Mazda
This article is about the automobile maker. For the Zoroastrian god, see Ahura Mazda. Mazda was also a brand of light bulbs. () is a
Japanese automobile maker based in
Hiroshima,
Japan.
As of 2006, the company is expected to produce 1.25 million vehicles per year with sales evenly divided among
Japan,
Europe, and
North America. The
Ford Motor Company owns 33.4 percent of Mazda.
The name of the company is explained to be derived from
Ahura Mazda, a deity worshipped by
Zoroastrians. It is also said that Mazda coincides with the anglicized pronunciation of the founder's name, Jujiro Matsuda, who chose to rename it in honor of both his family and the Zoroastrians.[
1]
Mazda means "wisdom" in the ancient Persian language. In Japanese, the company is referred to either by its anglicised name (MAZDA Motors) or as マツダ (Matsuda), after its founder.
Mazda began as the Toyo Cork Kogyo Co., Ltd, founded in Japan in
1920. Toyo Kogyo moved from manufacturing machine tools to vehicles, with the introduction of the
Mazda-Go in
1931, although they produced weapons for the Japanese military throughout the Second World War. The company formally adopted the Mazda name in 1984, though every automobile sold from the beginning bore that name. The first four-wheel car, the
Mazda R360 was introduced in
1960, followed by the
Mazda Carol in 1962.
The
Ford Motor Company had owned 15% of Mazda, and its stake was increased to a 33.4%
controlling interest in 1996 when Mazda fell into financial crisis. Ford executive
Mark Fields is credited with Mazda's turnaround. Ford has based many of its models on Mazdas, such as the
Probe, late model (
North American)
Escort and
Mercury Tracer, and the co-developed
Escape/
Mazda Tribute.
The 1979 deal paved way for Ford selling
badge-engineered Mazdas in Asia and Australia, such as the
Laser and
Telstar. These models replaced the models from Ford Europe sold throughout the 1970s. Ford also used the Mazda models to establish its own retail presence in Japan - the Autorama dealers sold these cars, plus the occasional Ford US and Ford Europe models. The badge-engineered models came to an end in the early 21st century, as Ford replaced the Laser with its own Focus, and Telstar with its own Mondeo.
The reverse also happened, with Mazda selling badge-engineered Fords in Europe, such as the Mazda 121 based on the Ford Fiesta. Ford and Mazda have moved onto collaboration in a more fundamental sense, by way of platform sharing.
Worldwide Chronology
1960s
The year
1960 was the birth of Mazda as an automaker. In just this decade, the marque progressed from a 16 horsepower (12 kW)
keicar to a
Wankel engined sports car, the
Mazda Cosmo. Mazda also entered the United States market at the end of the decade.
1970s
Internationally, the 1970s were the heyday of Mazda as a performance leader. The
Wankel rotary engine outperformed their piston-based competitors by a large margin, and Mazda made the most of the powerplant by putting it in almost every product they sold, from the
Rotary Pickup to the
RX-7, and even the large
Luce sedan. The only exception was the
Mazda Chantez keicar, because other car makers vetoed the move.
However, the 1970s also saw Mazda's first financial crisis, which led to Ford taking a 25% stake in the company. The first RX-7 released in 1978 would be a strong image leader for Mazda, but actual sales revival would not come until the early 1980s.
1980s
The 1980s saw Mazda transition from a niche Japanese player to a part of the global Ford empire. Having said that, the 80s saw the most mainstream success for Mazda. The early-80s
323 (GLC in
North America) and
626 were massive hits, with the 323 taking the number one spot in Japanese car sales, overtaking the
Toyota Corolla. (This is still very significant today whenever a non-Toyota tops the sales charts).
Mazda also contributed to Ford's lineup, most notably with the
MX-6-based
Ford Probe. Mazda also began building the new-for-1988
626/
MX-6 in the United States. U.S. production was initiated via a
joint venture with Ford called
AutoAlliance International.
