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70-474: The Jaguar XJR-14 is a sports-prototype racing car introduced for the 1991 World Sportscar Championship season. It was designed by Ross Brawn and John Piper, and was built and run by Tom Walkinshaw Racing (TWR), on behalf of Jaguar Cars . The 1991 season marked the introduction of the FIA ’s new, and controversial, 3.5 Litre Formula which replaced the highly successful Group C category that had been used in

140-837: A hybrid version of its Premacy compact minivan using a version of its signature rotary engine that can run on hydrogen or gasoline named the Mazda Premacy Hydrogen RE Hybrid . Despite plans to release it in 2008, as of 2010 the vehicle is in limited trials. In 2010, Toyota and Mazda announced a supply agreement for the hybrid technology used in Toyota's Prius model. Mazda is finding uses for biomaterials in its vehicles, including both plastics and fabrics made from corn starch, as it aims to become more environmentally-friendly. Mazda introduced some of these innovations (bioplastic internal consoles and bio-fabric seats) in its Mazda5 model at EcoInnovasia 2008, at

210-452: A 33.4-percent controlling interest in May 1996. In June 1996, Henry Wallace was appointed president, and he set about restructuring Mazda and setting it on a new strategic direction. He laid out a new direction for the brand including the design of the present Mazda marque; he laid out a new product plan to achieve synergies with Ford, and he launched Mazda's digital innovation program to speed up

280-498: A MazdaSpeed5), and other venues. Wankel engines have been banned for some time from international Formula One racing, as well as from United States midget racing , after Gene Angelillo won the North East Midget Racing Association championship in 1985 with a car powered by a 13B engine, and again in 1986 in a car powered by a 12A engine. The Cooper Tires Atlantic Championship powered by Mazda

350-578: A Porsche WSC95 Spyder in late 1994, raced at Le Mans in 1996 and 1997 by Reinhold Joest , winning the race on both occasions. Location : now in Reinhold Joest's private museum. 791 - 1991: Nürburgring (1st) , Magny Cours (5th), Mexico (6th), Sugo (9th). 1992: Miami (6th-DNF), Road Atlanta (1st) , Lime Rock (accident in race). Rebuilt by Retract Composite and Lanzante Motorsport. Now as Show Car. Location : Previously England with same owner as X91 in 2014-2015, but since sold and exported to

420-594: A cork-making factory, by Jujiro Matsuda . The company then acquired Abemaki Tree Cork Company. It changed its name to Toyo Kogyo Co., Ltd. in 1927 and started producing vehicles in 1931. Mazda is known for its innovative technologies, such as the Wankel engine , the SkyActiv platform, and the Kodo Design language. It also has a long history of motorsport involvement, winning the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1991 with

490-600: A decade of class wins from other Mazda prototypes, including the 757 and 767 . The Sigma MC74 powered by a Mazda 12A engine was the first engine and team from outside Western Europe or the United States to finish the entire 24 hours of the Le Mans race, in 1974. Mazda is also the most reliable finisher at Le Mans (with the exception of Honda , which has entered only three cars in only one year), with 67% of entries finishing. Mazda returned to prototype racing in 2005 with

560-570: A great amount of flexibility within set rule parameters. In 1953 - 1984 seasons the World Sportscar Championship titles were awarded to manufacturers of sports prototypes (except of the 1978 - 1981 seasons). In 1985 - 1992 seasons titles were awarded to teams entering sports prototypes (instead of manufacturers of sports prototypes). In historic racing, they are often called "sports racing cars". Sometimes, they are metonymically referred to as "Le Mans cars", as

630-455: A hybrid drivetrain for even greater fuel economy. In the racing world, Mazda has had substantial success with both its signature Wankel-engine cars (in two-rotor, three-rotor, and four-rotor forms) as well as its piston-engine models. Mazda vehicles and engines compete in a wide variety of disciplines and series around the world. In 1991, Mazda became the first Japanese automaker to win the 24 Hours of Le Mans overall. Mazda's competition debut

700-437: A hybrid drivetrain. Engine output is increased and emission levels are reduced. These technologies include high compression ratio gasoline engines (13.0 to 1), reduced compression diesel engines (14.0 to 1) with new 2-stage turbocharger design, highly efficient automatic transmissions, lighter weight manual transmissions, lightweight body designs and electric power steering . It is also possible to combine these technologies with

