Difference between revisions of "Mazda" - New World Encyclopedia

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{{Nihongo|'''Mazda Motor Corporation'''|マツダ株式会社|Matsuda Kabushiki-gaisha}} ({{tyo|7261}}) is a [[Japan]]ese [[automaker|automotive manufacturer]] based in [[Hiroshima Prefecture|Hiroshima]], [[Japan]].   
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{{Nihongo|'''Mazda Motor Corporation'''|マツダ株式会社|Matsuda Kabushiki-gaisha}} ({{tyo|7261}}) is a [[Japan]]ese [[automaker|automotive manufacturer]] based in [[Hiroshima Prefecture|Hiroshima]], [[Japan]].  Mazda began when its founder, Jujiro Matsuda, took over Toyo Cork Kogyo Co., Ltd.(東洋コルク工業株式会社, Tōyō Koruku Kōgyō Kabushiki Gaisha), in 1920, and began manufacturing tools. In 1931, the company introduced the first "[[Mazda Mazdago|Mazdago]]" (or [[TCS]]), a three-wheeled open "[[truck]]" that resembled a [[motorcycle]] with an open wagon or truck bed. The [[Mazda R360]], a two-door, two-seat [[coupe]] introduced in 1960, was [[Mazda]]'s first real [[automobile|car]]. In the 1960s, Mazda developed the [[Wankel engine|Wankel rotary engine]] as a way of differentiating itself from other Japanese auto makers. Mazda experienced a decline after the 1973 fuel crisis, when customers abandoned rotary engines in favor of more fuel-efficient piston engines. In 1979, [[Ford Motor Company]] acquired a 27-percent financial stake in Toyo Kogyo and the two companies began to collaborate on a number of projects, particularly pick-up trucks and small cars. The company changed its name to Mazda Motor Corporation in 1984.
  
During 2007, Mazda produced almost 1.3 million vehicles for global sales. The majority of these (nearly 1 million) were produced in the company's Japanese plants, with the remainder coming from a variety of other plants worldwide.<ref>[http://www.mazda.com/publicity/results/2008/080128_product.html MAZDA:Mazda Production and Sales Results for December 2007 and for January through December 2007 (Flash Report) | Production and Salese Results<!-- Bot generated title —>]</ref>
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During 2007, Mazda produced almost 1.3 million vehicles for sale worldwide; nearly one million of these were produced in the company's Japanese plants. <ref>[http://www.mazda.com/publicity/results/2008/080128_product.html MAZDA: Mazda Production and Sales Results for December 2007 and for January through December 2007 (Flash Report) | Production and Sales Results] Retrieved November 13, 2008.</ref> Mazda has experienced substantial success in automobile racing with both its signature Wankel-engine cars and its piston-engine models. Mazda vehicles and engines compete in a wide variety of disciplines and series around the world. Mazda developed a hydrogen rotary engine and was the first company in the world to begin commercial leasing of a car that can run on hydrogen fuel.<ref> [http://www.mazda.com/profile/vision/ Message from the President] Retrieved November 13, 2008.</ref> Like many automakers, Mazda is striving to increase recycling and to incorporate environmentally-friendly components made of bioplastics and bio-fabric.
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formerly (1927–84) Toyo Kogyo Company,
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Japanese automotive manufacturer, maker of Mazda passenger cars, trucks, and buses. The company is affiliated with the Sumitomo group. It is headquartered at Hiroshima.
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Founded in 1920 as a cork plant, the company acquired its Toyo Kogyo name in 1927. In 1931 it began manufacturing its first vehicles, a line of three-wheel trucks, producing some 200,000 in the next 25 years. During World War II, it provided the Japanese armed forces with these trucks as well as with rifles. The company's factory survived the atomic bombing of Hiroshima because it lay shielded behind a hill.
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The company entered the passenger-car market in 1960 with the production of a coupe model; two years later, sedans and station wagons came on line, and in 1964 it introduced a line of cars that were marketed in the United States. In 1967 the company committed itself to producing automobiles with the rotary-piston Wankel engine. By the early 1970s, more than half of all Mazdas were equipped with the new engine. The major drawback of the Wankel engine, however, was its relatively poor fuel efficiency. With the rise in the price of gasoline in the 1970s, sales of Mazdas dropped sharply.
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Since then the company gradually has regained its fortunes. By reducing its work force through attrition, greatly improving productivity, and turning to conventional, more fuel-efficient engines for its cars, the company has become one of the largest automobile manufacturers in Japan. In 1981 it brought out a more fuel-efficient Wankel engine for some of its models. Also important to its recovery has been its relationship with the Ford Motor Company. Mazda supplies axles for Ford and ships a ready-to-assemble car that Ford markets. The company also manufactures rock drills, machine tools, and gauge blocks. The company changed its name from Toyo Kogyo Company to Mazda Motor Corporation in 1984.
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Copyright © 1994-2002 Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.
  
 
==Name==  
 
==Name==  
It is said that Mazda coincides with the anglicized pronunciation of the founder's name, [[Jujiro Matsuda]], who was interested in spirituality, and chose to rename the firm in honor of both his family and [[Zoroastrianism]].<ref>[http://www.mazda.co.uk/AboutMazda/AllAboutMazda/Timeline/ Mazda - All about Mazda<!-- Bot generated title —>]</ref> The word ''Mazda'' derives from [[Ahura Mazda]], the [[Avestan language]] name for a divinity exalted by the ancient [[Iran|Iranian]] prophet [[Zoroaster]], as the source of wisdom, intelligence and harmony.
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It is said that Mazda coincides with the anglicized pronunciation of the founder's name, [[Jujiro Matsuda]], who was interested in spirituality, and chose to rename the firm in honor of both his family and [[Zoroastrianism]].<ref>[http://www.mazda.co.uk/aboutmazda/allaboutmazda/timeline/ All about Mazda] Retrieved November 13, 2008.</ref> The word ''Mazda'' derives from [[Ahura Mazda]], the [[Avestan language]] name for a divinity exalted by the ancient [[Iran|Iranian]] prophet [[Zoroaster]], as the source of wisdom, intelligence and harmony.
  
 
In Japanese, the company's name has always been pronounced and spelled as "Matsuda", the name of the founder.  Television ads for Mazda automobiles in the United States use a pronunciation where the initial vowel sound is similar to the word "art", while Canadian Mazda advertisements pronounce the company's name with the initial "a" sound of the word "has". The initial vowel sounds (in the American and Canadian advertisements) are references to the first and last A sounds in the original Persian pronunciation.
 
In Japanese, the company's name has always been pronounced and spelled as "Matsuda", the name of the founder.  Television ads for Mazda automobiles in the United States use a pronunciation where the initial vowel sound is similar to the word "art", while Canadian Mazda advertisements pronounce the company's name with the initial "a" sound of the word "has". The initial vowel sounds (in the American and Canadian advertisements) are references to the first and last A sounds in the original Persian pronunciation.
  
 
==History==
 
==History==
Mazda began as the Toyo Cork Kogyo Co., Ltd, founded in Japan in 1920. Toyo Cork Kogyo renamed itself to Toyo Kogyo Co., Ltd. in 1927. Toyo Kogyo moved from manufacturing machine tools to vehicles, with the introduction of the [[Mazda Mazdago|Mazda-Go]] in 1931. Toyo Kogyo produced weapons for the Japanese military throughout the [[Second World War]], most notably the series 30 through 35 [[Type 99 rifle]]. The company formally adopted the Mazda name in 1984, though every automobile sold from the beginning bore that name.  The [[Mazda R360]] was introduced in 1960, followed by the [[Mazda Carol]] in 1962.
 
