Mazda facts for kids
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Headquarters in Fuchū, Japan (2020)
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Native name
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マツダ株式会社
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Romanized name
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Matsuda Kabushiki Gaisha |
| Public (K.K.) | |
| Traded as | TYO: 7261 |
| Industry | Automotive |
| Founded | January 30, 1920 |
| Founder | Jujiro Matsuda |
| Headquarters | 3-1 Shinchi, Fuchū, Hiroshima, Japan |
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Area served
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Worldwide |
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Key people
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| Products | Motor vehicles, engines (1,135 thousand units, FY 2023) |
| Revenue |  ¥3.8 trillion (FY 2023) |
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Operating income
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¥142 billion (FY 2023) |
| ¥143 billion (FY 2023) |
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| Owners |
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Number of employees
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48,750 (2022) |
Mazda Motor Corporation, often just called Mazda, is a big Japanese company that makes cars. Its main office is in Fuchū, Hiroshima, Japan.
The company started on January 30, 1920. It was first called Toyo Cork Kogyo Co., Ltd., and it made cork. Jujiro Matsuda was the founder. In 1927, the name changed to Toyo Kogyo Co., Ltd. They started making vehicles in 1931. The name Mazda comes from Ahura Mazda, a god of harmony and wisdom in an old religion called Zoroastrianism. It also comes from the founder's last name, Matsuda.
Mazda is one of the biggest car makers in Japan and the world. In 2015, they made 1.5 million cars for sale around the globe. Nearly one million of these cars were made in Japan. Mazda is known for cool technologies like the Wankel engine, SkyActiv platform, and Kodo Design. They also have a long history in car racing. They won the famous 24 Hours of Le Mans race in 1991 with their special rotary-powered Mazda 787B car. Mazda works with other car companies like Toyota and Ford.
Contents
History of Mazda
How Mazda Started
Mazda began as a company called Toyo Cork Kogyo Co., Ltd. It was a factory that made cork in Hiroshima, Japan, starting on January 30, 1920. In 1927, Toyo Cork Kogyo changed its name to Toyo Kogyo Co., Ltd. In the late 1920s, the company had money problems. The Hiroshima Saving Bank and other business leaders helped save it.
In 1931, Toyo Kogyo started making vehicles instead of machine tools. Their first vehicle was the Mazda-Go, a three-wheeled truck. The name Mazda was first used for these trucks. The company chose the name because it sounded like "Ahura Mazda," a god of wisdom. It also sounded like the founder's name, Jujiro Matsuda.
During World War II, Toyo Kogyo made weapons for the Japanese military. They made Type 99 rifles. The company officially became Mazda in 1984, but all their cars had been called Mazda since the beginning. The Mazda R360 came out in 1960, and the Mazda Carol in 1962. These cars were sold at special dealerships called "Mazda Auto Store."
The Wankel Engine
In the 1960s, Mazda decided to focus on developing the Wankel engine, also known as a rotary engine. This was a way for them to be different from other Japanese car companies. They worked with a German company called NSU. Mazda started with the Cosmo Sport in 1967.
Mazda became the only car maker to keep using Wankel engines for cars. Other companies like NSU and Citroën stopped using them in the 1970s. This special engine helped Mazda become well-known. Mazda quickly started selling its cars around the world. Both cars with regular engines and rotary engines became popular. Rotary cars were liked because they had good power but were light.
In 1970, Mazda officially entered the American market. They were very successful there. They even made a special Mazda Rotary Pickup truck just for North America. Mazda is still the only car maker to have made a Wankel-powered pickup truck. They also made a rotary-powered bus and station wagon for some markets.
However, when the 1973 oil crisis happened, people wanted cars that used less fuel. Rotary engines used more fuel, so they became less popular. Mazda faced big financial problems in 1975. A group of companies called Sumitomo helped save Mazda from going bankrupt. Mazda then focused on making the rotary engine a choice for sports cars.
They launched the lightweight Mazda RX-7 in 1978. Mazda has continued to use this unique engine in cars like the modern Mazda RX-8. This focus also led to another lightweight sports car, the Mazda MX-5 Miata. This car came out in 1989 and helped bring back the idea of small sports cars.