770-486: A joint venture with Ford New Zealand known as Vehicle Assemblers of New Zealand (VANZ), while in South Africa, Ford's local subsidiary merged with Sigma Motor Corporation , which already assembled Mazdas in the country, to form Samcor , although the sharing of models proved unpopular with both Ford and Mazda customers. In other markets such as Australia, however, the 323 and 626 were always fully imported, with only

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840-523: A number of different brands in the Japanese (and occasionally Australian) markets in the 1990s, including Autozam , Eunos , and ɛ̃fini . The motivation was brought on by market competition from other Japanese automakers efforts in offering vehicles at multiple Japanese dealership networks offered by Toyota , Nissan , and Honda . Mazda's implementation of brand diversification reflected a Japanese engineering philosophy, called Kansei engineering , which

910-477: A small, light, normally aspirated engine meant that concerns over drag became a secondary requirement to downforce. The new design targeted a lower kerb weight of 1,650 lb (748 kg) and higher downforce levels meant that the XJR-14 was a lot faster in corners compared to the previous Group C front runners. The primary feature of the new regulations centred on 3.5-litre naturally aspirated engines . Although

980-510: A symbol of the beginning of the East and the West civilization, but also a symbol of the automotive civilization and culture." The company's website further notes that the name also derives from the name of the company's founder, Jujiro Matsuda . The alternative proposed names mean "god" ( Sumera ) and "angel" ( Tenshi ); both indicate Matsuda's strong interest in human faith. The Mazda lettering

1050-608: Is Mazda's biggest market, followed by China and Japan. Mazda's market share in the U.S. fell to a 10-year low of 1.7 percent in 2016. Mazda's brand loyalty was 39 percent in 2016, below the industry average of 53 percent. On October 24, 2022, Mazda decided to get rid of assets in Russia, with the company transferring a stake in a joint venture in Vladivostok to Sollers JSC for 1 euro. Mazda has conducted research in hydrogen-powered vehicles for several decades. Mazda has developed

1120-495: Is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . This motorsport-related article is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Mazda Mazda Motor Corporation ( マツダ株式会社 , Matsuda Kabushiki gaisha ) , also known as simply Mazda , is a Japanese multinational automotive manufacturer headquartered in Fuchū , Hiroshima , Japan. The company was founded on January 30, 1920, as Toyo Cork Kogyo Co., Ltd.,

1190-774: Is a North American open wheel racing series. It is the top level of the MAZDASPEED ladder, a driver development program which rewards season winners of one level with automatic rides at the next level. Since 2006, the Atlantic Championship has been run exclusively with Swift 016.a chassis powered by Mazda- Cosworth MZR 2300 cc (2.3L) DOHC inline-4 engines producing 300 bhp (224 kW). The cars are capable of speeds in excess of 175 mph (282 km/h). Formula Mazda features open wheel race cars with Mazda engines, adaptable to both oval tracks and road courses, on several levels of competition. Since 1991,

1260-532: The 24 Hours of Daytona , and drove the car back to New Jersey. The Cosmo placed 18th overall in a field of 72. The only modifications were racing brake pads, exhaust, and safety equipment. After substantial successes by the Mazda RX-2 and Mazda RX-3 , the Mazda RX-7 has won more IMSA races in its class than any other model of automobile, with its hundredth victory on September 2, 1990. Following that,

1330-464: The 24 Hours of Le Mans has been closely associated with the category in recent decades and features entries from several of the main championships contested by prototypes. Since the 1960s, various championships have allowed prototypes to compete. However, most championships have had their own set of rules for their prototype classes. Listed here are some of the more commonly known types of prototypes. This sports car racing -related article

1400-626: The Mazda 121 sold in Europe and South Africa was, for a time, a variant of the Ford Fiesta built in plants in Europe and South Africa. Mazda also made an effort in the past to sell some of Ford's cars in Japan, mainly through its Autorama dealer group. Mazda also helped Ford develop the 1991 Explorer , which Mazda sold as the 2-door only Mazda Navajo from 1991 through 1994. However, Mazda's version