  
[[Image:Mazda cosmo sport.jpg|thumb|right|250px|Mazda Cosmo Sport]]Beginning in the 1960s, Mazda put a major engineering effort into development of the [[Wankel engine|Wankel rotary engine]] as a way of differentiating themselves from other Japanese auto companies. Beginning with the limited-production [[Mazda Cosmo|Cosmo Sport]] of 1967 and continuing to the present day with the [[Mazda RX-8|RX-8]], Mazda has become the sole manufacturer of Wankel-type engines mainly by way of attrition ([[NSU Motorenwerke AG|NSU]] and [[Citroën]] both gave up on the design during the 1970s, and prototype efforts by [[General Motors]] never made it to production).
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===Early days===
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Jujiro Matsuda the founder of Mazda, was born August 8, 1875, in [[Hiroshima]], the son of a fisherman. At the age of fourteen he was apprenticed to a blacksmith in [[Osaka], and in 1906, he invented the "Matsuda-type pump." Later, he took over management of the foundry at which he had been apprenticed and changed its name to "Matsuda Pump Partnership." He was forced out of his company, but soon afterward he started an [[weapon|armament]] manufacturer named Matsuda Works. The company prospered when it was commissioned as a supplier to the [[Tsar]] of [[Russia]]<ref name="history">{{cite web|url=http://www.drivingtoday.com/wbz4/greatest_cars/mazda_mx5_miata/index.html|title=Mazda MX-5 by Jack Nerad for Driving Today| publisher=[http://www.drivingtoday.com Driving Today]}} Retrieved November 12, 2008.</ref> and manufactured the [[Type 99 rifle]] for the [[Military of Japan|Japanese military]].
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===Toyo Kogyo and Mazda===
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[[Image:Mazda auto tricycle.jpg|right|thumb|250px|Mazdago]]
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By 1921, Jujiro Matsuda was a wealthy man. He moved back to [[Hiroshima]] where he was asked to take over management of floundering artificial [[Cork (material)|cork]] manufacturer {{Nihongo|Toyo Cork Kogyo Co., Ltd.|東洋コルク工業株式会社|Tōyō Koruku Kōgyō Kabushiki Gaisha}}, founded in 1920, which had been placed into receivership by its creditors when the market for artificial cork dried up following the end of [[World War I]]. <ref name="history">{{cite web|url=http://www.drivingtoday.com/wbz4/greatest_cars/mazda_mx5_miata/index.html|title=Mazda MX-5 by Jack Nerad for Driving Today| publisher=[http://www.drivingtoday.com Driving Today]}} Retrieved November 12, 2008.</ref>  The unprofitable cork business was stopped, and Matsuda focused on tool manufacturing. Toyo Cork Kogyo renamed itself to Toyo Kogyo Co., Ltd. (東洋工業株式会社, Tōyō Kōgyō Kabushiki Gaisha) in 1927.  In 1931, the company oversaw the introduction of the "[[Mazda Mazdago|Mazdago]]" (or [[TCS]]), a three-wheeled open "[[truck]]" that resembled a [[motorcycle]] with an open wagon or truck bed.  It was steered with handlebars and powered with an air-cooled 1-cylinder engine/transmission combination unit. It was manufactured in what is now [[Fuchū, Hiroshima (Aki)|Fuchū city]]. 
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Toyo Kogyo produced weapons for the Japanese military throughout the [[Second World War]], most notably the series 30 through 35 [[Type 99 rifle]]. The Toyo Kogyo headquarters were heavily damaged on [[August 6]], [[1945]] during the [[Atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki|bombing of Hiroshima]]. The [[Fuchū, Hiroshima (Aki)|Fuchū city]] plant, 5.3 [[kilometers]] from the site of the explosion, was left relatively unscathed and Matsuda offered its use for the Hiroshima bureau of [[NHK]] (Japan Broadcasting Corporation).
  
This effort to bring attention to themselves apparently helped, as Mazda rapidly began to export its vehicles. Both [[reciprocating engine|piston-powered]] and rotary-powered models made their way around the world, but the rotary models quickly became popular for their combination of good power and light weight (when compared to piston-engined competitors with similar power, usually carrying a heavy V6 or V8 engine). The [[Mazda R100|R100]] and the famed RX series ([[Mazda RX-2|RX-2]], [[Mazda RX-3|RX-3]], and [[Mazda RX-4|RX-4]]) led the company's export efforts.
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Matsuda was not accused of being a war conspirator, and a revitalized Toyo Kogyo was the main force behind repairing the damaged economy of Hiroshima following [[World War II]]. In 1950, Toyo Kogyo supported the startup of a [[baseball]] team, the [[Hiroshima Toyo Carp|Hiroshima Carp]].
  
During 1970, Mazda formally entered the North American market (under the guise of [[Mazda North American Operations]]) and was very successful there, going so far as to create the [[Mazda Rotary Pickup]] (based on the conventional piston-powered [[Mazda B-Series (International)|B-Series]] model) solely for North American buyers. To this day, Mazda remains the only automaker to have produced a Wankel-powered pickup truck. Additionally, they are also the only marque to have ever offered a rotary-powered bus (the [[Mazda Parkway]], offered only in Japan) or station wagon (within the [[Mazda RX-3|RX-3]] line).
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===Manufacture of automobiles===
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[[Image:Mazda-r360-coupe01.jpg|250px|thumb|right|1960 Mazda R360 coupe]]
  
Mazda's rotary success continued until the onset of the [[1973 oil crisis]]. As American buyers (as well as those in other nations) quickly turned to vehicles with better fuel efficiency, the relatively thirsty rotary-powered models began to fall out of favor. Wisely, the company had not totally turned its back on piston engines, as they continued to produce a variety of four-cylinder models throughout the 1970s. The smaller [[Mazda Familia|Familia]] line in particular became very important to Mazda's worldwide sales after 1973, as did the somewhat larger [[Mazda_Capella|Capella]] series.
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Matsuda died on [[March 9]], [[1952]]. His adopted son-in-law, [[Tsuneji Matsuda]] succeeded him as president of Toyo Kogyo, and oversaw the expansion of its automobile division until 1979.  
  
[[Image:Mazda-rx7-1st-generation01.jpg|thumb|left|250px|Mazda RX-7 (first generation)]]Not wishing to abandon the rotary engine entirely, Mazda refocused their efforts and made it a choice for the sporting motorist rather than a mainstream powerplant. Starting with the lightweight [[Mazda RX-7|RX-7]] in 1978 and continuing with the modern [[Mazda RX-8|RX-8]], Mazda has continued its dedication to this unique powerplant. This switch in focus also resulted in the development of another lightweight sports car, the piston-powered [[Mazda MX-5|Mazda Roadster]] (perhaps better known by its worldwide names as the MX-5 or Miata), inspired by the concept '[[jinba ittai]]'. Introduced in 1989 to worldwide acclaim, the Roadster has been widely credited with reviving the concept of the small sports car after its decline in the late 1970s.
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In 1984, the company formally adopted the Mazda name, though every automobile sold from the beginning bore that name. The [[Mazda R360]], introduced in 1960, was [[Mazda]]'s first real [[automobile|car]], - a two-door, two-seat [[coupe]]. It featured a short 69 inch (1753 mm) wheelbase and weighed just 838 lb (380 kg). It was powered by a [[RR layout|rear-mounted]] [[air-cooled]] 356 cc [[Mazda V-twin engine|V-twin engine]] and was capable of speeds of about 52 mph (84 km/h). It had a 4-speed manual or two-speed automatic transmission.  The suspension, front and rear, was rubber "springs" and torsion bars. The R360 was replaced in 1961 with the '''Mazda P360 Carol''', the company's first 4-passenger car. It was larger than the [[Mazda R360]], with  a 193&nbsp;cm wheelbase and a total length of 298&nbsp;cm. It used a rear-mounted [[water-cooled]] 358&nbsp;cc [[straight-4|4-cylinder]] ''[[Mazda OHV engine#358|OHV]]'' engine, one of the [[list of automotive superlatives|smallest 4-cylinder automobile engines in history]] (only [[Honda|Honda's]] 356&nbsp;cc [[DOHC]] alloy 4-cylinder unit used in the [[Honda T360|T360]] truck, was smaller). A convertible version appeared in 1964; production of the R360 lasted for six years.
  
Mazda's financial turmoil and decline during the 1970s resulted in a new corporate investor by 1979, [[Ford Motor Company]]. Starting in 1979 with a 27-percent financial stake, Ford began a partnership with Mazda resulting in various joint projects. During the 1980s, Ford gained another 20 percent in financial stakes. These included large and small efforts in all areas of the automotive landscape. This was most notable in the realm of pickup trucks (like the [[Mazda B-Series]], which spawned a Ford Courier variant in North America) and smaller cars. For instance, Mazda's Familia platform was used for Ford models like the [[Ford Laser|Laser]] and [[Ford Escort (North America)|Escort]], while the Capella architecture found its way into Ford's [[Ford Telstar|Telstar]] sedan and [[Ford Probe|Probe]] sports models. However in 2002 Ford gained an extra 5-percent financial stake.
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Within a few years of introducing the R360, Mazda had captured much of the lightweight ([[keicar]]) market in Japan.  
  
The Probe was built in a new Mazda assembly plant in [[Flat Rock, Michigan]] along with the mainstream 626 sedan (the North American version of the Capella) and a companion [[Mazda MX-6]] sports coupe. (The plant is now a Ford-Mazda joint venture known as [[AutoAlliance International]].) Ford has also loaned Mazda some of their capacity when needed: the [[Mazda 121]] sold in Europe was, for a time, a variant of the [[Ford Fiesta]] built in plants throughout that continent. Mazda has also made an effort in the past to sell some of Ford's cars in Japan, mainly through their Autorama dealer group. The Ford Probe was made popular by Steven Bowers in the television show "The Wrong One".
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===Wankel rotary engine===
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[[Image:Mazda cosmo sport.jpg|thumb|right|250px|Mazda Cosmo Sport]]
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In the 1960s, Mazda began a major engineering effort to develop the [[Wankel engine|Wankel rotary engine]] as a way of differentiating itself from other Japanese auto makers. From the first the limited-production [[Mazda Cosmo|Cosmo Sport]] in 1967 until the present [[Mazda RX-8|RX-8]], Mazda has become the sole manufacturer of Wankel-type engines mainly through attrition ([[NSU Motorenwerke AG|NSU]] and [[Citroën]] both gave up on the design during the 1970s, and prototype efforts by [[General Motors]] never made it to production).
  