Mazda finished the decade with the revolutionary
Eunos Roadster (Mazda MX-5 or Miata outside Japan) sports car (for the 1989 model year). This model revitalized the world sports car market, which was filled at the time with expensive, heavy
GT cars. Arguably inspired by the
Lotus Elan, the Miata has been very successful till this day.
1990s
The 1990s were a decade of decline for Mazda. Due to the high price, the third-generation
RX-7 sold poorly (although continues to be a tuner car favorite), and the
Miata could not sustain the company's sales. The rest of the lineup was poorly-received in the United States and Japan; their popularity in Europe didn't seem to make up for the losses.
In the late 1980s, Mazda embarked on a disastrous attempt to diversify its brand names. It chose to do so because market research revealed that the Mazda brand has the connotation of economic, budget cars both in Japan and abroad. With the aim of doubling its sales, Mazda launched three new brands in Japan:
Eunos,
Anfini and
Autozam.
Eunos was to have a counterpart overseas in the US-market
Amati luxury division, and
Xedos in Europe. However plans for Amati was pulled at the last minute, and the rumored V12-engined flagship was shelved.
The number of brands was also an attempt to match Toyota and Nissan, both of which had multiple chains in Japan. A common opinion is that the sheer number of models had overwhelmed the company - in 1993 Mazda sold seven models based on the 626, yet they only amounted to 1/3 the sales achieved by the comparable
Toyota.
In other markets, Mazda's identity crisis saw it confused over which logo to adopt. The "Mazda" lettertype was introduced in 1975 as part of Japan's first CAD-assisted corporate identity redesign. In 1991 a new logo was introduced, but was soon swapped for a rounded-off version ("Eternal Flame") because the original had an uncomfortable resemblance to
Renault's logo. The new version is consistently used in 1990s Mazdas, but never became as well known as the lettertype. To resolve this issue, Mazda commissioned for a new logo in 1998 ("Wings" or "Owl"), which it uses till this day and features in considerably larger sizes on every model.
Mazda was widely criticised in Europe for the sheer blandness of its late-1990s designs, including the last 323 and 626 which compared unfavourably to the previous models. While technically superior, the 1998 replacement for the MX-5 (Miata) lost much of the purity of the original 1989 design, which is still preferred by many enthusiasts.
Mazda and Ford continued joint efforts. In
1994, the
Mazda B-Series line was split between an
international (Mazda-designed) version and
North American clone of the
Ford Ranger. In
1998, Mazda and Ford opened a new plant in
Thailand,
AutoAlliance Thailand. Patterned after Mazda's Hofu plant, AAT is now an important manufacturing location for the company.
2000s
|
2003 Mazda6 Classic Hatch in Titanium Grey |
2001
*It was a very difficult year for Mazda, as new models were in development and the company would have no new product until mid-2002. 2002
*Once the new cars arrived, however, the company quickly turned around. The
Mazda 6/Atenza proved popular and helped change perceptions of the brand. 2003
*Mazda introduced more new models for the
2004 model year, including a replacement for the popular
Mazda Protege: the worldwide best-selling
Mazda3 (known as the Axela in the Japanese home market), and the all-new
RX-8, to continue Mazda's sports car heritage.2004
*Mazda surpassed the ailing
Mitsubishi in sales in some markets but not globally. 2005
*It had been widely rumored for a few years that Ford would use the
Mazda 6/Atenza's platform in upcoming new cars. This was very different from the climate in 1996, when commentators expected Ford to impose its own engineering on Mazda and lead to the loss of Mazda's proprietary expertise. In the Autumn, three models based on the 6's
CD3 architecture were released — the
Ford Fusion,
Mercury Milan, and
Lincoln Zephyr.
*The third-generation MX-5 (the
Miata name used in North America is to be dropped) debuted in the Autumn. Mazda claims it shares no common parts with the previous generation except for the side indicator repeaters used on European-spec cars.2006
*Mazda's performance brand MPS (MazdaSpeed in the U.S.A.) was re-launched early in the year with the arrival of a high performance 6. This will be followed later in the year with the Mazda 3 MPS.