1470-676: The Queen Sirikit National Convention Center in Bangkok . Up to 30% of the interior parts in the Mazda5 are made of biomaterial components. SkyActiv technology is an umbrella name for a range of technologies used in certain new Mazda vehicles. These vehicles include the Mazda2/Demio , Mazda3/Axela , Mazda6/Atenza , and CX-5 . Together these technologies increase fuel economy to a level similar to

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1540-470: The RX-3 and RX-4 lines for certain markets). After nine years of development, Mazda finally launched its new model in the U.S. in 1970. Mazda's rotary success continued until the onset of the 1973 oil crisis . As American buyers (as well as those in other nations) quickly turned to vehicles with better fuel efficiency, the relatively thirsty rotary-powered models began to fall out of favor. Combined with being

1610-471: The World Sportscar Championship . Mazda would rebadge the XJR-14s as MXR-01s . The MXR-01 was essentially a productionised XJR-14 and as there had been no ongoing development they ended up not being particularly competitive, scoring no wins and finishing third in the championship. Several years later, TWR would resurrect XJR-14 chassis #691/192 for the development of a new prototype for Porsche. They renamed

1680-606: The Xedos name was also associated with the Mazda Xedos 6 , the two models were in production from 1992 until 1997. The Xedos line was marketed under the Mazda brand, and used the Mazda badge from the corresponding years. This diversification stressed the product development groups at Mazda past its limits. Instead of having a half-dozen variations on any given platform , developers were asked to work on dozens of different models at

1750-554: The 1960s, Mazda was inspired by the NSU Ro 80 and decided to put a major engineering effort into development of the Wankel rotary engine as a way of differentiating itself from other Japanese auto companies. The company formed a business relationship with German company NSU and began with the limited-production Cosmo Sport of 1967, and continuing to the present day with the Pro Mazda Championship , Mazda has become

1820-498: The 1960s. Starting in 1979 by expanding their 7 percent financial stake to 24.5%, Ford expanded an existing partnership with Mazda, resulting in various joint projects. The cooperation had begun in 1971 when the Mazda B-Series spawned a Ford Courier variant for North America, a version which was later offered in other markets as well. Mazda's Bongo and Titan cab-over trucks were sold with Ford badging in mainly Asia and

1890-791: The 1980s, Ford-badged Mazda products replaced much of their own European-sourced lineup, especially in the Asia-Pacific markets, with the Laser replacing the Escort and the Telstar replacing the Cortina . In some cases, such as New Zealand and South Africa , these were assembled alongside their Mazda-badged equivalents, the Mazda 323 (Familia) and 626 (Capella). Following the closure of its own assembly plant in New Zealand, Mazda established

1960-507: The 3.5-litre Ford HB V8 Formula One power plant. Developed by Geoff Goddard, and most notably used by the Benetton Formula One team, the now Jaguar-badged HB was detuned to around 11,500 rpm and 650 bhp (compared to the 13,000 rpm and 700 bhp F1 spec) with  aims at enhancing reliability. Three chassis were built and used for 1991: #591, #691, and #791. In the early part of the 1991 World Sportscar Championship season

2030-564: The 84 hour Nürburgring race with four Familias. Only one of these finished, taking fifth place. The first racing victory by a Wankel-engined car in the United States was in 1973, when Pat Bedard won an IMSA RS race at Lime Rock Park in a Mazda RX-2 . In 1976, Ray Walle, owner of Z&W Mazda, drove a Cosmo ( Mazda RX-5 ) from the dealership in Princeton, New Jersey, to Daytona, won the Touring Class Under 2.5 Liters at

2100-717: The American market ( Mazda North American Operations ) and was very successful there, going so far as to create the Mazda Rotary Pickup (based on the conventional piston-powered B-Series model) solely for North American buyers. To this day, Mazda remains the only automaker to have produced a Wankel-powered pickup truck. Additionally, it is also the only brand to have ever offered a rotary-powered bus (the Mazda Parkway, offered only in Japan) or station wagon (within

2170-587: The Laser and Telstar assembled locally. In Japan, the Laser and Telstar were also sold alongside their Mazda-badged brethren, but the Festiva was not sold as a Mazda 121 on the Japanese market. In North America, the Probe was built in a new Mazda company plant in Flat Rock, Michigan , along with the mainstream 626 sedan and a companion Mazda MX-6 sports coupe. Ford also lent Mazda some of its capacity when needed:

Jaguar XJR-14 - Misplaced Pages Continue

2240-624: The Pacific region beginning in 1976. These included large and small efforts in all areas of the automotive landscape, most notably in the realm of pickup trucks and smaller cars. Mazda began supplying manual transaxles to Ford in the spring of 1980. Mazda's Familia platform was used for Ford models like the Laser and Escort beginning in 1980, while the Capella architecture found its way into Ford's Telstar sedan and Probe sports models. During

2310-607: The RX-7 won its class in the IMSA 24 Hours of Daytona race ten years in a row, starting in 1982. The RX-7 won the IMSA Grand Touring Under Two Liter (GTU) championship each year from 1980 through 1987, inclusive. In 1991, a four-rotor Mazda 787B (2622 cc actual, rated by FIA formula at 4708 cc) won the 24 Hours of Le Mans auto race outright. The 787B's triumph remains unparalleled, as it remains

2380-675: The U.S. in 2017. X91  : New chassis tub built in 2003 before TWR liquidation. Location : Lanzante Motorsports, South of England (2003-2014). Sold in 2015 to new owner in England. Sports-prototype Prototype racing cars have competed in sports car racing since before World War II , but became the top echelon of sports cars in the 1960s as they began to replace homologated sports cars. Current ACO regulations allow most sports car series to use two forms of cars: grand tourers (GT cars) , which are strictly based on production street cars, and sports prototypes , which are allowed

2450-486: The World Sports Car Championship since 1982. However, due to a small number of entries in the new 3.5 litre formula heavily penalised Group C cars were allowed participate in the newly created C2 category for the 1991 season but Jaguar participated in the new formula. To comply with the new regulations Jaguar produced an all-new car, the XJR-14. It was designed by Ross Brawn and John Piper, and

2520-481: The XJR-14 was in a league of its own, totally outclassing its rivals and in particular the Peugeot 905 and Mercedes-Benz C291 . Only the opening race went Peugeot's way, but that was seen more as a result of luck than the 905's competitiveness. The fact that Jaguar already had a race proven engine certainly helped the team’s cause, but the rest of the car was far superior to its rivals. It was not until midway through

2590-580: The XJR-14's predecessor, the XJR-11 , used a twin turbo-charged 3.5-litre engine derived from the Metro 6R4 -derived JV6 engine, in order to comply with the new rules the two turbochargers would need to be removed. Naturally this wasn't a realistic option, nor was it ever considered, given the design compromises of not using a bespoke engine. Given the Jaguar-Ford connection however, it was decided to utilise

2660-467: The alliance between Ford and Mazda has been a very successful one, with Mazda saving perhaps $ 90 million a year in development costs and Ford "several times" that, and that a sale of its stake in Mazda would be a desperate measure. On November 18, 2008, Ford announced that it would sell a 20% stake in Mazda, reducing its stake to 13.4%, thus surrendering control of the company, which it held since 1996. The following day, Mazda announced that, as part of

2730-551: The beginning bore that name. The Mazda R360 was introduced in 1960, followed by the Mazda Carol in 1962 and were sold at a specific retail dealership that sold passenger cars called "Mazda Auto Store" whereas commercial products were sold at "Mazda Store". As Mazda continued to offer passenger cars like the Savanna , Familia , Luce , Cosmo and Capella , they were added to the "Mazda Auto Store" network only. Beginning in

2800-531: The car the TWR- Porsche WSC-95 . Its most significant feature was that it had the roof removed, turning it into an open cockpit prototype to run under the then-new LMP regulations. The WSC-95 would carry a Porsche 3.0L turbocharged Flat-6. After chassis #691 was modified, TWR built a second WSC-95 from scratch. In both the 1996 and 1997 24 Hours of Le Mans , the TWR-Porsches were able to take

2870-435: The company had not totally turned its back on piston engines, as it continued to produce a variety of four-cylinder models throughout the 1970s. The smaller Familia line in particular became very important to Mazda's worldwide sales after 1973, as did the somewhat larger Capella series. Mazda refocused its efforts and made the rotary engine a choice for the sporting motorist rather than a mainstream powerplant. Starting with