Mazda also helped Ford develop the 1991 [[Ford Explorer|Explorer]], which Mazda sold as the 2-door only [[Mazda Navajo]] from 1991 through 1994. Ironically, Mazda's version was unsuccessful, while the Ford (available from the start as a 4-door or 2-door model) instantly became the best selling sport-utility vehicle in the United States and kept that title for over a decade. Mazda has used Ford's [[Ford Ranger|Ranger]] pickup as the basis for its North American-market [[Mazda B-Series (North America)|B-Series]] trucks, starting in 1994 and continuing through to the present.
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Mazda rapidly began to export its vehicles. Both [[reciprocating engine|piston-powered]] and rotary-powered models made their way around the world, but the rotary models quickly became popular for their combination of power and light weight when compared to similarly-powered heavy V6 or V8 piston-engines.  The [[Mazda R100|R100]] and the famed RX series ([[Mazda RX-2|RX-2]], [[Mazda RX-3|RX-3]], and [[Mazda RX-4|RX-4]]) were the company's major exports.
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[[Image:Mazda Capella 001.JPG|thumb|left|[[Japanese domestic market|JDM]] Capella [[Mazda Wankel engine|Rotary]] Coupe 1972 - 1974]]
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In 1970, Mazda formally entered the North American market (as [[Mazda North American Operations]]) and was very successful there. The [[Mazda Rotary Pickup]] (based on the conventional piston-powered [[Mazda B-Series (International)|B-Series]] model) was created solely for North American buyers. To this day, Mazda remains the only automaker to have produced a Wankel-powered pickup truck, a rotary-powered bus (the [[Mazda Parkway]], offered only in Japan) or station wagon (within the [[Mazda RX-3|RX-3]] line).
  
[[Image:1998-02 Mazda Millenia.jpg|thumb|right|250px|Mazda Millenia]]Following their long-held fascination with alternative engine technology, Mazda introduced the first [[Miller cycle]] engine for automotive use in the Millenia luxury sedan of 1995. Though the Millenia (and its Miller-type V6 engine) were discontinued in 2002, the company has recently introduced a much smaller Miller-cycle four-cylinder engine for use in their [[Mazda Demio|Demio]] starting in 2008. As with their leadership in Wankel technology, Mazda remains (so far) the only automaker to have used a Miller-cycle engine in the automotive realm.
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Mazda's success with rotary engines continued until the onset of the [[1973 oil crisis]]. As American buyers (as well as those in other nations) turned to vehicles with better fuel efficiency, the rotary-powered models began to fall out of favor. The company continued to produce a variety of four-cylinder piston-engine models throughout the 1970s. The smaller [[Mazda Familia|Familia]] line became particularly important to Mazda's worldwide sales after 1973, along with the somewhat larger [[Mazda_Capella|Capella]] series.
  
Further financial difficulties at Mazda during the 1990s (partly caused by losses related to the [[1997 Asian financial crisis]]) caused Ford to increase its stake to a 33.9-percent [[controlling interest]] on [[31 March]] [[1997]]. In 1997, Henry Wallace was appointed President, and he set about restructuring Mazda and setting it on a new strategic direction.He laid out a new direction for the brand including the design of the present Mazda marque; he laid out a new product plan to achieve synergies with Ford, and he launched Mazda's digital innovation program to speed up the development of new products. At the same time, he started taking control of overseas distributors, rationalized dealerships and manufacturing facilities, and driving much needed efficiencies and cost reductions in Mazda's operations. Much of his early work put Mazda back into profitability and laid the foundations for future success. Ford executive [[Mark Fields (businessman)|Mark Fields]], who took over as Mazda's CEO later, has been credited with expanding Mazda's new product lineup and leading the turnaround during the early 2000s. Ford's increased influence during the 1990s allowed Mazda to claim another distinction in history, having maintained the first foreign-born head of a Japanese car company (starting under Henry Wallace (Scottish)). The marque has since returned to a Japanese-born CEO, under [[Hisakazu Imaki]] since 2003.
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[[Image:Mazda-rx7-1st-generation01.jpg|thumb|left|250px|Mazda RX-7 (first generation)]]Not wishing to abandon the rotary engine entirely, Mazda refocused its efforts and used it in sports car designs, starting with the lightweight [[Mazda RX-7|RX-7]] in 1978 and continuing with the modern [[Mazda RX-8|RX-8]]. This focus on psorts cars resulted in the development of the lightweight piston-powered [[Mazda MX-5|Mazda Roadster]] (perhaps better known by its worldwide names as the MX-5 or Miata), inspired by the concept '[[jinba ittai]]' (人馬一体, rider (jin) and horse (ba) as one (ittai) in battle). Introduced in 1989, the Roadster has been widely credited with reviving the concept of the small sports car after its decline in the late 1970s.
  
Since 1997, Ford's deeper involvement in Mazda's operations has meant an increasing level of cooperation in engineering and marketing as well. The two firms now share engine designs from around the world (Ford uses Mazda's four-cylinder designs in large numbers, while Mazda has replaced its own V6 engine lines with designs from Ford) and have made several combined efforts in platform engineering. Their first major platform cooperation of this type began with the [[Ford Escape]] and [[Mazda Tribute]] models, which were effectively a global design that has since been sold in many parts of the world. The most recent [[Ford Focus (International)|Ford Focus]] also shares a platform with both the [[Mazda Axela]] and the [[Volvo S40]].
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===Alliance with Ford===
  
Mazda has also conducted research in hydrogen-powered vehicles for several decades. As a major step in this effort, the company plans to release a hydrogen-fueled hybrid car in 2008, the Premacy Hydrogen RE compact minivan. The prototype has so far proven capable of traveling up to 200 kilometers (120 miles).<ref>[http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601101&sid=aDzLqSJTqqdw&refer=japan Bloomberg.com: Japan<!-- Bot generated title —>]</ref>
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Mazda experienced financial turmoil and decline during the 1970s. In 1979, [[Ford Motor Company]] acquired a 27-percent financial stake in Toyo Kogyo. The alliance with Ford led to the divesture of shares by the Matsuda family and the change of Toyo Kogyo into [[Mazda Motor Corporation]] in 1984. The Matsuda family still owns a controlling interest in the [[Hiroshima Toyo Carp]].
  
Amidst the world financial crisis in the fall of 2008, reports emerged that Ford was contemplating a sale of its stake in Mazda as a way of [[streamlining]] its [[asset]] base <ref>http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20081011/AUTO01/810110432/1148/&source=nletter-business</ref>.  ''[[BusinessWeek]]'' explained the alliance between Ford and Mazda has been a very successful one, with Mazda saving perhaps $90 million a year in development costs and Ford "several times" that, and that a sale of its stake in Mazda would be a desperate measure.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.businessweek.com/autos/autobeat/archives/2008/10/ford_to_sell_ma.html|title=Ford to Sell Mazda?|last=Rowley|first=Ian|date=2008-10-11|publisher=Business Week|accessdate=2008-10-12}}</ref>
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During the 1980s, Ford acquired an additional 20 percent stake in Mazda. The two companies collaborated on a number of projects, particularly pickup trucks (like the [[Mazda B-Series]], which spawned a Ford Courier variant in North America) and smaller cars. Mazda's Familia platform was used for Ford models like the [[Ford Laser|Laser]] and [[Ford Escort (North America)|Escort]], while the Capella architecture found its way into Ford's [[Ford Telstar|Telstar]] sedan and [[Ford Probe|Probe]] sports models.  
  
==Marques==<!This section is linked from [[Amati]] —>
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The Probe was built in a new Mazda assembly plant in [[Flat Rock, Michigan]] along with the mainstream 626 sedan (the North American version of the Capella) and a companion [[Mazda MX-6]] sports coupe. (The plant is now a Ford-Mazda joint venture known as [[AutoAlliance International]].) Ford has also loaned Mazda some of their capacity when needed: the [[Mazda 121]] sold in Europe was, for a time, a variant of the [[Ford Fiesta]] built in plants throughout that continent. Mazda has also made an effort in the past to sell some Ford cars in Japan, mainly through its Autorama dealer group.
  
[[Image:Eunos logo.png|right|50px|thumb|Eunos logo]][[Image:Autozam logo.gif|right|50px|thumb|Autozam logo]]Mazda had previously used a number of different [[marque]]s in the Japanese (and occasionally Australian) market, including [[Autozam]], [[Eunos cars|Eunos]], and [[Efini]], which have since 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 [[List of Mazda platforms|platform]], they were asked to work on dozens of different models. And consumers were confused as well by the explosion of similar new models.
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Mazda also helped Ford develop the 1991 [[Ford Explorer|Explorer]], which Mazda sold as the 2-door [[Mazda Navajo]] from 1991 through 1994. Ironically, Mazda's version was unsuccessful, while the Ford (available from the start as a 4-door or 2-door model) instantly became the best selling sport-utility vehicle in the United States and kept that title for over a decade. Beginning in 1994, Mazda used Ford's [[Ford Ranger|Ranger]] pickup as the basis for its North American-market [[Mazda B-Series (North America)|B-Series]] trucks.
  
Today, the former marques exist in Japan as sales channels (specialized dealerships) but no longer have specialized branded vehicles. In other words, the [[Autozam Carol|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.
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[[Image:1998-02 Mazda Millenia.jpg|thumb|right|250px|Mazda Millenia]]Pursuing its interest in alternative engine technology, Mazda introduced the first [[Miller cycle]] engine for automotive use in the Millenia luxury sedan of 1995. Though the Millenia (and its Miller-type V6 engine) were discontinued in 2002, the company has recently introduced a much smaller Miller-cycle four-cylinder engine for use in their [[Mazda Demio|Demio]] starting in 2008.  
  
