Mazda

Shopping on line can be easy, simple and save you lots of money. It can also take a lot of your time, frustrate you, and result in unwanted purchases. Now the same can be said for regular high street shopping, but with the vast opportunity presented by the Internet it will pay you to spend a few minutes reading this and understanding how to better optimize your Mazda shopping experience:

1. Compare - without doubt the biggest advantage that the Mazda offers shoppers today is the ability to compare thousands of Mazda at a time. This is a great thing, but not necessarily all the time! Too much can be daunting at times so take advantage of the great comparison sites and where possible let them do the hard work for you.

2. Research - if it has been said it will be on the internet. Ignorance is no longer a justifiable reason for buying the wrong thing. Take the time to research in detail everything that you could possible want to know about

3. Testimonials - don't know anybody that has bought a Mazda? Wrong! If the Mazda is good the internet will let you know. Use the Internet as a friend and get testimonials before you buy.

4. Questions - Got a question about Mazda then search the Forums, FAQ's, Blogs etc. Don't be afraid to ask .....

5. Reputation - Never heard of the company selling Mazda? Don't worry, no reason why you should know every company in the world, but you know someone that does! Use the internet to find out what people are saying about Mazda and build up a picture of their reputation for sales, returns, customer service, delivery etc.

6. Returns - still worried that even after all of the above your Mazda wont be what you want? Check out the returns policy. There is so much competition now that someone, somewhere is bound to offer the terms that you are comfortable with.

7. Feedback - happy with your Mazda then let people know, after all you are depending on others people input in your buying decision, so why not give a little back.

8. Security - check for the yellow padlock on the Mazda site before you buy, and the s after http:/ /i.e. https:// = a secure site

9. Contact - got a question about Mazda, or want to leave a comment then check out the sites contact page. Reputable companies have them and respond.

10. Payment - ready to pay for your Mazda, then use your credit card or PayPal! Be aware of companies that don't accept them, there may be genuine reasons but given the huge amount of choice you have when buying online there is no reason at all not to buy via credit card or PayPal.

{{Infobox_Company || company_name = Mazda Motor Corporation
Matsuda Kabushiki-gaisha
| company_logo = | company_type = Public ()
Affiliate of Ford Motor Company (33.9% ownership, unconsolidated){{cite web | title = Ford parks 33.9% ownership of Mazda in holding company| url = http://pdfdownload.tsone.info/pdf2html.php?url=http://www.mazda.com/publicity/release/2007/200701/0126e.pdf | accessdate = 2007-06-02--> | company_slogan = Zoom-Zoom| foundation = January 1920| location = 3-1 Shinchi, Fuchu, Hiroshima (Aki), Aki District, Hiroshima, Hiroshima Prefecture 730-8670, Japan (founder)
Kazuhide Watanabe (Chairman)
Hisakazu Imaki (CEO)| industry = [Automotive2,919,8 billion (2005)| net_income = [Japanese yen66.7 billion (2005)| homepage = Mazda Global Web Site
Mazda USA
Mazda Headquarters (Japanese)| slogan =-->

() is a Japanese automaker based in Hiroshima Prefecture, Japan.

As of 2006, the company is expected to produce 1.25 million vehicles per year, with sales evenly divided among Japan, Europe, Australia, and North America, followed by Latin America.

Name The name of the company is supposedly derived from Ahura Mazda, the transcendental god of Zoroastrianism. It is also said that Mazda coincides with the anglicized pronunciation of the founder's name, Jujiro Matsuda, who was interested in spirituality, and chose to rename it in honor of both his family and the Zoroastrians. www.mazda.co.uk: All about Mazda, What's in a name? - Retrieved 04 January 2007 Mazda means "wisdom" in the Iranian Avestan language. However, in Japanese, the company has always been pronounced and spelled as "Matsuda" leading many to believe that Mazda is really just a poorly anglicized version of the founder's name. (It comes to English by way of German, Mazda being pronounced Mats'da in German.)

History Mazda began as the Toyo Cork Kogyo Co., Ltd, founded in Japan in 1920. Toyo Cork Koygo renamed itself to Toyo Kogyo Co., Ltd. in 1927. Toyo Kogyo moved from manufacturing machine tools to vehicles, with the introduction of the Mazda Mazdago in 1931. 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 the beginning bore that name. The first four-wheel car, the Mazda R360 was introduced in 1960, followed by the Mazda Carol in 1962.

The Ford Motor Company had owned 15% of Mazda, and its stake was increased to a 33.4% controlling interest on 31 March 1999 after Mazda fell into financial crisis. Ford executive Mark Fields (businessman) is credited with Mazda's turnaround. Ford has based many of its models on Mazdas, such as the Ford Probe, late model (North American) Ford Escort (North American) and Mercury Tracer, and the co-developed Ford Escape/Mazda Tribute.