Jaguar XJR-14 - Misplaced Pages Continue

2940-600: The concept of the small sports car after its decline in the late 1970s. From 1974 to 2015, Mazda had a partnership with the Ford Motor Company , which acquired a 24.5% stake in 1979, upped to a 33.4% ownership of Mazda in May 1995. Under the administration of Alan Mulally , Ford gradually divested its stake in Mazda from 2008 to 2015, with Ford holding 2.1% of Mazda stock as of 2014 and severing most production as well as development ties. This partnership with Ford began owing to Mazda's financial difficulties during

3010-479: The deal, it was buying back 6.8% of its shares from Ford for about US$ 185 million while the rest would be acquired by business partners of the company. It was also reported that Hisakazu Imaki would be stepping down as chief executive, to be replaced by Takashi Yamanouchi . On November 18, 2010, Ford reduced its stake further to 3%, citing the reduction of ownership would allow greater flexibility to pursue growth in emerging markets, and Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group

3080-642: The development of new products. At the same time, he started taking control of overseas distributors, rationalized dealerships and manufacturing facilities, and driving much-needed efficiencies and cost reductions in Mazda's operations. Much of his early work put Mazda back into profitability and laid the foundations for future success. Wallace was succeeded by James Miller in November 1997, followed in December 1999 by Ford executive Mark Fields , who has been credited with expanding Mazda's new product lineup and leading

3150-702: The development of the Cosworth HB to last 24 hours. Jaguar instead decided to enter three older XJR-12s which entered in the C2 class. Although the XJR-12s did not manage to win, Jaguar's decision not to run the untested XJR-14 was vindicated by the fact that Peugeot's 905 failed to finish the race. Mercedes also withdrew its C291 in favour of its older C11 models. After 1991, Jaguar decided not to continue in Group C, believing that they had spent enough time in Group C and

3220-554: The first Miller cycle engine for automotive use in the Millenia luxury sedan of 1995. Though the Millenia (and its Miller-type V6 engine) were discontinued in 2002, the company introduced a much smaller Miller-cycle four-cylinder engine for use in its Demio in 2008. Further financial difficulties at Mazda during the 1990s ( partly caused by losses related to the 1997 Asian financial crisis ) caused Ford to increase its stake to

3290-472: The high G loads of U.S circuits, the XJR-14 was unable to beat the latest challengers from Toyota and Nissan, forced to finish third in the championship with only two victories. Jaguar continued to use the three updated 1991 chassis throughout the season. Meanwhile, TWR had reached an agreement to supply more XJR-14 chassis to Mazda , minus the Cosworth V8s but installed with Mazda-badged Judd V10s for

3360-540: The instability of rules recently in the World Sportscar Championship. Opting against further development of the XJR-16, TWR sent the XJR-14 to the United States for the 1992 IMSA Camel GTP championship . Chassis 691 (Rebadged as #192) debuted at the 1992 Grand Prix of Miami where it broke the track record by four seconds. Without a major upgrade to the suspension and with the car unable to deal with

3430-929: The introduction of the Courage C65 LMP2 car at the American Le Mans Series race at Road Atlanta . This prototype racer uses the Renesis Wankel from the RX-8. Mazdas have also enjoyed substantial success in World Land Speed competition, SCCA competition, drag racing , pro rally competition (the Familia appeared in the WRC several times during the late '80s and early '90s), the One Lap of America race (winning SUV & truck in

3500-552: The introduction of the Mazda-Go auto rickshaw . The name Mazda came into existence with the production of the company's first three-wheeled trucks. Other candidates for a model name included Sumera-Go , Tenshi-Go , and more. Officially, the company states: Mazda comes from Ahura Mazda , the god of harmony, intelligence and wisdom from the earliest civilization in West Asia . Key members of Toyo Kogyo interpreted Mazda as

3570-416: The least-efficient automaker in Japan (in terms of productivity), inability to adjust to excess inventory and over-reliance on the U.S. market, the company suffered a huge loss in 1975. An already heavily indebted Toyo Kogyo was on the verge of bankruptcy and was only saved through the intervention of Sumitomo keiretsu group, namely Sumitomo Bank , and the company's subcontractors and distributors. However,