[[Image:Amati.jpg|left|50px|thumb|Amati logo]]In early 1992 Mazda planned to release a luxury marques, '''Amati''', to challenge [[Acura]], [[Infiniti]], and [[Lexus]] in North America, which was to begin selling in late 1993. The initial Amati range would have included the Amati 500 (which became the Eunos 800 in Japan and Australia, [[Mazda Millenia]] in the US, and Mazda Xedos 9 in Europe) and the Amati 1000 (a rear-wheel drive V12 successor to the [[Mazda 929]]). The Amati marque was eventually scrapped before any cars hit the market.
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===Financial turn-around ===
  
In Europe, the '''[[Xedos]]''' name was also associated with the Mazda [[Xedos 6]], the two models were in production from 1992 until 1997. The Xedos line was marketed under the Mazda marque, and used the Mazda badge from the corresponding years.
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Further financial difficulties at Mazda during the 1990s (partly due to the [[1997 Asian financial crisis]]) led Ford to increase its stake in Mazda to a 33.9-percent [[controlling interest]] on [[March 31]], [[1997]]. In 1997, Henry Wallace was appointed President and became the first foreign-born head of a Japanese car company. Wallace restructured Mazda and established a new strategic direction. The present Mazda logo was adopted; a new product plan was developed to achieve synergies with Ford; and Mazda's digital innovation program was initiated to speed up the development of new products. Mazda took more control of its overseas distributors and rationalized dealerships and manufacturing facilities to reduce costs and increase efficiency. These changes brought Mazda back into profitability. Ford executive [[Mark Fields (businessman)|Mark Fields]], who took over as Mazda's CEO later, has been credited with expanding Mazda's new product lineup and leading the turnaround during the early 2000s. Since 2003, Mazda has had a Japanese-born CEO, [[Hisakazu Imaki]].
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Ford's deeper involvement in Mazda's operations resulted in an increasing level of cooperation in engineering and marketing. The two firms now share engine designs from around the world (Ford uses Mazda's four-cylinder designs in large numbers, while Mazda has replaced its own V6 engine lines with designs from Ford) and have made several combined efforts in platform engineering, starting with the [[Ford Escape]] and [[Mazda Tribute]] models, sold in many parts of the world. The most recent [[Ford Focus (International)|Ford Focus]] also shares a platform with both the [[Mazda Axela]] and the [[Volvo S40]].
 +
 
 +
 
 +
== Massage from the president ==
 +
 
 +
Mazda has been creating products and services that delight our customers since its establishment in 1920. During our history, we have worked tirelessly at developing the rotary engine, eventually managing to successfully commercialize it. And now, building on that technology in the name of environmental friendliness, we have developed a hydrogen rotary engine and have become the first company in the world to begin commercial leasing of a car that can run on hydrogen fuel. This demonstrates how Mazda is always willing to embrace new and worthwhile technologies.
 +
We believe that Mazda is about more than delighting and exciting our customers with our products and services. As a responsible corporate citizen, Mazda also strives to fulfill our social responsibilities and contribute to the development of the world through all of our corporate activities. While working hard to develop our infrastructure and organization, we believe that the quality of our corporate activities depends on the quality of our employees. Based on the motto, “Developing the people that make the products,” we are actively engaged in human resource development. We believe that by viewing our skilled workforce as essential assets we can continue our activities into the future as a corporation trusted and cherished throughout the world.
 +
I appreciate your continuing encouragement and support for us
 +
http://www.mazda.com/profile/vision/
 +
 
 +
==Brand names==
 +
 
 +
[[Image:Eunos logo.png|right|50px|thumb|Eunos logo]][[Image:Autozam logo.gif|right|50px|thumb|Autozam logo]]Mazda once used a number of different [[marque]]s (brand names) in the Japanese (and occasionally Australian) market, including [[Autozam]], [[Eunos cars|Eunos]], and [[Efini]], which have since been phased out. This diversification put too much stress on the product development groups at Mazda;  instead of having a half-dozen variations on any given [[List of Mazda platforms|platform]], they had to work on dozens of different models and consumers were confused by the large number of similar new models. Today, the former brand names exist in Japan as sales channels (specialized dealerships) but no longer have specialized branded vehicles. For example, the [[Autozam Carol|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.
 +
 
 +
[[Image:Amati.jpg|left|50px|thumb|Amati logo]]In early 1992 Mazda planned to release a luxury brand, '''Amati''', to challenge [[Acura]], [[Infiniti]], and [[Lexus]] in North America. The initial Amati range would have included the Amati 500 (which became the Eunos 800 in Japan and Australia, [[Mazda Millenia]] in the US, and Mazda Xedos 9 in Europe) and the Amati 1000 (a rear-wheel drive V12 successor to the [[Mazda 929]]). The Amati brand was eventually scrapped before any cars hit the market.
 +
 
 +
In Europe, the '''[[Xedos]]''' name was also associated with the Mazda [[Xedos 6]]; the two models were in production from 1992 until 1997. The Xedos line was marketed under the Mazda brand, and used the Mazda badge from the corresponding years.
  
 
==Emblems==
 
==Emblems==
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|- style="vertical-align:top"
 
|- style="vertical-align:top"
 
|
 
|
|Symbol and corporate mark as seen on most Mazda cars from the [[Mazda R360]] until 1975
+
|Symbol and corporate logo 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
+
|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 until the 1980s, but later 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.
 
|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|Renault's]].  
 
|Shortly after the release of the new symbol, the design was smoothed out to reduce its similarity to [[Renault|Renault's]].  
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== Alternative Propulsion and Bio-Car==
 
== Alternative Propulsion and Bio-Car==
Mazda is developing a rival to the [[plug-in hybrid]] [[Chevrolet Volt]]; Mazda tests are sufficiently advanced that Mazda has a working prototype in a [[Mazda 5]] [[MPV]] [[bodyshell]] <ref>http://www.autocar.co.uk/News/NewsArticle.aspx?AR=234607</ref>.
+
Mazda has conducted research in hydrogen-powered vehicles for several decades. As a major step in this effort, the company plans to release a hydrogen-fueled hybrid car in 2008, the Premacy Hydrogen RE compact minivan. The prototype has so far proven capable of traveling up to 200 kilometers (120 miles).<ref> Bloomberg.com [http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601101&sid=aDzLqSJTqqdw&refer=japan Bloomberg.com: Japan Nissan, Honda Seek Edge With Low-Emission Cars at Tokyo Show] Alan Ohnsman (October 26, 2008). Retrieved November 12, 2008.</ref>
  
On the other hand, the first [[stop-start]] Mazda will go on sale in Japan next year and the system is expected to be rolled out globally on a variety of models <ref>http://www.autocar.co.uk/News/NewsArticle.aspx?AR=234607</ref>.
+
Mazda is developing a rival to the [[plug-in hybrid]] [[Chevrolet Volt]]; Mazda tests are sufficiently advanced that Mazda has a working prototype in a [[Mazda 5]] [[MPV]] [[bodyshell]] The first [[stop-start]] Mazda will go on sale in Japan next year and the system is expected to be implemented globally on a variety of models <ref> [http://www.autocar.co.uk/News/NewsArticle.aspx?AR=234607 ] Autocar  (august 8, 2008) Retrieved November 12, 2008.</ref>.
  
=== Bio-Car ===
+
Mazda plans to introduce bioplastic internal consoles and bio-fabric seats made from plant materials in in its [[Mazda5]] model in 2008. Up to 30% of the interior parts in the Mazda5 will be made of bio-material components <ref>[http://www.bioplastics24.com/content/view/1326/2/lang,en/] Bioplastics24.com Retrieved November 12, 2008.</ref>.
Mazda is finding a host of other uses from plastic to fabrics in its vehicles as it aims to be more environmentally friendly. Mazda plans to introduce its innovations - bioplastic internal consoles and bio-fabric seats - in its [[Mazda5]] model at [[EcoInnovasia]] 2008, at the [[Queen Sirikit National Convention Center]] in [[Bangkok]]. Up to 30% of the interior parts in the Mazda5 made of bio-material components <ref>http://www.bioplastics24.com/content/view/1326/2/lang,en/</ref>.
 
  
 
==Auto racing==
 
==Auto racing==
  
{{see also|Mazdaspeed}}
+
Mazda has experienced substantial success in automobile racing with both its signature Wankel-engine cars (in two-rotor, three-rotor, and four-rotor forms) and its piston-engine models. Mazda vehicles and engines compete in a wide variety of disciplines and series around the world.
 
 
In the racing world, Mazda has had substantial success with both their signature Wankel-engine cars (in two-rotor, three-rotor, and four-rotor forms) as well as their piston-engine models. Mazda vehicles and engines compete in a wide variety of disciplines and series around the world.
 
  
 
===International competition===
 
===International competition===
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Mazda's competition debut was on [[October 20]], [[1968]] when two [[Mazda Cosmo#Racing|Mazda Cosmo Sport 110S]] coupes entered the 84 hour [[Marathon de la Route]] ultra-endurance race at the [[Nürburgring]], one finishing in fourth place and the other breaking an axle after 81 hours. The next year, Mazda raced [[Mazda R100#Racing|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 911]]s), on [[October 19]], [[1969]], Mazda again entered the 84 hour Nürburgring race with four Familias. Only one of these finished, taking fifth place.
 
Mazda's competition debut was on [[October 20]], [[1968]] when two [[Mazda Cosmo#Racing|Mazda Cosmo Sport 110S]] coupes entered the 84 hour [[Marathon de la Route]] ultra-endurance race at the [[Nürburgring]], one finishing in fourth place and the other breaking an axle after 81 hours. The next year, Mazda raced [[Mazda R100#Racing|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 911]]s), on [[October 19]], [[1969]], Mazda again entered the 84 hour Nürburgring race with four Familias. Only one of these finished, taking 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.<ref>[http://www.mazdarx5.com/daytonarx5.html daytona rx5<!-- Bot generated title —>]</ref>
+
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.
  