Mazda also helped Ford develop the 1991 Explorer, which Mazda sold as the 2-door only Mazda Navajo (1991-1994). Ironically, Mazda's version was unsuccessful, while the Ford (available as a 4-door or 2-door) instantly became the best selling SUV 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 today. These trucks are manufactured in the US. They now use a Mazda-sourced 2.3L I4 instead of the old Ford Lima 2.3L I4. Both 3.0L and 4.0L Ford V6s are available, as is 4-wheel drive and a 4-door (albeit with the clamshell style rear doors, not a true 4-door crew cab as offered by Toyota, GM, Nissan, and even Ford with the Sport Trac).

The 1979 deal paved way for Ford selling badge-engineered Mazdas in Asia and Australia, such as the Ford Laser and Ford Telstar. These models replaced the models from Ford Europe sold throughout the 1970s. Ford also used the Mazda models to establish its own retail presence in Japan - the Autorama dealers sold these cars, plus the occasional Ford US and Ford Europe models. The badge-engineered models came to an end in the early 21st century, as Ford replaced the Laser with its own Focus, and Telstar with its own Mondeo.

The reverse also happened, with Mazda selling badge-engineered Fords in Europe, such as the Mazda 121 based on the Ford Fiesta. Ford and Mazda have moved onto collaboration in a more fundamental sense, by way of platform sharing.

Mazda USA Founded CA, 1960Toyo Kogyo entered the full United States market, outside of California and Hawaii, in 1970 with a single car, the Mazda RX-2. The next year there were five cars: The compact Mazda Familia-based Mazda Familia#1200 (USA) and Mazda R100, the larger Mazda Capella-based Mazda Capella#616/618 (USA) and Mazda RX-2 and the large Mazda Luce#1800 (USA). For 1972, the line expanded again with the addition of the Mazda RX-3 and Mazda B-Series; the 1200 and 616 were replaced by the similar Mazda Familia#808 (USA) and Mazda Capella#616/618 (USA), respectively; and the boring 1800 was gone. The piston-powered 618 was gone the next year, as was the R100, but the 1.2 L Mazda Familia#1200 (USA) was back for a single year.

Mazda quickly rose in prominence, helped in large part to their use of Mazda Wankel engine. In 1974, two rotary engine cars, the Mazda Rotary Pickup and Mazda RX-4, were introduced. In fact, the 808 and B1600 were the only piston-engined Mazdas offered in the United States that year. 1975 had a similar lineup, minus the retired RX-2.

Mazda had designed the Mazda Rotary Pickup and Mazda RX-4 with the American market in mind, but the energy crisis was looming. The company's sales were slipping due to the Wankel's reputation as a gas hog, so Mazda responded with the reintroduction of a Mazda Familia-based car powered by a tiny piston engine, the 1.3 L Mazda Familia#Mizer (USA). That car, and 1977 Mazda Familia#GLC (USA) (its next-generation brother) saved the company in the United States with terrific reviews and better sales.

Also introduced in 1976 was the Wankel-powered Mazda Cosmo#1975. But the writing was on the wall for Mazda's mainstream Wankel lineup - every one of the older "rotary" models was cancelled after 1978.

Even though the Wankel engine had lost its allure, Mazda persevered with the technology and found a niche for it. The 1979 Mazda RX-7 rotary was the company's greatest image-builder yet, casting a halo car over the rest of the model line. Also relaunched that year was the company's entrant in the midsize car market, the Mazda 626.

The RX-7 and 626 buoyed Mazda's American fortunes enough for it to expand. Mazda built an American plant (now AutoAlliance International) to build the 626, bringing the company to Ford's attention. The two joined together on the 626's 2-door offshoots, the Mazda MX-6 and Ford Probe.

Mazda finished the 1980s the same way as the 1970s, with an image-building sports car. The Mazda Miata was another tremendous halo car for the company, kicking off an industry boom in the sports car segment. The 3rd-generation RX-7, introduced in 1992, was much liked, but few were sold, causing an end of the model's importation to Japan just three years later, followed by Europe and most of the U.S. by 1998, though Australia and some U.S. states{including CA}, kept production going until around 2002.

==Marques==

Mazda has used a number of different marques in the Japan market, including Autozam, Eunos cars, and Efini, although they have been phased out. This diversification stressed the product development groups at Mazda past their limits. Instead of having a half-dozen variations on any given List of Mazda platforms, they were asked to work on dozens of different models. And consumers were confused as well by the explosion of similar new models.

Today, the former marques exist in Japan as sales channels (specialized dealerships) but no longer have specialized branded vehicles. In other words, the Autozam Carol is sold at the Autozam store (which specializes in small cars), but it is sold with the Mazda marque, not as the Autozam Carol as it once was.

In the early 1990s Mazda almost created a luxury marque, Amati, to challenge Acura, Infiniti, and Lexus in North America. In Europe, the equivalent Xedos marque was launched, lasting just a few years. The initial Amati products would have been the Amati 500 (which became the Mazda Millenia), and the Amati 1000 (a new rear wheel drive V12 successor to the Mazda 929). This never happened, leaving the near-luxury Millenia to the Mazda brand.