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3640-555: The lightweight RX-7 in 1978 and continuing with the modern RX-8 , Mazda has continued its dedication to this unique powerplant. This switch in focus also resulted in the development of another lightweight sports car, the piston-powered Mazda MX-5 Miata (sold as the Eunos and later Mazda Roadster in Japan), inspired by the concept ' jinba ittai '. Introduced in 1989 to worldwide acclaim, the Roadster has been widely credited with reviving

3710-456: The only non-piston-engined car ever to win at Le Mans, and Mazda is the first Japanese brand to have won overall at Le Mans. This led to a ban on rotary engines in the Le Mans race starting in 1992, which has since been rescinded. After the 1991 race, the winning engine was publicly dismantled for internal examination, which demonstrated that despite 24 hours of extremely hard use it had accumulated very little wear. The Le Mans win in 1991 followed

3780-679: The overall win. See Chassis Log. 591 - 1991: Suzuka (DNF), Monza (1st) , Silverstone (3rd), Autopolis (2nd). 1992 : Laguna Seca (4th), Road America (crash in warm-up). Rebuilt to running order at TWR, sold to US collector (2003-2009). Sold to Chamberlain-Synergy, England (2009-2015) Location : MecAuto, Belgium, since 2015. 691/192 - 1991: Suzuka (DNF), Monza (2nd), Silverstone (1st) , Nurburgring (2nd), Magny Cours (3rd), Mexico (did not race), Autopolis (3rd), Sugo (1st) . 1992 (chassis number changed to 192): Mid-Ohio (1st) , New Orleans (4th), Watkins Glen (3rd), Laguna Seca (3rd), Portland (DNF), Phoenix (2nd), Del Mar (3rd-DNF). Converted to

3850-486: The proceeds were used to build an auto plant in Salamanca , Mexico . The Mexican plant was built jointly by the company and Sumitomo Corporation . In May 2015, the company signed an agreement with Toyota to form a "long-term partnership", that would, among others, see Mazda supply Toyota with fuel-efficient SkyActiv gasoline and diesel engine technology in exchange for hydrogen fuel cell systems. Mazda tried using

3920-600: The professionally organized Pro Mazda Championship has been the most popular format for sponsors, spectators, and upward bound drivers. It is the second-highest level on the aforementioned Mazdaspeed driver development ladder. Engines for the Star Mazda series are all built by one engine builder, certified to produce the prescribed power, and sealed to discourage tampering. They are in a relatively mild state of racing tune, so that they are extremely reliable and can go years between motor rebuilds. Spec Miata has become one of

3990-517: The rotary-powered Mazda 787B . In the past and present, Mazda has been engaged in alliances with other automakers. From 1974 until the late 2000s, Ford was a major shareholder of Mazda. Other partnerships include Toyota , Nissan , Isuzu , Suzuki and Kia . In 2023, it produced 1.1 million vehicles globally. The name Mazda was derived from Ahura Mazda , the god of harmony, intelligence and wisdom in Zoroastrianism , as well as from

4060-514: The same time. Consumers were confused as well by the explosion of similar new models. This selective marketing experiment was ended in the mid-1990s due to economic conditions, largely attributed to the collapse of the Japanese asset price bubble in 1991. Traditionally, Mazda has always been led by an executive leader known as the President and CEO. As of January 2022 , the United States

4130-427: The season that the Jaguar met its match through Peugeot's new 905B. This meant a hard fight with the new and quickly improving Peugeot squad for the rest of the season, but Jaguar was able to hold on and secure the manufacturers title with 3 victories. At the 1991 24 Hours of Le Mans , Jaguar initially entered two XJR-14s but later decided that the XJR-14 would not be capable of finishing the distance due to unknowns in

4200-423: The sole manufacturer of Wankel-type engines for the automotive market, mainly by way of attrition. (NSU and Citroën both gave up on the design during the 1970s, and prototype Corvette efforts by General Motors never made it to production.) This effort to bring attention to itself apparently helped, as Mazda rapidly began to export its vehicles. Both piston-powered and rotary-powered models made their way around

