The History of Mazda Cars and Some Facts

SURREY, British Columbia - May 15, 2013 - PRLog -- History

Mazda was founded in Hiroshima, Japan, by Jujiro Matsuda in 1920. Matsuda owned the Tokyo Cork Kogyo, Ltd., company, which manufactured corks. The company produced its first motor vehicle using company-made tools and equipment, and by 1931, a test run of 30 3-wheel trucks was made. The truck was named the Mazda-Go-a, and Matsuda officially changed the name of his company to Mazda in 1934. It wasn't until 1970 that Mazda began exporting vehicles to the United States. Mazda has since become one of the leading brands in the consumer automobile industry in the United States and abroad.

Time Frame

After the official launch of the Mazda company in 1934, the company began producing small, 8-wheeled trucks that carried the first Mazda logo. By 1940, the company had built a small sedan. Even though an atom bomb was dropped on Hiroshima and destroyed half of the factory, the company managed to rebuild itself and reignited car production by 1959.

Mazda introduced the R360 coupe in 1960, and the B-series 1500, its first compact pickup truck, in 1961. Reconstruction of the Hiroshima plant was complete in 1966, and the company began to export a lineup of cars to the European market just two years later.

By 1970, the company entered the United States market, where it introduced a line of high-performance and luxury vehicles. Mazda's introduction of the Cosmo in 1976 captured a large portion of the market with its luxury design and competitive price. Mazda was then forced to partner with Ford Motor Company in the 1970s in order to survive the American oil crisis.

The 1980s were the years of Mazda's rebirth as demand for its 323 and 626 soared in the U.S. market. In 1990, the Mazda MX-5 Miata helped to strengthen the brand even further.

Today, Mazda continues to be one of the most recognized and most popular import car brands in the American automobile industry.