Logos {| class=wikitable|- align=center!width="25%"|!width="15%"|1962–1975!width="15%"|1975–1991!width="15%"|1991-1992!width="15%"|1992–1997!width="15%"|1997–present|- align=center|Symbol||None||||- align=center|Corporate mark|colspan=1||colspan=4||- style="vertical-align:top"||Symbol and corporate mark as seen on most Mazda cars from the Mazda R360 until 1975].|A redesigned symbol was introduced in 1997; it is a stylized "M" meant to show Mazda stretching its wings for the future.|}

Auto racing In the racing world, Mazda has had substantial success with two-rotor, three-rotor, and four-rotor cars, and private racers have also had considerable success with stock and modified Mazda Wankel-engined cars, see video clip. Mazda RX-3 Triple Turbo in action (video clip)

Mazda's competition debut was on October 20, 1968 when two Mazda Cosmo#Racing coupes entered the 84 hour Marathon de la Route ultraendurance race at Nürburgring, one finishing in fourth place and the other breaking an axle after 81 hours. The next year, Mazda raced Mazda R100#Racing 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 the 84 hour Nürburgring race with four Familias; only one of which finished, winning fifth place.

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 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 success by the Mazda RX-2 and Mazda RX-3, the Mazda RX-7 has won more International Motor Sports Association races in its class than any other model of automobile, with its one hundredth victory on September 2, 1990. Following that, the RX-7 won its class in the IMSA 24 Hours of Daytona race ten years in a row, starting in 1982. The RX7 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 only non-piston engine ever to win at Le Mans, as well as the only team from outside Western Europe or the United States. This led to a ban on rotary engines in the Le Mans race starting in 1992, which was eventually rescinded. After the 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.

This followed a decade of class wins from other Mazda prototypes, including the Mazda 757 and Mazda 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, who have entered only three cars in only one year), with 67% of entries finishing. Mazda will return to prototype racing in 2005 with the introduction of the Courage Compétition 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 land speed record competition, SCCA competition, drag racing, rally racing competition (the Mazda Familia appeared in the World Rally Championship several times during the late '80s and early '90s), the One Lap of America race, and other venues. Wankel engines are barred from international Formula One racing, as well as from United States midget car, 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.

Formula Mazda Racing features open wheel race cars with Mazda engines, adaptable to both oval tracks and road courses, on several levels of competition. Since 1991, the professionally organized Star Mazda Series has been the most popular format for sponsors, spectators, and upward bound drivers. The engines 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.

Sports

Sponsorship of Hiroshima Toyo Carp
:Toyo was taken from former name of Mazda, Toyo Kogyo.
Sponsorship of Sanfrecce Hiroshima
Sponsorship of the North Melbourne Football Club and the Fremantle Football Club in the Australian Football League
Hosting of Mazda Community Ekiden
Cooperation with Hiroshima International Peace Marathon and Hiroshima Prefectural Ekiden Race
Hosting of Mazda Invitational Youth Soccer Competition (in Hofu).
Sponsorship of Mazda Raceway at Laguna Seca.
Sponsorship of the Australian Rugby Championship

Trivia

Mazda is the only remaining manufacturer of Wankel engine automobiles, and is the only manufacturer to produce 3-rotor Wankel engines for production.

Mazda is the only manufacturer to ever produce a Miller cycle engine, as used in the Mazda Millenia.

Mazda is the only manufacturer to produce a rotary pickup truck (B-series based), bus (1974 Mazda Parkway) and stationwagon (Mazda RX3 wagon).

Mazda is the only Asian/American automaker to have won the 24 Hours of Le Mans auto racing, which the company accomplished in 1991 with their rotary-powered Mazda 787. It is the only car not powered by a piston engine to win at Le Mans.

Mazda had the distinction of having the first foreign CEO to head a Japanese/American car company: former Ford Motor Company CFO, Scottish-born Henry Wallace (Scottish) in 1996. Many Japanese media outlets at the time reacted in shock and horror, and wondered if Ford would cut jobs. He was followed by Ford President James Miller in 1997, and Mark Fields (businessman) in 1999 until 2001, when he was tapped to lead Ford's Premier Automotive Group and handed the reins to Lewis Booth. Lewis Booth went back to Ford in 2003 and Mazda Director Hisakazu Imaki is now CEO.

The Zoom Zoom Zoom song performed by Serapis Bey (Band) (used in current commercials in Europe, Japan and South Africa) was recorded long before it became the official song for Mazda. It was recorded for the movie Only The Strong which was released in 1993. The Serapis Bay version is a cover version of a traditional Capoeira music, called "Capoeira Mata Um".

While television ads for Mazda automobiles in the United States use a pronunciation where the initial vowel sound is similar to the word "mod", Canadian Mazda advertisements pronounce the company's name with the initial "a" sound of the word "has". However, both initial vowel sounds in the company's name mentioned in the American and Canadian commercials were derived from its original Persian pronunciation of the name's first and second A.