After substantial successes by the [[Mazda RX-2]] and [[Mazda RX-3]], the [[Mazda RX-7]] has won more [[International Motor Sports Association|IMSA]] races in its class than any other model of automobile, with its 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 RX-7 won the IMSA Grand Touring Under Two Liter (GTU) championship each year from 1980 through 1987, inclusive.
+
The [[Mazda RX-7]] has won more [[International Motor Sports Association|IMSA]] races in its class than any other model of automobile, with its 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 RX-7 won the IMSA Grand Touring Under Two Liter (GTU) championship each year from 1980 through 1987, inclusive.
  
[[Image:Mazda 787B Otaru Synthesis Museum.jpg|right|thumb|250px|The [[Mazda 787]]B, winner of the 1991 [[24 Hours of Le Mans]] race.]]In 1991, a four-rotor [[Mazda 787]]B (2622 cc actual, rated by [[FIA]] formula at 4708 cc) won the [[24 Hours of Le Mans]] auto race outright. The 787B's triumph remains unparalleled, as it remains the only non-piston-engined car ever to win at Le Mans, and Mazda is still the only team from outside [[Western Europe]] or the [[United States]] to have won at Le Mans — ironically after [[Nissan]] had closed down its [[World Sportscar Championship]] programme and [[Toyota]] had opted to take a sabbatical for most of 1991 in order to develop its 3.5 litre [[Toyota TS010|TS010]]. This led to a ban on rotary engines in the Le Mans race starting in 1992, which has since been rescinded. After the 1991 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.
+
[[Image:Mazda 787B Otaru Synthesis Museum.jpg|right|thumb|250px|The [[Mazda 787]]B, winner of the 1991 [[24 Hours of Le Mans]] race.]]In 1991, a four-rotor [[Mazda 787]]B (2622 cc actual, rated by [[FIA]] formula at 4708 cc) won the [[24 Hours of Le Mans]] auto race. The 787B remains the only car with a non-piston-engine ever to win at Le Mans, and Mazda is still the only team from outside [[Western Europe]] or the [[United States]] to have won at Le Mans. After the 1991 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.
  
The Le Mans win in 1991 followed a decade of class wins from other Mazda prototypes, including the [[Mazda 757|757]] and [[Mazda 767|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 Le Mans (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 Compétition|Courage]] C65 LMP2 car at the [[American Le Mans Series]] race at [[Road Atlanta]].  This prototype racer uses the Renesis Wankel from the RX-8.
+
The Le Mans win in 1991 followed a decade of class wins from other Mazda prototypes, including the [[Mazda 757|757]] and [[Mazda 767|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 Le Mans (with the exception of [[Honda]], who has entered only three cars in only one year), with 67% of its entries finishing the race. In 2006, the Mazda’s [[Courage Compétition|Courage]] C65 LMP2 car finished in 3rd place at the [[American Le Mans Series]] race at [[Road Atlanta]].  This prototype racer uses the Renesis Wankel from the RX-8.
  
 
Mazdas have also enjoyed substantial success in [[land speed record|World Land Speed]] competition, [[SCCA]] competition, [[drag racing]], [[rally racing|pro rally]] competition (the [[Mazda Familia|Familia]] appeared in the [[World Rally Championship|WRC]] several times during the late '80s and early '90s), the [[One Lap of America]] race, and other venues. Wankel engines have been banned for some time from international [[Formula One]] racing, as well as from United States [[midget car|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.
 
Mazdas have also enjoyed substantial success in [[land speed record|World Land Speed]] competition, [[SCCA]] competition, [[drag racing]], [[rally racing|pro rally]] competition (the [[Mazda Familia|Familia]] appeared in the [[World Rally Championship|WRC]] several times during the late '80s and early '90s), the [[One Lap of America]] race, and other venues. Wankel engines have been banned for some time from international [[Formula One]] racing, as well as from United States [[midget car|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.
  
 
===Spec series===
 
===Spec series===
 +
[[Image:Formula mazda new.jpg|right|thumb|250px|New carbon fiber car]]
 +
 +
[[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. Formula Mazda has its own class in [[SCCA]] club racing, and there is a professional series (officially the "Star Mazda Championship Presented by Goodyear") in North America that often runs as a support race for the [[American Le Mans Series]]. The cars are very popular; seeing a field of 40 or more cars at a race is quite common. Many drivers aspiring to the top classes of racing use the pro series to hone and demonstrate their talent. In terms of both cost and performance, Formula Mazda lies between [[Formula Ford]] and [[Formula Atlantic]].  A full season in the Pro series cost around $200,000 - $300,000 in 2005.
  
[[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.
 
  
 
[[Spec Miata]] has become one of the most popular and most affordable road racing classes in North America. The Spec Miata (SM) class is intended to provide the opportunity to compete in low cost, production-based cars with limited modifications, suitable for racing competition. The rules are intentionally designed to be more open than the Showroom Stock class but more restricted than the Improved Touring class.
 
[[Spec Miata]] has become one of the most popular and most affordable road racing classes in North America. The Spec Miata (SM) class is intended to provide the opportunity to compete in low cost, production-based cars with limited modifications, suitable for racing competition. The rules are intentionally designed to be more open than the Showroom Stock class but more restricted than the Improved Touring class.
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**[[North Melbourne Football Club]] ([[Australian Football League]])
 
**[[North Melbourne Football Club]] ([[Australian Football League]])
  
 +
The company also sponsors various [[marathon]] and [[relay race]] events in Japan, such as the [[Hiroshima International Peace Marathon]] and the [[Hiroshima Prefectural Ekiden Race]], along with numerous other sporting and charity endeavors in [[Hiroshima]] and [[Hofu]].<ref>Mazda [http://www.mazda.com/csr/social/ Social Contribution Initiatives] Retrieved November 12, 2008.</ref>. 
  
The company also sponsors various [[marathon]] and [[relay race]] events in Japan, such as the [[Hiroshima International Peace Marathon]] and the [[Hiroshima Prefectural Ekiden Race]], along with numerous other sporting and charity endeavors in [[Hiroshima]] and [[Hofu]].<ref>[http://www.mazda.com/csr/social/07-01.html MAZDA:Basic Idea on Community and Social Contributions | With Communities and Society<!-- Bot generated title —>]</ref> Mazda was also the league sponsor for the now-defunct [[Australian Rugby Championship]].
+
Mazda also maintains sponsorship of the [[Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca|Laguna Seca]] racing course in [[California]], using it for its own automotive testing purposes as well as for the numerous racing events (including several Mazda-specific series) that it hosts.<ref>[http://www.laguna-seca.com/sponsors Current Sponsors] Retrieved November 12, 2008.</ref>
 
 
Mazda also maintains sponsorship of the [[Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca|Laguna Seca]] racing course in [[California]], going so far as to use it for their own automotive testing purposes as well as the numerous racing events (including several Mazda-specific series) that it hosts.<ref>[http://www.laguna-seca.com/sponsors/ Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca | Track Sponsors<!-- Bot generated title —>]</ref>
 
  
 
==Marketing==
 
==Marketing==
  
Since 2000, Mazda has used the phrase "Zoom-Zoom" to describe what it calls the "emotion of motion" that it claims is inherent in its cars.<ref>[http://media.ford.com/newsroom/feature_display.cfm?release=19015 Ford Motor Company - Featured Story - Mazda Challenges Consumers in Zoom-Zoom Contest<!-- Bot generated title —>]</ref> Extremely successful and long-lasting (when compared to other automotive marketing taglines), the Zoom-Zoom campaign has now spread around the world from its initial use in North America.<ref name="autogenerated1">[http://www.mazda.com/mazdaspirit/zoom-zoom/ MAZDA:What's Zoom Zoom ? | Mazda Spirit<!-- Bot generated title —>]</ref>
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Since 2000, Mazda has used the phrase "Zoom-Zoom" to describe what it calls the "emotion of motion" that it claims is inherent in its cars.<ref>[http://media.ford.com/newsroom/feature_display.cfm?release=19015 Ford Motor Company - Featured Story - Mazda Challenges Consumers in Zoom-Zoom Contest] Brad Nevin, Ford Communications Network. Retrieved November 12, 2008.</ref> Successful in North America, the Zoom-Zoom campaign is now used around the world. <ref name="autogenerated1">[http://www.mazda.com/mazdaspirit/zoom-zoom/ MAZDA:What's Zoom Zoom ?] Mazda.com Retrieved November 12, 2008.</ref></ref>
  
The Zoom-Zoom campaign has been accompanied by the "Zoom Zoom Zoom" song in many television and radio advertisements. The original version, performed by [[Serapis Bey (Band)|Serapis Bey]] (used in commercials in Europe, Japan and South Africa), was recorded long before it became the official song for Mazda as part of a soundtrack to the movie ''[[Only The Strong]]'' (released in 1993). The Serapis Bey version is a cover of a traditional [[Capoeira music|Capoeira song]], called "Capoeira Mata Um".
+
==Environmental and community record==
 
