Mazda -- All Car History volume4

Mazda started out as the Toyo Cork Kogyo Co., Ltd, founded in Japan in 1920 and was a machine tool manufacturer . In 1927 it was renamed Toyo Kogyo Co., Ltd. and shortly after it started manufacturing vehicles, the first being a three-wheel truck, the Mazdago, in 1931.

Mazda's first car, the Mazda R360 Coupe two-door passenger vehicle, came out in 1960, with the four-door Mazda Carol appearing in 1962. The next year, Mazda's car production topped one million. During the 1970s, Mazda successfully entered the North American market by setting up the Mazda North American Operations (commonly known as MNAO). MNAO quickly became the biggest component of the company outside Japan.

Financial difficulties during the 1990s saw Ford take a controlling interest in Mazda in 1999.

Mazda cars have a reputation for looking and feeling that little bit different from the mainstream, thanks in part to their use of Wankel - or rotary - engines in certain models. During the 1960s, Mazda cooperated with NSU's Felix Wankel - who gave his name to the engine - in Germany to introduce rotary-powered vehicles and this continues to the present day with the RX-8.

The company claims that: "Everything we do is daring, ingenious and fun. Our cars all have that extra-special 'Zoom-Zoom' factor: sports-inspired design and motoring in their soul,". This is reflected through the full range of current cars from the all-new Mazda2 supermini to the Mazda BT-50 pick-up.


DID YOU KNOW?

• Mazda's factory at Hiroshima is one of the largest single-site automobile plants in the world, with an annual production capacity of about 480,000 cars.


• Mazda is the only manufacturer in the world that makes petrol, diesel and rotary internal combustion engines.


• The Mazda 787B won the Le Mans 24-Hour race in 1991. This was the first and only time a rotary engine has ever won the race, also marking the first victory for a Japanese car manufacturer.


• The name Mazda stems from Ahura Mazda, the highest Zoroastrian God of reason who granted wisdom and united man, nature and the other gods.

MAZDA FACTS

• Type: Public; partial subsidiary of Ford Motor Company


• Founded: 1920


• Headquarters: Fuchu, Aki, Hiroshima, Japan


• Key People: Jujiro Matsuda (founder) Kazuhide Watanabe (Chairman) Hisakazu Imaki (CEO)


• Industry: Automotive

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Auto Trader World of Cars, Mazda Fact Finder