Author Topic: History of Mazda (Read 5316 times)

Silent Lucidity · « **on:** December 11, 2006, 11:56:52 pm »

From classics and concepts to technological innovations, Mazda has an impressive history as a leader in the automotive industry. From the introduction of the rotary engine, to producing the most-popular roadster to date, the Mazda Museum showcases the boldest examples of quality craftsmanship and fun-to-drive vehicles. So whether you drove one then, or own one now, or have just always loved the Mazda line-up, take a look around and enjoy. You’ll understand why everything Mazda does always comes back to Zoom-Zoom

http://www.mazdausa.com/MusaWeb/displayPage.action?pageParameter=mazdaMuseumMain

Cool little website with lots of pics of older mazda cars. Mazda also started off making corks 11 years before it started making cars.

Arthur Dent · « **Reply #1 on:** December 12, 2006, 12:23:47 am »

For me Mazda is definitely the most interesting Japanese maker. Lots of neat cars over the years. I'd still love a Rx-3 wagon or a REPU truck.

boytoys · « **Reply #2 on:** December 12, 2006, 04:28:54 am »

The website doesn't cover all cars...didn't even have one of my ride back in the 80's

Guess what it is..

initial_D · « **Reply #3 on:** December 12, 2006, 09:45:14 am »

We love Mazda cars ... 4 Mazda made cars owned between now and then ...

initial_D · « **Reply #4 on:** December 12, 2006, 09:46:14 am »

Quote from: boytoys on December 12, 2006, 04:28:54 am

The website doesn't cover all cars...didn't even have one of my ride back in the 80's

Guess what it is..

Well ... 60ish? Mazda Carol?

Not very sure.

tenpenny · « **Reply #5 on:** December 12, 2006, 09:52:19 am »

Quote from: Arthur Dent on December 12, 2006, 12:23:47 am

For me Mazda is definitely the most interesting Japanese maker. Lots of neat cars over the years. I'd still love a Rx-3 wagon or a REPU truck.

My brother had a gold 808, followed by a first year RX7, followed by a B2000, followed by a miata (which he still has) joined by a protege....In their 70s, my parents had a couple of 323s, my sister had a 323 turbo, another brother had a protege with 250,000 km on it...

But I agree, I'd like to have a REPU. Just for its oddness.

Scaerio · « **Reply #6 on:** December 12, 2006, 10:21:12 am »

boystoys car was a Mazda Luce, which was available with a 1500 or 1800 engine.

sirAQUAMAN64 · « **Reply #7 on:** December 12, 2006, 11:02:35 am »

Boystoys, why didn't you pose as well as her for us?

Arthur Dent · « **Reply #8 on:** December 12, 2006, 11:13:32 am »

Quote from: tenpenny on December 12, 2006, 09:52:19 am

Quote from: Arthur Dent on December 12, 2006, 12:23:47 am
For me Mazda is definitely the most interesting Japanese maker. Lots of neat cars over the years. I'd still love a Rx-3 wagon or a REPU truck.

My brother had a gold 808, followed by a first year RX7, followed by a B2000, followed by a miata (which he still has) joined by a protege....In their 70s, my parents had a couple of 323s, my sister had a 323 turbo, another brother had a protege with 250,000 km on it...

But I agree, I'd like to have a REPU. Just for its oddness.

There is an early 808 wagon in the local bargin finder calling my name - would make a cool car to convert to Rx-3 specs. Alas no garage room right now.

My 81 Rx-7 and 86 B2000 were bullet proof.

ktm525 · « **Reply #9 on:** December 12, 2006, 11:46:34 am »

Mazda makes(made) some great driver's cars. Perhaps the best Japanese manufacturer from this standpoint. I just don't think they make a lot of money. Is Mazda run by car guys?

AdvanTech · « **Reply #10 on:** December 12, 2006, 12:09:48 pm »

Nice find!

Giant Dwarf · « **Reply #11 on:** December 12, 2006, 12:15:56 pm »

Quote from: Scaerio on December 12, 2006, 10:21:12 am

boystoys car was a Mazda Luce, which was available with a 1500 or 1800 engine.

Kind of looks like a similar-vintage Jag XJ but smaller. Neat machine.

I agree with others here about Mazda's engineers seemingly being 'car nuts' too. What other company of that size has 4 genuine sporting machines for less than $40k Cdn? (MX5, MS3, MS6, RX8)

initial_D · « **Reply #12 on:** December 12, 2006, 12:22:50 pm »

... and CX-7!

also under $40,000.

Iso Octane · « **Reply #13 on:** December 12, 2006, 01:41:00 pm »

Mazda certainly has sporty advertising. Zoom zoom, "soul of a sports car", and whatnot.

However... IMO... when it comes to really engineering a hint of sport in everything they make, Honda has them beat.

No really. The Civics and Preludes and Integras and S2000s speak for themselves. The surprise is in the CRVs and Odysseys and Accords. Mundane vehicles yes. But the CRV and Odysseys have precise and great feeling steering. They've got nice firm brakes. They got nicely weighted responsive throttles. The Accords have the same nice steering, and huge expansive windsheild with a shoulder line that falls away from the driver leading to great visibility for corner carving. It also makes the car feel smaller. Having driven a Camry, Altima, even Mazda 6, back to back with our 2000 Accord, it was the Accord that was the sportiest and most fun to drive. Then there are the nice revving engines available across the lineup.

Seriously. Honda is what Mazda claims to be.

UmroAyyar · « **Reply #14 on:** December 12, 2006, 01:58:57 pm »

Mattesa, This was a Mazda party.

dorin · « **Reply #15 on:** December 12, 2006, 02:05:19 pm »

Quote from: Mattesa on December 12, 2006, 01:41:00 pm

Mazda certainly has sporty advertising. Zoom zoom, "soul of a sports car", and whatnot.

