the teenage phenom, then a rising star at Manchester United became the face of Suzuki’s global launch for the new Swift. It’s a detail that often gets lost in his “Brand Colossus” narrative, but it’s arguably the most important chapter in understanding his early career leverage.

In the Instagram video from Wealth, an old video of Cristiano Ronaldo is seen advertising the Suzuki Swift:

Speed Over Status

In 2004, Suzuki wasn’t looking for a “luxury” icon, they were looking for a “sporty” one. The Japanese manufacturer had redesigned the Swift to move away from its image as a low-price alternative and toward a “sporty subcompact” geared specifically for the European market.

Ronaldo, with his bleached highlights and step-overs that left Premier League defenders dizzy, was the perfect match. The attributes Suzuki wanted to highlight, cool, athletic, and agile were the exact traits Ronaldo was displaying at Old Trafford.

The commercials featured a young Ronaldo juggling balls and sprinting alongside the hatchback, emphasizing that both the player and the car were built for “nip and tuck” urban movement. It was a partnership based on raw potential rather than established dominance.

The “Aspirations” Play

Today, Ronaldo’s brand is about attainment, buying the hotel, the watch, and the supercar. But back then, the Suzuki deal was about aspiration.

The Swift was priced at just £7,499 in 2005. By fronting a car that his youngest fans could actually afford, Ronaldo built a relatable foundation for his brand before moving into the stratosphere of luxury.

While he was a local hero in Portugal and a rising star in England, Suzuki used Ronaldo for campaigns across Europe and Asia (where the Swift is a major market leader). This was one of the first moves that transitioned him from a “footballer” to a “global commercial asset.”

From Hatchbacks to Hypercars

It’s fascinating to look at Ronaldo’s garage timeline. While he was filming commercials for the 1.3-liter Swift, he was reportedly purchasing his first personal “luxury” car, a Mercedes-Benz C-Class Sports Coupe. By 2007, he moved to a Porsche 911, and by 2009, he was totaling a Ferrari 599 GTB in a Manchester tunnel.

The Suzuki Swift era reminds us that even the most massive global brands start with a “humble” foundation. Ronaldo didn’t just wake up as the face of Bugatti; he earned that leverage by proving his “Swiftness” on the pitch first.