Working with Ford
From 1974 to 2015, Mazda had a partnership with the Ford Motor Company. Ford bought a part of Mazda in 1979 and owned a big share (33.4%) by 1995. Over time, Ford sold its shares in Mazda. By 2015, they had almost no shares left and ended most of their joint projects.
This partnership started because Mazda had money problems in the 1960s. Ford and Mazda worked together on many projects. For example, Mazda's Mazda B-Series trucks were sold as Ford Courier trucks in North America. Mazda also supplied parts to Ford. Mazda's car platforms were used for Ford models like the Ford Laser and Ford Escort.
In the 1980s, Ford-branded Mazda cars replaced many of Ford's own European models in places like Asia. In some countries, like New Zealand, these cars were built in the same factories as their Mazda versions.
Mazda also helped Ford develop the 1991 Ford Explorer. Mazda sold its own version called the Mazda Navajo. However, the Navajo was not as successful as the Ford Explorer. Mazda also used Ford's Ford Ranger truck as the base for its own B-Series trucks in North America.
In the 1990s, Mazda faced more money problems. Ford increased its ownership to 33.4% in 1996. Ford appointed Henry Wallace as president, who was the first non-Japanese CEO of a Japanese car company. He helped Mazda become profitable again.
After Ford's Ownership
During the world financial crisis in 2008, Ford decided to sell some of its shares in Mazda. Ford sold a 20% stake, reducing its ownership to 13.4%. This meant Ford no longer controlled Mazda. Mazda bought back some of its shares. In 2010, Ford reduced its stake even more to 3%. Ford and Mazda still worked together on some projects.
By 2015, Ford sold all its remaining shares in Mazda.
In 2011, Mazda raised a lot of money by selling shares. They used some of this money to build a car factory in Salamanca, Mexico. This factory was built with another company called Sumitomo Corporation.
In 2015, Mazda and Toyota agreed to work together. Mazda would give Toyota its fuel-efficient SkyActiv engine technology. In return, Toyota would share its hydrogen fuel cell systems with Mazda.
Mazda Brands
In the 1990s, Mazda tried using different brand names in Japan. These included Autozam, Eunos, and ɛ̃fini. Other Japanese car makers like Toyota and Nissan had many different dealerships. Mazda wanted to do something similar.
One unique brand was M2. It was used for special versions of the Eunos Roadster. M2 even had its own cool office, but it closed down quickly.
In 1992, Mazda planned a luxury brand called Amati for North America. It was meant to compete with brands like Acura and Lexus. The Amati brand was canceled before any cars were sold.
This idea of having many different brands made it hard for Mazda's product teams. It also confused customers. This experiment ended in the mid-1990s because of money problems in Japan.
Mazda Leaders
Mazda has always been led by a President and CEO. Here are some of the people who have led the company:
- Jujiro Matsuda (1920–1951)
- Tsuneji Matsuda (1952–1970)
- Kouhei Matsuda (1970–1977)
- Yoshiki Yamasaki (1977–1984)
- Kenichi Yamamoto (1984–1987)
- Masanori Furuta (1987–1991)
- Yoshihiro Wada (1991–1996)
- Henry Wallace (1996–1997); He was the first non-Japanese CEO of a Japanese car company.
- James E. Miller (1997–1999)
- Mark Fields (1999–2002)
- Lewis Booth (2002–2003)
- Hisakazu Imaki (2003–2008)
- Takashi Yamanouchi (2008–2013)
- Masamichi Kogai (2013–2018)
- Akira Marumoto (2018–2023)
- Masahiro Moro (since June 2023)
Mazda's Markets
As of January 2022, the United States is Mazda's biggest market. China and Japan are the next biggest markets. In 2022, Mazda decided to sell its assets in Russia. They transferred their share in a joint company to Sollers JSC for a very small amount of money.
Environmental Efforts
Mazda has been researching cars that run on hydrogen for many years. They developed a hybrid minivan called the Mazda Premacy Hydrogen RE Hybrid. This car uses a special rotary engine that can run on either hydrogen or gasoline.
