100 YEARS OF MAZDA

We celebrate the Japanese automaker’s centenary by zooming in on the higlights of the last 100 years

1920

START YOUR MACHINES On 30 January, Toyo Cork Kogyo Co. Ltd is established in Hiroshima and switches from cork products to machine construction. Seven years later, “cork” is dropped from the name.

1931

MAZDA IS A GO!

The Mazda moniker makes its debut on the rm’s rst vehicle: a three-wheeler dubbed Mazda-go. Toyo Kogyo does, however, remain the company name.

1940

WW2 SETBACK

Now with an updated “M” logo featuring extended wings to represent Mazda’s agility, the automaker unveils a prototype of its

rst passenger car. Unfortunately, World War Two halts production.

1960

4-STROKE FIRST

The lightweight Mazda R360 Coupé is launched as the rst of its kind with a four-stroke aluminium engine. The kei car weighs just 380 kg and boasts a fuel consumption gure of

3,1 L/100 km.

1961

WANKEL WONDER

Mazda signs a licensing deal with German rm NSU to develop and produce its new compact and lightweight Wankel rotary engines.

1963

KONNICHIWA, SOUTH AFRICA

The Mazda brand is introduced to South Africa, which soon becomes the Japanese automaker’s highest volume market on the continent.

1967

ROTARY REVOLUTION Cosmo Sport 110S revealed as the world’s rst production car sporting a rotary engine. Producing 81 kw, the two-rotor unit propels the Mazda from 0-100 km/h in 8,7 seconds, before topping out at 185 km/h. 1974

JOINT FORCES

Mazda enters a partnership with Ford Motor Company. Four decades later, in 2015, the companies go their separate ways.

1978

MILLIONTH MILESTONE The millionth rotary-engine Mazda rolls off the assembly line in the shape of the Savannah RX-7. More than 500 000 units are sold, making it the most successful rotary-powered car ever.

1984

SAY HELLO TO MMC

Six decades after Toyo Cork Kogyo Co. Ltd was established, the company of cially changes its name to Mazda Motor Corporation.

1989

LIGHTWEIGHT LEGEND The Mazda MX-5 is launched. The roadster features a front-engine, rearwheel-drive layout. More than one million have been sold. Mazda attributes the open-top’s success to its development concept jinba ittai, which means “rider and horse as one”.

1991

MAZDA TAKES LE MANS The Japanese rm becomes the rst Asian manufacturer to win the 24 Hours of Le Mans. The four-rotor Mazda 787B is the only car of its kind to claim victory at the endurance race.

1991

CULT CLASSIC

The third-gen Mazda RX-7 is unveiled. The two-rotor sportscar quickly gains a cult following, appearing in the Gran Turismo videogame and the Fast and Furious

movie franchise.

1992

MAKING WAVES

The Mazda 626 GLX makes its debut sporting the world’s

rst 2,0-litre pressure-wave supercharger. The Comprex diesel engine combines high torque and performance with low emissions.

2002

ZOOM-ZOOM

Mazda launches its “Zoomzoom” campaign, the rm’s largest model offensive in history, launching myriad new models such as the Mazda6, Mazda3, CX-7 SUV and RX-8, the world’s only modern-day sportscar with a rotary engine.

2003

HYDROGEN(ERATION) The RX-8 Hydrogen RE becomes the rst commercially available car employing hydrogen tech. The setup comprises a dual-fuel system enabling the powertrain to run on either petrol or hydrogen.

2003

PERFORMANCE PROTÉGÉ Mazdaspeed launches its

rst production vehicle, the Protegé. The hot sedan is equipped with a 2,0-litre turbocharged four-pot, good for 127 kw and 210 N.m, and ventilated discs allround. Top speed is rated at 210 km/h and 0-100 km/h in 6,9 seconds.

2012

SOUL OF MOTION

The brand debuts its Kodo design language on the CX-5 SUV. Inspired by the power and beauty of the natural movement of animals, the design expresses the primal, intensive joy of movement.

2019

GENERATION X Skyactiv-x, the Japanese automaker’s new petrol engine – combining the advantages of petrol and diesel combustion – is revealed.

2020

RETURN OF THE ROTARY Powered by a 35,5 kwh battery, Mazda’s rst EV, the MX-30, boasts a range of 200 km. However, this

gure is boosted when the electrical system is linked to a rotary engine serving as a range extender. The latter setup will feature on a second model.