4270-434: The surname of the founder, Matsuda . Mazda began as the Toyo Cork Kogyo Co., Ltd, as a cork -making factory founded in Hiroshima , Japan, January 30, 1920. Toyo Cork Kogyo renamed itself to Toyo Kogyo Co., Ltd. in 1927. In the late 1920s the company had to be saved from bankruptcy by Hiroshima Saving Bank and other business leaders in Hiroshima. In 1931, Toyo Kogyo moved from manufacturing machine tools to vehicles with

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4340-426: The turnaround during the early 2000s. Ford's increased influence during the 1990s allowed Mazda to claim another distinction in history, having maintained the first foreign-born head of a Japanese car company, Henry Wallace. Amid the world financial crisis in the fall of 2008, reports emerged that Ford was contemplating a sale of its stake in Mazda as a way of streamlining its asset base. BusinessWeek explained

4410-467: The world. The rotary models quickly became popular for their combination of good power and light weight when compared to piston-engined competitors that required heavier V6 or V8 engines to produce the same power. The R100 and the RX series ( RX-2 , RX-3 , and RX-4 ) led the company's export efforts. During 1968, Mazda started formal operations in Canada (MazdaCanada) although Mazdas were seen in Canada as early as 1959. In 1970, Mazda formally entered

4480-471: Was believed to become its largest shareholder. Ford and Mazda remained strategic partners through joint ventures and exchanges of technological information. On September 30, 2015, when Ford's shares had sunk to a little over 2% due to stock dilution , Ford sold its remaining shares in Mazda. In 2011, Mazda raised more than 150 billion yen (US$ 1.9 billion) in a record share sale to replenish capital, as it suffered its biggest annual loss in 11 years. Part of

4550-477: Was built by Tom Walkinshaw Racing (TWR). In the past, TWR's Jaguars had been designed under the direction of Tony Southgate , while Brawn worked with a large design staff (12 according to John Piper); a paradigm shift (albeit small) in its own right and reflective of Brawn's Formula One background. The abandonment of the Group C fuel consumption regulations meant a change in aerodynamic design philosophy. Coupled that with vastly different packaging requirements for

4620-471: Was on October 20, 1968, when two Mazda Cosmo Sport 110S coupes entered the 84-hour Marathon de la Route ultra-endurance race at the Nürburgring , one finishing in fourth place and the other breaking an axle after 81 hours. The next year, Mazda raced Mazda Familia R100 M10A coupes. After winning the Singapore Grand Prix in April 1969 and coming in fifth and sixth in the Spa 24 Hours (beaten only by Porsche 911s ), on October 19, 1969, Mazda again entered

4690-409: Was to begin selling in late 1993. The initial Amati range would have included the Amati 500 (which became the Eunos 800 in Japan and Australia, Mazda Millenia in the U.S., and Mazda Xedos 9 in Europe), a rebadged version of the Mazda Cosmo and the Amati 1000 (a rear-wheel drive V12 competitor to the Lexus LS400 ). The Amati brand was eventually scrapped before any cars hit the market. In Europe,

4760-504: Was unsuccessful, while the Ford (available from the start as a 4-door or 2-door model) instantly became the best-selling sport-utility vehicle in the United States and kept that title for over a decade. Mazda has used Ford's Ranger pickup as the basis for its North American–market B-Series trucks, starting in 1994 and continuing through 2010, when Mazda discontinued the B-Series trucks to North America. Following its long-held fascination with alternative engine technology, Mazda introduced

4830-469: Was used as an advertising slogan in North America. One of the most niche sub-brands was M2 , used on three rare variants of the Eunos Roadster (the M2-1001, M2-1002 and M2-1028) and one of the Autozam AZ-1 (M2-1015). M2 even had its own avant-garde company headquarters, but was shut down after a very short period of operation. In early 1992, Mazda planned to release a luxury brand, Amati , to challenge Acura , Infiniti , and Lexus in North America, which

4900-406: Was used in combination with the corporate emblem of Mitsubishi Motors , which was responsible for sales, to produce the Toyo Kogyo three-wheeled truck registered trademark. Toyo Kogyo produced weapons for the Japanese military throughout the Second World War, most notably the series 30 through 35 Type 99 rifle . The company formally adopted the Mazda name in 1984, though every automobile sold from

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