In 2010, Toyota and Mazda agreed to share hybrid technology. Mazda would get technology from Toyota's Prius car.
Bio-Car Materials
Mazda is also using "biomaterials" in its cars. These are materials like plastics and fabrics made from corn starch. This helps them be more friendly to the environment. Mazda showed these new materials in its Mazda5 car in 2008. Up to 30% of the inside parts of the Mazda5 were made from biomaterials.
SkyActiv Technology
SkyActiv technology is a special set of features used in new Mazda cars. These cars include the Mazda2, Mazda3, Mazda6, and Mazda CX-5. These technologies help cars use less fuel, similar to hybrid cars. They also make the engine more powerful and reduce pollution.
SkyActiv includes special gasoline engines with high compression. It also has diesel engines with new turbochargers. The technology also includes efficient automatic transmissions and lightweight car designs.
Motorsport Success
Mazda has had great success in car racing with both its Wankel-engine cars and regular engine cars. Mazda cars and engines race in many different events around the world. In 1991, Mazda became the first Japanese car maker to win the famous 24 Hours of Le Mans race.
International Racing
Mazda's first big race was on October 20, 1968. Two Mazda Cosmo Sport 110S cars entered a long 84-hour race in Germany. One car finished in fourth place. The next year, Mazda raced Mazda Familia R100 M10A cars. They won the Singapore Grand Prix in 1969.
The first win for a Wankel-engined car in the United States was in 1973. Pat Bedard won a race in a Mazda RX-2.
The Mazda RX-7 has won more IMSA races than any other car model in its class. It won its 100th race on September 2, 1990. The RX-7 also won its class at the IMSA 24 Hours of Daytona race for ten years in a row, starting in 1982.
In 1991, a four-rotor Mazda 787B car won the 24 Hours of Le Mans race. This was a huge achievement. It was the only non-piston-engined car to ever win at Le Mans. Mazda was also the first Japanese brand to win this race overall. After this win, rotary engines were banned from the Le Mans race for a while, but this ban has since been lifted.
Mazda cars have also done well in other races. These include World Land Speed competitions, SCCA races, and pro rally competitions.
Special Racing Series
The Cooper Tires Atlantic Championship powered by Mazda is a racing series in North America. It uses special open-wheel race cars with Mazda engines. These cars can go faster than 175 miles per hour.
Formula Mazda is another racing series that uses open-wheel cars with Mazda engines. These cars can race on both oval and road tracks. The engines are built to be very reliable.
Spec Miata is a popular and affordable racing class in North America. It uses Mazda MX-5 Miata cars with limited changes. This class lets people race production cars at a lower cost.
Sponsorships
Mazda helps support several professional sports teams:
- Local Teams:
* Sanfrecce Hiroshima (a soccer team): Mazda used to own this team directly. * Hiroshima Toyo Carp (a baseball team): Mazda has partly owned this team since 1968. The Matsuda family, who founded Mazda, still owns most of the team.
- Teams Abroad:
* North Melbourne Football Club (Australia) * AS Roma (Italy) * ACF Fiorentina (Italy) * SK Sigma Olomouc (Czech Republic) * Nakhon Ratchasima (Thailand)
Mazda also sponsors many marathon and relay races in Japan. They support other sports and charity events in Hiroshima. Mazda used to sponsor the Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca racing track in California from 2001 to 2018.
Marketing and Slogans
Mazda has used different advertising slogans over the years. Some past slogans include: "The more you look, the more you like" (1970s) and "It Just Feels Right" (1990s).
Since 2000, Mazda has used the phrase "Zoom-Zoom" to describe the feeling of driving their cars. This campaign has been very successful and used all over the world. The "Zoom-Zoom-Zoom" song is often heard in their TV and radio ads. A young boy used to whisper the "Zoom-Zoom" tagline in early ads.
In 2015, Mazda launched a new campaign called "Driving Matters." This slogan was meant to strengthen the "Zoom-Zoom" idea.
See also
In Spanish: Mazda para niños
- List of Mazda engines
- List of Mazda facilities
- List of Mazda model codes
- List of Mazda vehicles
