Mazda was founded in Japan in 1920 as Toyo Cork Kogyo Co., Ltd. It originally manufactured tools and heavy machinery, but switched to vehicle manufacturing with the first model, the Mazda-Go in 1931. The company was formally renamed Mazda in 1984, although all models sold from the beginning bore that name. The first four-wheeled model was the Mazda R360, which was launched in 1960, followed by the Mazda Carol in 1962.
The Ford Motor Company has controlled 25 per cent of Mazda since 1979 and now controls 33 per cent since 1996, when Mazda struggled financially. Ford has based many of its models on Mazda technology, such as the Ford Probe, the latest North American model from Ford Escort or the joint development of the Ford Escape/Mazda Tribute.
Brand Objective
Mazda is today one of Japan’s most respected and well-known manufacturers. A brand that was born in 1920 in Hiroshima, before the Second World War, and throughout its history has lived through different stages that defined some of its philosophy, such as having belonged to Ford until 2010. Today, Mazda is a completely independent Ford brand, focused on the development of cars with a good compromise between quality and price, technology and, above all, technical solutions very focused on efficiency and respect for the environment.