However... IMO... when it comes to really engineering a hint of sport in everything they make, Honda has them beat. No really. The Civics and Preludes and Integras and S2000s speak for themselves. The surprise is in the CRVs and Odysseys and Accords. Mundane vehicles yes. But the CRV and Odysseys have precise and great feeling steering. They've got nice firm brakes. They got nicely weighted responsive throttles. The Accords have the same nice steering, and huge expansive windsheild with a shoulder line that falls away from the driver leading to great visibility for corner carving. It also makes the car feel smaller. Having driven a Camry, Altima, even Mazda 6, back to back with our 2000 Accord, it was the Accord that was the sportiest and most fun to drive. Then there are the nice revving engines available across the lineup.

Seriously. Honda is what Mazda claims to be.

Interesting point of view, but Preludes and Integras are long dead. Even then, the Prelude was rather big and rather soft in stock guise. Also have you driven the new Civic? They've taken all the sport out of it, especially compared to the Mazda3. Now, I haven't driven a current Accord and I agree that the Mazda6 is not my idea of sporty, but I'm by no means convinced that the current Accord hasn't also been softened up over the years.

IMO Honda from the 90s is what Mazda is today.

Scaerio · « **Reply #16 on:** December 12, 2006, 02:13:19 pm »

Quote from: Giant Dwarf on December 12, 2006, 12:15:56 pm

Quote from: Scaerio on December 12, 2006, 10:21:12 am
boystoys car was a Mazda Luce, which was available with a 1500 or 1800 engine.

Kind of looks like a similar-vintage Jag XJ but smaller. Neat machine.

If you look at this and think about BMW 2000s, 1800s, Bavarias, and 2002s, you should see a clear resemblence. Italian designer Michelotti did work for both Mazda and BMW, IIRC. Notice the "Hoffmeister Kick?"

Giant Dwarf · « **Reply #17 on:** December 12, 2006, 02:49:09 pm »

Quote from: dorin on December 12, 2006, 02:05:19 pm

Quote from: Mattesa on December 12, 2006, 01:41:00 pm
Mazda certainly has sporty advertising. Zoom zoom, "soul of a sports car", and whatnot.

However... IMO... when it comes to really engineering a hint of sport in everything they make, Honda has them beat. No really. The Civics and Preludes and Integras and S2000s speak for themselves. The surprise is in the CRVs and Odysseys and Accords. Mundane vehicles yes. But the CRV and Odysseys have precise and great feeling steering. They've got nice firm brakes. They got nicely weighted responsive throttles. The Accords have the same nice steering, and huge expansive windsheild with a shoulder line that falls away from the driver leading to great visibility for corner carving. It also makes the car feel smaller. Having driven a Camry, Altima, even Mazda 6, back to back with our 2000 Accord, it was the Accord that was the sportiest and most fun to drive. Then there are the nice revving engines available across the lineup.

Seriously. Honda is what Mazda claims to be.

Interesting point of view, but Preludes and Integras are long dead. Even then, the Prelude was rather big and rather soft in stock guise. Also have you driven the new Civic? They've taken all the sport out of it, especially compared to the Mazda3. Now, I haven't driven a current Accord and I agree that the Mazda6 is not my idea of sporty, but I'm by no means convinced that the current Accord hasn't also been softened up over the years.

IMO Honda from the 90s is what Mazda is today.

You beat me to it Dorin. I was thinking the same thing. Look at Mazda's SUV and even their latest 'microvan' (mazda5) with a stickshift! That's a company that knows how to provide sporty-goodness to everything they make. Rebadged Ford trucks need not apply.

The previous gen Civics (like my wife's) sure don't have the sporty feel of my older Civic, nor of even a Protege (let alone a Mazda3).

dave · « **Reply #18 on:** December 12, 2006, 03:01:09 pm »

Interesting point of view, but Preludes and Integras are long dead. Even then, the Prelude was rather big and rather soft in stock guise. Also have you driven the new Civic? They've taken all the sport out of it, especially compared to the Mazda3. Now, I haven't driven a current Accord and I agree that the Mazda6 is not my idea of sporty, but I'm by no means convinced that the current Accord hasn't also been softened up over the years.

IMO Honda from the 90s is what Mazda is today.
[/quote]

They've taken all the sport out of the Civic? I guess you haven't heard of the Si? The Integra only died last year as the RSX...I don't consider that "long dead". I drove both the Civic and the Mazda 3 hatch when shopping for my wife's car (we ended up with a Jetta). I found the Civic to be tighter and a little more responsive than the Mazda which felt a little pudgy in comparison.

With that said, Mazda is definitely making some fantastic, sporty cars these days.

Mitlov · « **Reply #19 on:** December 12, 2006, 03:10:15 pm »

The current Civic Si is, by all accounts, one of the sportiest-handling FWD cars on the market today. The Mini Cooper may be more agile, but that's it as far as I know. Sure, the Si completely lacks torque (especially compared to the firebreathing Mazdaspeed3), but it's rev-happy engine, light weight, and razor-sharp handling make it sportier than any version of the Mazda3, in my mind. The MS3 is awesome, of course, but I don't see it as quite as narrowly focused on pure sport as the Si is.

Also, in terms of Honda's sportiness, what about the S2000? By all accounts, it's sharper than the MX-5, though less well-rounded. [edit: I just remembered that the price gap between a well-equipped MX-5 and the S2000 is much larger in Canada than the States, so this might not be a fair comparison).

I agree, though, that in some areas, Mazda is sportier. The CX-7 is far, far sportier than a CR-V (and comparisons to the RDX aren't fair because of the huge price gap). The Mazdaspeed6 versus the Accord V6 6MT? No contest, the Mazda is worlds sportier.