*Acknowledging the company's absence in many market segments worldwide, notably in the area of trucks, a new
crossover SUV, the
CX-7, was introduced, along with a smaller
minivan, the
Mazda 5, and
hybrid version of the
Tribute. At the same time, the company is expected to withdraw the slow-selling
MPV from the United States market.
*The MX-5 Roadster Coupe (MX-5 [Miata in USA] Power Retractable Hard Top in USA and Japan) had the world premiere at the London Motor Show on
18 July 2006. This is Mazda's first attempt at a powered folding roof. First deliveries are due in October.
Mazda USA
Main article: Mazda North American Operations
Founded CA, 1960Toyo Kogyo entered the mainstream United States market{outside of CA and HI} in
1970 with a single car, the
RX-2. The next year there were five cars: The compact
Familia-based
1200 and
R100, the larger
Capella-based
616 and
RX-2 and the large
1800. For 1972, the line expanded again with the addition of the
RX-3 and
B1600; the 1200 and 616 were replaced by the similar
808 and
618, respectively; and the boring 1800 was gone. The piston-powered 618 was gone the next year, as was the R100, but the 1.2 L
1200 was back for a single year.
Mazda quickly rose in prominence, helped in large part to their use of
Wankel engines. In 1974, two rotary engine cars, the
Rotary Pickup and
RX-4, were introduced. In fact, the 808 and B1600 were the only piston-engined Mazdas offered in the United States that year. 1975 had a similar lineup, minus the retired RX-2.
Mazda had designed the
REPU and
RX-4 with the American market in mind, but the
energy crisis was looming. The company's sales were slipping due to the Wankel's reputation as a gas hog, so Mazda responded with the reintroduction of a
Familia-based car powered by a tiny piston engine, the 1.3 L
Mizer. That car, and 1977
GLC (its next-generation brother) saved the company in the United States with terrific reviews and better sales.
Also introduced in 1976 was the Wankel-powered
RX-5 Cosmo. But the writing was on the wall for Mazda's mainstream Wankel lineup - every one of the older "rotary" models was cancelled after 1978.
Even though the Wankel engine had lost its allure, Mazda persevered with the technology and found a niche for it. The 1979
RX-7 rotary was the company's greatest image-builder yet, casting a
halo over the rest of the model line. Also relaunched that year was the company's entrant in the
midsize market, the
626.
The RX-7 and 626 buoyed Mazda's American fortunes enough for it to expand. Mazda built an American plant (now
AutoAlliance International) to build the 626, bringing the company to Ford's attention. The two joined together on the 626's 2-door offshoots, the
MX-6 and
Ford Probe.
Mazda finished the 1980s the same way as the 1970s, with an image-building sports car. The
Miata was another tremendous
halo car for the company, kicking off an industry boom in the
sports car segment. The 4th-generation RX-7, introduced in 1992, was much liked, but few were sold, causing an end of the model's importation to Japan just three years later, followed by Europe and most of the U.S. by 1998, though Australia and some U.S. states{including CA}, kept production going until around 2002.
|
Proposed logo for Mazda's stillborn Amati luxury division |
Mazda has used a number of different
marques in the Japan market, including
Autozam,
Eunos cars, and
Anfini, although they have been phased out. This diversification stressed the product development groups at Mazda past their limits. Instead of having a half-dozen variations on any given
platform, they were asked to work on dozens of different models. And consumers were confused as well by the explosion of similar new models.
Today, the former marques exist in Japan as sales channels (specialized dealerships) but no longer have specialized branded vehicles. In other words, the
Carol is sold at the
Autozam store (which specializes in small cars), but it is sold with the Mazda marque, not as the
Autozam Carol as it once was.
