Mazda

Japan, 1960 to date

Tokyo Kogyo Co Ltd., Hiroshima

Originally concerned with cork products, the Mazda company expanded into machine building and started manufacturing a range of 3-wheel trucks in 1931. A prototype saloon Mazda car was built in 1940, but it was not until 1960 that Mazda cars went into production with the Mazda R-360 coupé, available with manual or automatic gearbox. The Carol series of sedans and station wagon Mazda cars was added in 1962 and in 1964 the first of the Mazda Familia line was announced. The Mazda 360 coupé for sale was powered by a V-twin engine of 356cc, had independent suspension and a 4-speed transmission. Maximum speed of this Mazda car was 65mph. The Mazda Carol 360 was a 2-door saloon with a 20hp, 4-cylinder, air-cooled engine mounted transversely at the rear, and a fuel consumption of 53mpg. The Carol 600 sedan was a 4-door Mazda car with 28hp and a 65mph top speed.

The Mazda Familia series had front-mounted, water-cooled, 4-cylinder 42hp engines and this Mazda car was built in a variety of body styles. A unitized chassis was featured on the Mazda 800 De Luxe sedan. Transmission was 4-speed synchromesh and the Mazda car seated five passengers. The largest model in the Mazda car range at that time was the Mazda Luce 1500 1½-litre 4-door saloon. During 1967 the Mazda car firm put into production their twin Wankel rotary engine sports coupé; capable of 120mph, this Mazda car sold in England for £2.607. Four hundred of these Mazda cars had been built by the end of 1968, when two new rotary coupés were announced, the Mazda RX85 and Mazda RX87. The former Mazda car evolved into a 100bhp derivative of the Familia; the latter, which Mazda car was styled by Bertone, featured front wheel drive and front suspension by rubber in torsion, and had reached the market by 1971 as the Mazda R130. Conventional 1968 Mazda cars had 987cc push-rod or 1.490cc ohc 4-cylinder engines, coil-and-wishbone independent front suspension, and semi-elliptic rear springs. The last of the Maza Minicars, the 360cc Carol 4-door saloon survived into 1971, later ones with water-cooling.

By 1969 the two regular Mazda car models had grown up into the 73bhp Familia 1200 and the 1.796cc 1800 with front disc brakes. The 1971 Mazda Familias acquired ohc and capacity options were 985cc and 1.272cc, both with five main bearings. New to the range of Mazda cars was an intermediate saloon, the Mazda Capella, available as the 92bhp 1500 or the 100bhp 1600. Familia, Capella and 1800 Maza car models were continued into 1972, along with the R100, R130 and Cosmo Wankel-powered coupés, this last with five forward speeds. In addition both Familia and Capella saloon Mazda cars were available with twin-roto Wankel units; the latter used a 1.146cc version developing 120bhp and 7.000rpm, as well as coil-spring rear suspension. New Mazda car for 1973 were an improved 1300, the 81bhp 818 with redesigned styling, and the high-performance Mazda RX3 powered by a 982cc 2-rotor Wankel unit rated at 110bhp. Saloon, coupé and station-wagon versions of this Mazda car were listed for sale. 

Source: Georgano, encyclopedia of motorcar; BE

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