+
Mazda has a documented commitment to conserving resources and protecting the environment. Since 1990 it has reduced waste material going into landfills in its production facilities by 55 percent, and its overall recycling rate topped 91 percent in 1996.  Over 75% of Mazda plastic parts can be recycled. All gaskets and brake-pads are asbestos-free, and no ozone-damaging CFCs are used in polyurethane products such as the foam padding in seats, armrests and steering wheels. Many Mazda plants including all its operations in Japan, and AAT, a joint venture with Ford in Thailand, have passed the stringent ISO 14001 test, commonly known as the environmental ISO. <ref>[http://www.mazda.co.uk/aboutmazda/Environment/overview/ Our Commitment Counts] Mazda.com. Retrieved November 13, 2008.</ref>
Early ads in the Zoom-Zoom campaign also featured a young (10 years old at the time) boy speaking the "Zoom-Zoom" tagline, who eventually was referred to as the "Zoom-Zoom Kid".<ref>[http://www.shufflingdead.com/Articles/Interviews/Int3.php Shufflingdead.com: Newbs' Knowledge of Life, the Universe and Everything<!-- Bot generated title —>]</ref> The "Kid", now a teenager, is named [[Micah Kanters]].<ref>[http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0437927/ Micah Kanters<!-- Bot generated title —>]</ref>
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The Mazda Foundation contributes financial support to a number of charities that help to maintain a clean environment, preserve historic landmarks, foster youth literacy, enhance cross-cultural understanding and conduct medical research to find a cure for juvenile diabetes.<ref>[http://www.mazdafoundation.org/programs.html Programs] Mazda Foundation. Retrieved November 13, 2008.</ref>
 
+
==Notes==
==See also==
+
{{Reflist|2}}
{{commonscat|Mazda}}
 
{{Companies portal}}
 
{{Portal|Japanese Car}}
 
* [[List of Mazda vehicles]]
 
* [[List of Mazda platforms]]
 
* [[List of Mazda engines]]
 
* [[List of Mazda facilities]]
 
* [[Mazdaspeed]]
 
  
 
==References==
 
==References==
{{Reflist|2}}
+
* Brinkley, Douglas. Wheels for the world: Henry Ford, his company, and a century of progress, 1903-2003. New York: Viking. 2003. ISBN 9780670031818
 +
* Fucini, Joseph J., and Suzy Fucini. Working for the Japanese: inside Mazda's American auto plant. New York: Free Press. 1990. ISBN 9780029109311
 +
*"Japan: Mazda Roars Back". 2004. BUSINESS WEEK -NEW YORK- INTERNATIONAL EDITION THEN EUROPEAN EDITION-. (3871): 32-32.
 +
*Yamaguchi, Jack K., and Ron Wakefield. RX-7: the new Mazda RX-7 and Mazda rotary engine sports cars. New York: St. Martin's Press. 1985. ISBN 9780312694562
  
 
==External links==
 
==External links==
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* [http://www.autoclubturkey.com/forum/forumdisplay.php?f=402 ACT www.autoclubturkey.com] - Turkey The Online Mazda forums
 
* [http://www.autoclubturkey.com/forum/forumdisplay.php?f=402 ACT www.autoclubturkey.com] - Turkey The Online Mazda forums
 
* [http://www.mazdaspeed.pl/ MazdaSpeed.pl] - Polish Mazda Club
 
* [http://www.mazdaspeed.pl/ MazdaSpeed.pl] - Polish Mazda Club
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http://www.mazda.com/profile/history/2007.html
  
 
{{Japanese Automobile Industry}}
 
{{Japanese Automobile Industry}}
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[[Category:Companies headquartered in Hiroshima]]
 
[[Category:Companies headquartered in Hiroshima]]
 
[[Category:Ford]]
 
[[Category:Ford]]
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Jujiro_Matsuda&oldid=239680727 Mazda_Mazdago&oldid=226529131 Mazda_R360&action=history Mazda_Carol&oldid=246978859 Mazda_RX-2&oldid=237448942 Courage_Comp%C3%A9tition&oldid=247197441 Formula_Mazda&oldid=228314035
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{{credits|Mazda&oldid=249377806|}}
 
{{credits|Mazda&oldid=249377806|}}

Revision as of 21:33, 13 November 2008

For other uses, see Mazda (disambiguation).
Mazda Motor Corporation
Matsuda Kabushiki-gaisha
マツダ株式会社
Mazda logo
Type Public (TYO: 7261)
Associate company of Ford Motor Company (33.6% ownership & controlling interest, unconsolidated)[1]
Founded 1920
Headquarters Flag of Japan Fuchu, Aki, Hiroshima, Japan
Key people Jujiro Matsuda (founder)
Kazuhide Watanabe (Chairman)
Hisakazu Imaki (CEO)
Industry Automotive


Revenue Green Arrow Up Darker.svg ¥3,475.8 billion (2007)[2]
Net income Green Arrow Up Darker.svg ¥91.8 billion (2007)
Employees 39,364 (as of March 31, 2008, consolidated)


Website Mazda Global Web Site


Mazda Motor Corporation (マツダ株式会社 Matsuda Kabushiki-gaisha) (TYO: 7261) is a Japanese automotive manufacturer based in Hiroshima, Japan. Mazda began when its founder, Jujiro Matsuda, took over Toyo Cork Kogyo Co., Ltd.(東洋コルク工業株式会社, Tōyō Koruku Kōgyō Kabushiki Gaisha), in 1920, and began manufacturing tools. In 1931, the company introduced the first "Mazdago" (or TCS), a three-wheeled open "truck" that resembled a motorcycle with an open wagon or truck bed. The Mazda R360, a two-door, two-seat coupe introduced in 1960, was Mazda's first real car. In the 1960s, Mazda developed the Wankel rotary engine as a way of differentiating itself from other Japanese auto makers. Mazda experienced a decline after the 1973 fuel crisis, when customers abandoned rotary engines in favor of more fuel-efficient piston engines. In 1979, Ford Motor Company acquired a 27-percent financial stake in Toyo Kogyo and the two companies began to collaborate on a number of projects, particularly pick-up trucks and small cars. The company changed its name to Mazda Motor Corporation in 1984.

During 2007, Mazda produced almost 1.3 million vehicles for sale worldwide; nearly one million of these were produced in the company's Japanese plants. [3] Mazda has experienced substantial success in automobile racing with both its signature Wankel-engine cars and its piston-engine models. Mazda vehicles and engines compete in a wide variety of disciplines and series around the world. Mazda developed a hydrogen rotary engine and was the first company in the world to begin commercial leasing of a car that can run on hydrogen fuel.[4] Like many automakers, Mazda is striving to increase recycling and to incorporate environmentally-friendly components made of bioplastics and bio-fabric.

formerly (1927–84) Toyo Kogyo Company, Japanese automotive manufacturer, maker of Mazda passenger cars, trucks, and buses. The company is affiliated with the Sumitomo group. It is headquartered at Hiroshima. Founded in 1920 as a cork plant, the company acquired its Toyo Kogyo name in 1927. In 1931 it began manufacturing its first vehicles, a line of three-wheel trucks, producing some 200,000 in the next 25 years. During World War II, it provided the Japanese armed forces with these trucks as well as with rifles. The company's factory survived the atomic bombing of Hiroshima because it lay shielded behind a hill. The company entered the passenger-car market in 1960 with the production of a coupe model; two years later, sedans and station wagons came on line, and in 1964 it introduced a line of cars that were marketed in the United States. In 1967 the company committed itself to producing automobiles with the rotary-piston Wankel engine. By the early 1970s, more than half of all Mazdas were equipped with the new engine. The major drawback of the Wankel engine, however, was its relatively poor fuel efficiency. With the rise in the price of gasoline in the 1970s, sales of Mazdas dropped sharply. Since then the company gradually has regained its fortunes. By reducing its work force through attrition, greatly improving productivity, and turning to conventional, more fuel-efficient engines for its cars, the company has become one of the largest automobile manufacturers in Japan. In 1981 it brought out a more fuel-efficient Wankel engine for some of its models. Also important to its recovery has been its relationship with the Ford Motor Company. Mazda supplies axles for Ford and ships a ready-to-assemble car that Ford markets. The company also manufactures rock drills, machine tools, and gauge blocks. The company changed its name from Toyo Kogyo Company to Mazda Motor Corporation in 1984.

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Name

It is said that Mazda coincides with the anglicized pronunciation of the founder's name, Jujiro Matsuda, who was interested in spirituality, and chose to rename the firm in honor of both his family and Zoroastrianism.[5] The word Mazda derives from Ahura Mazda, the Avestan language name for a divinity exalted by the ancient Iranian prophet Zoroaster, as the source of wisdom, intelligence and harmony.

In Japanese, the company's name has always been pronounced and spelled as "Matsuda", the name of the founder. Television ads for Mazda automobiles in the United States use a pronunciation where the initial vowel sound is similar to the word "art", while Canadian Mazda advertisements pronounce the company's name with the initial "a" sound of the word "has". The initial vowel sounds (in the American and Canadian advertisements) are references to the first and last A sounds in the original Persian pronunciation.

History

Early days

Jujiro Matsuda the founder of Mazda, was born August 8, 1875, in Hiroshima, the son of a fisherman. At the age of fourteen he was apprenticed to a blacksmith in [[Osaka], and in 1906, he invented the "Matsuda-type pump." Later, he took over management of the foundry at which he had been apprenticed and changed its name to "Matsuda Pump Partnership." He was forced out of his company, but soon afterward he started an armament manufacturer named Matsuda Works. The company prospered when it was commissioned as a supplier to the Tsar of Russia[6] and manufactured the Type 99 rifle for the Japanese military.

