What was mazdas first car

When the atomic bomb is dropped on Hiroshima in , this is a turning point for Toyo Kogyo. The surviving workshops are used as emergency hospitals.

From that point onwards, Mazda pays homage to the unique mentality of the people of Hiroshima in its company philosophy : Mazda does things its own way, never gives up, and strives for the exceptional. At the end of the s the Mazda commercial vehicle programme includes about 30 models, from small mini vans to the Mazda Romper as a classic 1-ton pick-up. As early as the end of the s, Mazda begins to introduce computer systems into its production processes and Tsuneji Matsuda, the son of the first Mazda President, develops the Pyramid Vision.

It is a plan for expanding production to cars of different segments. This is followed two years later by the small saloon, the Mazda Carol , and later by the compact Mazda Familia With the sleek Bertone-designed Luce launched in the mids, Mazda then introduces a saloon as an alternative to its established European counterparts of the discerning intermediate class.

The history of Mazda is inextricably linked with the development of innovative drive technologies. The Japanese carmaker has never shied away from unconventional solutions — including the rotary engine. Under this assertive slogan, Mazda launches a super sports car unlike anything the world has ever seen. It is the prelude to a unique success story, and today almost two million Mazdas with rotary engines have been sold.

But Mazda also proves its creativity at the end of the s with the unrivalled and parallel sale of conventional piston engines, innovative rotary engines and highly efficient diesel engines. The first market is Norway, but as early as , Mazda presents various models for the German market at the Frankfurt Auto Show. It takes another three years before German sales officially begin, but sales begin in Canada as early as and the United States in The rotary engines in the Mazda R and Mazda RX-2 cause quite a stir, and from , every second Mazda is powered by a rotary engine.

On 23 November, Mazda Motors Deutschland is founded. That number will become the key to success for Mazda as a model name. Specialist media and customers in Germany rate all Mazdas highly, above all for their diverse standard equipment and efficient engines. Today, Mazda is known for its affordable, quality-performance vehicles. In , the company launched the Mazda-Go, a three-wheeled vehicle that resembled a motorcycle with a cargo-carrier at the back.

In the s, Mazda began making small, four-wheel trucks. The company launched its first passenger car, the R Coupe, in in Japan. Seven years later, Mazda debuted the first rotary engine car, the Cosmo Sport S. Mazda entered the American market in , with the R coupe, the first mass-produced, rotary-powered car in the U. The following year, the Ford Motor Company took a 25 percent stake in the company.

In , in another milestone for the company, a Mazda B won the 24 Hours of Le Mans race, becoming the first rotary-powered car as well as the first Japanese-made auto to do so.

However, Mazda was impacted by the economic slump in Japan in the s and in , Ford took a controlling stake in the automaker and rescued it from potential bankruptcy. The two companies shared manufacturing facilities in several countries along with vehicle platforms and other resources. Along with a three-speed manual transmission, Mazda offered a two-speed "semi-automatic" with a torque converter that still required shifting but didn't have a clutch pedal.

Mazda did their best to up the fun factor with rack-and-pinion steering and a four-wheel independent suspension. By the end of the year, according to Mazda, the R had picked up two-thirds of Japan's kei car market and 15 percent of total domestic automotive sales.

Mazda would continue to innovate. Two years later they introduced the Carol, a larger four-door car that stayed under the displacement limit with a cc four-cylinder engine, one of the tiniest automotive four-pots ever produced. Key members of Toyo Kogyo interpreted Mazda as a symbol of the beginning of the East and the West civilization, but also a symbol of the automotive civilization and culture. Striving to make a contribution to the world peace and to be a light in the automotive industry, Toyo Kogyo was renamed Mazda Motor Corporation.

The front gate of Toyo Kogyo, Co. Seen on Mazda R coupe or other passenger cars until Fast forward to the end of the 20th century, the current Mazda brand symbol was adopted in June Daring to stand up to seemingly impossible challenges, and standing against all odds to pursue its dream.

Committed to making cars with excellent quality with a firm belief that new technology can only be developed from overcoming tough challenges, the spirit of Mazda lives on in its brand symbol. Renewed in , representing the brand which has evolved toward the higher quality and sophistication. That was because of design — Mazda wanted to express precision and reliability as a car company by aligning top and bottom lines of its corporate mark.

A letter D in a lower case protruded the upper line, so the decision was made to use an upper case for a letter D to make the corporate mark neatly fit into a rectangle.

There is a story behind every name, and Mazda is no exception. The name Mazda and its brand symbol tell a story of its long history, burning aspiration and unwavering belief. We are Drivers. We are Designers. We are Engineers. We are Zoom-Zoom. We are Mazda. Mazda Near You.

We think you are in. Not your location? Please select another Change Location. Mazda Austria Gesellschaft m. Mazda Motor Croatia d. T: Hektoroviceva ulica 2, Zagreb Visit Website. GPA Motion Ltd. Mazda Motors Deutschland G. Mazda Motor Hungary Kft. Mazda Motor Italia S. T: Viale A. Marchetti , Roma, Italia Visit Website. Mazda Suisse SA T: 12, av. GasanZammit Motors Ltd. T: ul. Mazda Motor de Portugal Lda. T: Av. Mazda Motor Slovenija d. Mazda Automoviles Espana, S.