In the early 1990s Mazda almost created a luxury marque,
Amati, to challenge
Acura,
Infiniti, and
Lexus in North America. In Europe, the equivalent
Xedos marque was launched, lasting just a few years. The initial Amati products would have been the Amati 500 (which became the
Mazda Millenia), and the Amati 1000 (a new rear wheel drive V12 successor to the
Mazda 929). This never happened, leaving the near-luxury Millenia to the Mazda brand.
| 1962–1975 | 1975–1991 | 1991-1992 | 1992–1997 | June 1997–present |
|---|
| Symbol | | None | | | |
| Corporate mark | |  | Technical Mazda script |
|
| Symbol and corporate mark as seen on most Mazda cars from the Mazda R360 until 1975 | Between 1975 and 1991, Mazda did not have an official symbol, only a stylized version of their name; the previous blue "m" symbol was still used in some dealerships up until the 1980s, but later on a plain blue square next to the Mazda name was often used on dealer signs and documentation | In 1991, Mazda adopted a corporate symbol which was to represent a sun and a flame standing for heartfelt passion | Shortly after the release of the new symbol, the design was smoothed out to reduce its similarity to Renault's | A redesigned symbol was introduced in June 1997; it is a stylized "M" meant to show Mazda stretching its wings for the future |
In the racing world, Mazda has had substantial success with two-rotor, three-rotor, and four-rotor cars, and private racers have also had considerable success with stock and modified Mazda Wankel-engined cars.
Mazda's competition debut was on
October 20,
1968 when two
Mazda Cosmo Sport 110S coupes entered the 84 hour
Marathon de la Route ultraendurance race at
Nürburgring, one finishing in fourth place and the other breaking an axle after 81 hours. The next year, Mazda raced
Mazda Familia R100 M10A coupes. After winning the
Singapore Grand Prix in April
1969 and coming in fifth and sixth in the
Spa 24 Hours (beaten only by
Porsche 911s), on
October 19,
1969, Mazda again entered the 84 hour Nürburgring race with four Familias; only one of which finished, winning fifth place.
In
1976, Ray Walle, owner of Z&W Mazda, drove a Cosmo (
Mazda RX-5) from the dealership in Princeton, New Jersey, to Daytona, won the Touring Class Under 2.5 Liters at the
24 Hours of Daytona, and drove the car back to New Jersey. The Cosmo placed 18th overall in a field of 72. The only modifications were racing brake pads, exhaust, and safety equipment. [
2]
After substantial success by the
Mazda RX-2 and
Mazda RX-3, the
Mazda RX-7 has won more
IMSA races in its class than any other model of automobile, with its one hundredth victory on
September 2,
1990. Following that, the RX-7 won its class in the IMSA
24 hours of Daytona race ten years in a row, starting in
1982. The RX7 won the IMSA Grand Touring Under Two Liter (GTU) championship each year from
1980 through
1987, inclusive.
In
1991, a four-rotor
Mazda 787B (2622 cc actual, rated by FIA formula at 4708 cc) won the
24 Hours of Le Mans auto race outright, the only non-piston engine ever to win at Le Mans, as well as the only team from outside
Western Europe or the
United States. This led to a ban on rotary engines in the Le Mans race starting in
1992, which was eventually rescinded. After the race, the winning engine was publicly dismantled for internal examination, which demonstrated that despite 24 hours of extremely hard use it had accumulated very little wear.
This followed a decade of class wins from other Mazda prototypes, including the
757 and
767. The Sigma MC74 powered by a Mazda 12A engine was the first engine and team from outside Western Europe or the United States to finish the entire 24 hours of the Le Mans race, in
1974. Mazda is also the most reliable finisher at LeMans (with the exception of
Honda, who have entered only three cars in only one year), with 67% of entries finishing. Mazda will return to prototype racing in 2005 with the introduction of the
Courage C65 LMP2 car at the
American Le Mans race at
Road Atlanta. This prototype racer uses the Renesis Wankel from the RX-8.
Mazdas have also enjoyed substantial success in
World Land Speed competition,
SCCA competition,
drag racing,
pro rally competition (the
Familia appeared in the
WRC several times during the late '80s and early '90s), the
One Lap of America race, and other venues. Wankel engines are barred from international
Formula One racing, as well as from United States
midget racing, after
Gene Angelillo won the
North East Midget Racing Association championship in
1985 with a car powered by a 13B engine, and again in
1986 in a car powered by a 12A engine.