Toyo Kogyo and Mazda

Mazdago

By 1921, Jujiro Matsuda was a wealthy man. He moved back to Hiroshima where he was asked to take over management of floundering artificial cork manufacturer Toyo Cork Kogyo Co., Ltd. (東洋コルク工業株式会社 Tōyō Koruku Kōgyō Kabushiki Gaisha), founded in 1920, which had been placed into receivership by its creditors when the market for artificial cork dried up following the end of World War I. [6] The unprofitable cork business was stopped, and Matsuda focused on tool manufacturing. Toyo Cork Kogyo renamed itself to Toyo Kogyo Co., Ltd. (東洋工業株式会社, Tōyō Kōgyō Kabushiki Gaisha) in 1927. In 1931, the company oversaw the introduction of the "Mazdago" (or TCS), a three-wheeled open "truck" that resembled a motorcycle with an open wagon or truck bed. It was steered with handlebars and powered with an air-cooled 1-cylinder engine/transmission combination unit. It was manufactured in what is now Fuchū city.

Toyo Kogyo produced weapons for the Japanese military throughout the Second World War, most notably the series 30 through 35 Type 99 rifle. The Toyo Kogyo headquarters were heavily damaged on August 6, 1945 during the bombing of Hiroshima. The Fuchū city plant, 5.3 kilometers from the site of the explosion, was left relatively unscathed and Matsuda offered its use for the Hiroshima bureau of NHK (Japan Broadcasting Corporation).

Matsuda was not accused of being a war conspirator, and a revitalized Toyo Kogyo was the main force behind repairing the damaged economy of Hiroshima following World War II. In 1950, Toyo Kogyo supported the startup of a baseball team, the Hiroshima Carp.

Manufacture of automobiles

1960 Mazda R360 coupe

Matsuda died on March 9, 1952. His adopted son-in-law, Tsuneji Matsuda succeeded him as president of Toyo Kogyo, and oversaw the expansion of its automobile division until 1979.

In 1984, the company formally adopted the Mazda name, though every automobile sold from the beginning bore that name. The Mazda R360, introduced in 1960, was Mazda's first real car, - a two-door, two-seat coupe. It featured a short 69 inch (1753 mm) wheelbase and weighed just 838 lb (380 kg). It was powered by a rear-mounted air-cooled 356 cc V-twin engine and was capable of speeds of about 52 mph (84 km/h). It had a 4-speed manual or two-speed automatic transmission. The suspension, front and rear, was rubber "springs" and torsion bars. The R360 was replaced in 1961 with the Mazda P360 Carol, the company's first 4-passenger car. It was larger than the Mazda R360, with a 193 cm wheelbase and a total length of 298 cm. It used a rear-mounted water-cooled 358 cc 4-cylinder OHV engine, one of the smallest 4-cylinder automobile engines in history (only Honda's 356 cc DOHC alloy 4-cylinder unit used in the T360 truck, was smaller). A convertible version appeared in 1964; production of the R360 lasted for six years.

Within a few years of introducing the R360, Mazda had captured much of the lightweight (keicar) market in Japan.

Wankel rotary engine

Mazda Cosmo Sport

In the 1960s, Mazda began a major engineering effort to develop the Wankel rotary engine as a way of differentiating itself from other Japanese auto makers. From the first the limited-production Cosmo Sport in 1967 until the present RX-8, Mazda has become the sole manufacturer of Wankel-type engines mainly through attrition (NSU and Citroën both gave up on the design during the 1970s, and prototype efforts by General Motors never made it to production).

Mazda rapidly began to export its vehicles. Both piston-powered and rotary-powered models made their way around the world, but the rotary models quickly became popular for their combination of power and light weight when compared to similarly-powered heavy V6 or V8 piston-engines. The R100 and the famed RX series (RX-2, RX-3, and RX-4) were the company's major exports.

JDM Capella Rotary Coupe 1972 - 1974

In 1970, Mazda formally entered the North American market (as Mazda North American Operations) and was very successful there. The Mazda Rotary Pickup (based on the conventional piston-powered B-Series model) was created solely for North American buyers. To this day, Mazda remains the only automaker to have produced a Wankel-powered pickup truck, a rotary-powered bus (the Mazda Parkway, offered only in Japan) or station wagon (within the RX-3 line).

Mazda's success with rotary engines continued until the onset of the 1973 oil crisis. As American buyers (as well as those in other nations) turned to vehicles with better fuel efficiency, the rotary-powered models began to fall out of favor. The company continued to produce a variety of four-cylinder piston-engine models throughout the 1970s. The smaller Familia line became particularly important to Mazda's worldwide sales after 1973, along with the somewhat larger Capella series.

Mazda RX-7 (first generation)

Not wishing to abandon the rotary engine entirely, Mazda refocused its efforts and used it in sports car designs, starting with the lightweight RX-7 in 1978 and continuing with the modern RX-8. This focus on psorts cars resulted in the development of the lightweight piston-powered Mazda Roadster (perhaps better known by its worldwide names as the MX-5 or Miata), inspired by the concept 'jinba ittai' (人馬一体, rider (jin) and horse (ba) as one (ittai) in battle). Introduced in 1989, the Roadster has been widely credited with reviving the concept of the small sports car after its decline in the late 1970s.

Alliance with Ford

Mazda experienced financial turmoil and decline during the 1970s. In 1979, Ford Motor Company acquired a 27-percent financial stake in Toyo Kogyo. The alliance with Ford led to the divesture of shares by the Matsuda family and the change of Toyo Kogyo into Mazda Motor Corporation in 1984. The Matsuda family still owns a controlling interest in the Hiroshima Toyo Carp.

During the 1980s, Ford acquired an additional 20 percent stake in Mazda. The two companies collaborated on a number of projects, particularly pickup trucks (like the Mazda B-Series, which spawned a Ford Courier variant in North America) and smaller cars. Mazda's Familia platform was used for Ford models like the Laser and Escort, while the Capella architecture found its way into Ford's Telstar sedan and Probe sports models.

The Probe was built in a new Mazda assembly plant in Flat Rock, Michigan along with the mainstream 626 sedan (the North American version of the Capella) and a companion Mazda MX-6 sports coupe. (The plant is now a Ford-Mazda joint venture known as AutoAlliance International.) Ford has also loaned Mazda some of their capacity when needed: the Mazda 121 sold in Europe was, for a time, a variant of the Ford Fiesta built in plants throughout that continent. Mazda has also made an effort in the past to sell some Ford cars in Japan, mainly through its Autorama dealer group.

Mazda also helped Ford develop the 1991 Explorer, which Mazda sold as the 2-door Mazda Navajo from 1991 through 1994. Ironically, Mazda's version was unsuccessful, while the Ford (available from the start as a 4-door or 2-door model) instantly became the best selling sport-utility vehicle in the United States and kept that title for over a decade. Beginning in 1994, Mazda used Ford's Ranger pickup as the basis for its North American-market B-Series trucks.

Mazda Millenia

Pursuing its interest in alternative engine technology, Mazda introduced the first Miller cycle engine for automotive use in the Millenia luxury sedan of 1995. Though the Millenia (and its Miller-type V6 engine) were discontinued in 2002, the company has recently introduced a much smaller Miller-cycle four-cylinder engine for use in their Demio starting in 2008.

Financial turn-around

Further financial difficulties at Mazda during the 1990s (partly due to the 1997 Asian financial crisis) led Ford to increase its stake in Mazda to a 33.9-percent controlling interest on March 31, 1997. In 1997, Henry Wallace was appointed President and became the first foreign-born head of a Japanese car company. Wallace restructured Mazda and established a new strategic direction. The present Mazda logo was adopted; a new product plan was developed to achieve synergies with Ford; and Mazda's digital innovation program was initiated to speed up the development of new products. Mazda took more control of its overseas distributors and rationalized dealerships and manufacturing facilities to reduce costs and increase efficiency. These changes brought Mazda back into profitability. Ford executive Mark Fields, who took over as Mazda's CEO later, has been credited with expanding Mazda's new product lineup and leading the turnaround during the early 2000s. Since 2003, Mazda has had a Japanese-born CEO, Hisakazu Imaki.

Ford's deeper involvement in Mazda's operations resulted in an increasing level of cooperation in engineering and marketing. The two firms now share engine designs from around the world (Ford uses Mazda's four-cylinder designs in large numbers, while Mazda has replaced its own V6 engine lines with designs from Ford) and have made several combined efforts in platform engineering, starting with the Ford Escape and Mazda Tribute models, sold in many parts of the world. The most recent Ford Focus also shares a platform with both the Mazda Axela and the Volvo S40.


Massage from the president

Mazda has been creating products and services that delight our customers since its establishment in 1920. During our history, we have worked tirelessly at developing the rotary engine, eventually managing to successfully commercialize it. And now, building on that technology in the name of environmental friendliness, we have developed a hydrogen rotary engine and have become the first company in the world to begin commercial leasing of a car that can run on hydrogen fuel. This demonstrates how Mazda is always willing to embrace new and worthwhile technologies. We believe that Mazda is about more than delighting and exciting our customers with our products and services. As a responsible corporate citizen, Mazda also strives to fulfill our social responsibilities and contribute to the development of the world through all of our corporate activities. While working hard to develop our infrastructure and organization, we believe that the quality of our corporate activities depends on the quality of our employees. Based on the motto, “Developing the people that make the products,” we are actively engaged in human resource development. We believe that by viewing our skilled workforce as essential assets we can continue our activities into the future as a corporation trusted and cherished throughout the world. I appreciate your continuing encouragement and support for us http://www.mazda.com/profile/vision/

Brand names

Mazda once used a number of different marques (brand names) in the Japanese (and occasionally Australian) market, including Autozam, Eunos, and Efini, which have since been phased out. This diversification put too much stress on the product development groups at Mazda; instead of having a half-dozen variations on any given platform, they had to work on dozens of different models and consumers were confused by the large number of similar new models. Today, the former brand names exist in Japan as sales channels (specialized dealerships) but no longer have specialized branded vehicles. For example, 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.

File:Amati.jpg
Amati logo

In early 1992 Mazda planned to release a luxury brand, Amati, to challenge Acura, Infiniti, and Lexus in North America. The initial Amati range would have included the Amati 500 (which became the Eunos 800 in Japan and Australia, Mazda Millenia in the US, and Mazda Xedos 9 in Europe) and the Amati 1000 (a rear-wheel drive V12 successor to the Mazda 929). The Amati brand was eventually scrapped before any cars hit the market.

In Europe, the Xedos name was also associated with the Mazda Xedos 6; the two models were in production from 1992 until 1997. The Xedos line was marketed under the Mazda brand, and used the Mazda badge from the corresponding years.

Emblems

1962–1975 1975–1991 1991–1992 1992–1997 1997–present
Symbol 1962 "M" Technical Mazda script Diamond flame Rounded flame Flying "M"
Corporate mark Technical Mazda script
Symbol and corporate logo 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 until the 1980s, but later 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 1997; it is a stylized "M" meant to show Mazda stretching its wings for the future.

Alternative Propulsion and Bio-Car

Mazda has conducted research in hydrogen-powered vehicles for several decades. As a major step in this effort, the company plans to release a hydrogen-fueled hybrid car in 2008, the Premacy Hydrogen RE compact minivan. The prototype has so far proven capable of traveling up to 200 kilometers (120 miles).[7]

Mazda is developing a rival to the plug-in hybrid Chevrolet Volt; Mazda tests are sufficiently advanced that Mazda has a working prototype in a Mazda 5 MPV bodyshell The first stop-start Mazda will go on sale in Japan next year and the system is expected to be implemented globally on a variety of models [8].

Mazda plans to introduce bioplastic internal consoles and bio-fabric seats made from plant materials in in its Mazda5 model in 2008. Up to 30% of the interior parts in the Mazda5 will be made of bio-material components [9].

Auto racing

Mazda has experienced substantial success in automobile racing with both its signature Wankel-engine cars (in two-rotor, three-rotor, and four-rotor forms) and its piston-engine models. Mazda vehicles and engines compete in a wide variety of disciplines and series around the world.

International competition

Mazda's competition debut was on October 20, 1968 when two Mazda Cosmo Sport 110S coupes entered the 84 hour Marathon de la Route ultra-endurance race at the 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 these finished, taking 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.

The Mazda RX-7 has won more IMSA races in its class than any other model of automobile, with its 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 RX-7 won the IMSA Grand Touring Under Two Liter (GTU) championship each year from 1980 through 1987, inclusive.

The Mazda 787B, winner of the 1991 24 Hours of Le Mans race.

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. The 787B remains the only car with a non-piston-engine ever to win at Le Mans, and Mazda is still the only team from outside Western Europe or the United States to have won at Le Mans. After the 1991 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.

The Le Mans win in 1991 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 Le Mans (with the exception of Honda, who has entered only three cars in only one year), with 67% of its entries finishing the race. In 2006, the Mazda’s Courage C65 LMP2 car finished in 3rd place at the American Le Mans Series 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 have been banned for some time 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.

Spec series

New carbon fiber car

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. Formula Mazda has its own class in SCCA club racing, and there is a professional series (officially the "Star Mazda Championship Presented by Goodyear") in North America that often runs as a support race for the American Le Mans Series. The cars are very popular; seeing a field of 40 or more cars at a race is quite common. Many drivers aspiring to the top classes of racing use the pro series to hone and demonstrate their talent. In terms of both cost and performance, Formula Mazda lies between Formula Ford and Formula Atlantic. A full season in the Pro series cost around $200,000 - $300,000 in 2005.


Spec Miata has become one of the most popular and most affordable road racing classes in North America. The Spec Miata (SM) class is intended to provide the opportunity to compete in low cost, production-based cars with limited modifications, suitable for racing competition. The rules are intentionally designed to be more open than the Showroom Stock class but more restricted than the Improved Touring class.

Sponsorships

Mazda is a major sponsor to several professional sports teams, including:

  • Hometown teams:
    • Hiroshima Toyo Carp (Nippon Professional Baseball): The "Toyo" part of the team's name is in honor of Mazda's part-ownership of the team since 1968 (when Mazda was still known as Toyo Kogyo). The Matsuda family, descended from the founder of Mazda, holds the majority share in team ownership.
    • Sanfrecce Hiroshima (J. League): Originally known as Toyo Kogyo Soccer Club and founded in 1938, it was owned directly by Mazda until 1992 when Mazda reduced its share to professionalize the club for the new J. League.
  • Teams abroad:
    • Fremantle Football Club (Australian Football League)
    • North Melbourne Football Club (Australian Football League)

The company also sponsors various marathon and relay race events in Japan, such as the Hiroshima International Peace Marathon and the Hiroshima Prefectural Ekiden Race, along with numerous other sporting and charity endeavors in Hiroshima and Hofu.[10].

Mazda also maintains sponsorship of the Laguna Seca racing course in California, using it for its own automotive testing purposes as well as for the numerous racing events (including several Mazda-specific series) that it hosts.[11].

Marketing

Since 2000, Mazda has used the phrase "Zoom-Zoom" to describe what it calls the "emotion of motion" that it claims is inherent in its cars.[12] Successful in North America, the Zoom-Zoom campaign is now used around the world. [13]. </ref>

Environmental and community record

Mazda has a documented commitment to conserving resources and protecting the environment. Since 1990 it has reduced waste material going into landfills in its production facilities by 55 percent, and its overall recycling rate topped 91 percent in 1996. Over 75% of Mazda plastic parts can be recycled. All gaskets and brake-pads are asbestos-free, and no ozone-damaging CFCs are used in polyurethane products such as the foam padding in seats, armrests and steering wheels. Many Mazda plants including all its operations in Japan, and AAT, a joint venture with Ford in Thailand, have passed the stringent ISO 14001 test, commonly known as the environmental ISO. [14] The Mazda Foundation contributes financial support to a number of charities that help to maintain a clean environment, preserve historic landmarks, foster youth literacy, enhance cross-cultural understanding and conduct medical research to find a cure for juvenile diabetes.[15]

Notes

  1. Share Data, Stock Information, Investor Relations, MAZDA Company Profile
  2. FY2007 Consolidated Financial Results, Mazda Motor Corporation
  3. MAZDA: Mazda Production and Sales Results for December 2007 and for January through December 2007 (Flash Report) | Production and Sales Results Retrieved November 13, 2008.
  4. Message from the President Retrieved November 13, 2008.
  5. All about Mazda Retrieved November 13, 2008.
  6. 6.0 6.1 Mazda MX-5 by Jack Nerad for Driving Today. Driving Today. Retrieved November 12, 2008.
  7. Bloomberg.com Bloomberg.com: Japan Nissan, Honda Seek Edge With Low-Emission Cars at Tokyo Show Alan Ohnsman (October 26, 2008). Retrieved November 12, 2008.
  8. [1] Autocar (august 8, 2008) Retrieved November 12, 2008.
  9. [2] Bioplastics24.com Retrieved November 12, 2008.
  10. Mazda Social Contribution Initiatives Retrieved November 12, 2008.
  11. Current Sponsors Retrieved November 12, 2008.
  12. Ford Motor Company - Featured Story - Mazda Challenges Consumers in Zoom-Zoom Contest Brad Nevin, Ford Communications Network. Retrieved November 12, 2008.
  13. MAZDA:What's Zoom Zoom ? Mazda.com Retrieved November 12, 2008.
  14. Our Commitment Counts Mazda.com. Retrieved November 13, 2008.
  15. Programs Mazda Foundation. Retrieved November 13, 2008.

References
ISBN links support NWE through referral fees

  • Brinkley, Douglas. Wheels for the world: Henry Ford, his company, and a century of progress, 1903-2003. New York: Viking. 2003. ISBN 9780670031818
  • Fucini, Joseph J., and Suzy Fucini. Working for the Japanese: inside Mazda's American auto plant. New York: Free Press. 1990. ISBN 9780029109311
  • "Japan: Mazda Roars Back". 2004. BUSINESS WEEK -NEW YORK- INTERNATIONAL EDITION THEN EUROPEAN EDITION-. (3871): 32-32.
  • Yamaguchi, Jack K., and Ron Wakefield. RX-7: the new Mazda RX-7 and Mazda rotary engine sports cars. New York: St. Martin's Press. 1985. ISBN 9780312694562

External links

http://www.mazda.com/profile/history/2007.html

Template:Mazda Template:Mazda sportscar racers

Jujiro_Matsuda&oldid=239680727 Mazda_Mazdago&oldid=226529131 Mazda_R360&action=history Mazda_Carol&oldid=246978859 Mazda_RX-2&oldid=237448942 Courage_Comp%C3%A9tition&oldid=247197441 Formula_Mazda&oldid=228314035


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