Formula Mazda Racing features open wheel race cars with Mazda engines, adaptable to both oval tracks and road courses, on several levels of competition. Since
1991, the professionally organized
Star Mazda Series has been the most popular format for sponsors, spectators, and upward bound drivers. The engines are all built by one engine builder, certified to produce the prescribed power, and sealed to discourage tampering. They are in a relatively mild state of racing tune, so that they are extremely reliable and can go years between motor rebuilds.[
3]
* Mazda is the only remaining manufacturer of
Wankel "rotary" engine automobiles, and is the only manufacturer to produce 3 rotor Wankel engines for production.
* Mazda is the only manufacturer to ever produce a
Miller cycle engine, as used in the
Mazda Millenia.
* Mazda is the only manufacturer to produce a rotary pickup truck (B-series based), bus (
1974 Mazda Parkway) and stationwagon (
Mazda RX3 wagon).
* Mazda is the only Asian/American automaker to have won the
24 Hours of Le Mans race, which the company accomplished in
1991 with their rotary-powered
787B. It is the only car not powered by a piston engine to win at Le Mans.
* Mazda's
B-Series and Ford's
Courier and
Ranger have an interesting history. The Courier was launched internationally in the
1970s as a clone of the Mazda B-Series. For North America, Ford replaced the Courier with the in-house Ranger design in the
1980s, only to have the
badge engineering reverse itself in
1994 when the B-Series became a Ranger clone in that market. Internationally, however, both the Ranger and Courier names were then applied to versions of Mazda's truck. Today, the B-Series/Courier/Ranger and Truck/Ranger are two entirely different truck lines in the two markets.
* Mazda had the distinction of having the first foreign CEO to head a Japanese/American car company: former
Ford Motor Company CFO, Scottish-born
Henry Wallace in 1996. Many Japanese media outlets at the time reacted in shock and horror, and wondered if Ford would cut jobs. He was followed by Ford President
James Miller in 1997, and
Mark Fields in 1999 until 2001, when he was tapped to lead Ford's
Premier Automotive Group and handed the reins to
Lewis Booth. Lewis Booth went back to Ford in 2003 and Mazda Director
Hisakazu Imaki is now CEO.
* In North American catalogues sent out by Mazda, the name of the company is explained to be derived from
Ahura Mazda, a deity worshipped by the
Zoroastrian people, i.e. the modern-day Parsis in the middle eastern area of
Asia and the
Sassanids of the
Persian Empire. It is also said that Mazda coincides with the anglicized pronunciation of the founder's name,
Jujiro Matsuda, who chose to rename it in honor of both his family and the Zoroastrians. The first reason is that he chose to treat his customers positively. Another reason is that the company's name means "wisdom" in the ancient
Persian language. This signifies Jujiro Matsuda's actions in the industry becoming wise decisions. In
Japanese, the company is referred to either by its anglicised name (MAZDA Motors) or as マツダ (Matsuda), after its founder.
* The largest Mazda ever, the
1975 Roadpacer was in fact an
Australian GMH Holden HJ
Premier with a Mazda rotary fitted.
* The
Zoom Zoom Zoom song by
Serapis Bey (used in current commercials in Europe and Japan) was recorded long before it became the official song for Mazda. It was recorded for the movie
Only The Strong which was released in 1993.
* While television ads for Mazda automobiles in the United States use a pronunciation where the initial vowel sound is similar to the word "mod" Canadian Mazda advertisements pronounce the company's name with the initial "a" sound of the word "can". However, both initial vowel sounds in the company's name were derived from its original Persian pronunciation of the name's first and second A.
*
List of Mazda vehicles*
List of Mazda platforms*
List of Mazda engines*
List of Mazda facilities*
Hiroshima Carp*
Sanfrecce Hiroshima*
Mazda Official Corporate Website* Official Mazda Vehicle websites:
U.S.A. |
Canada*
Mazda Galleries and Mod List at Boompa
