since 1976
since 1976
Mazda Motor Corporation has just announced its 100th Anniversary Special Edition models to commemorate the special occasion. Though the 100th anniversary special edition models will not be available locally, below are the official message, heritage stories and idea behind the 100th Anniversary Special Edition models from Mazda Corporation.
1. Welcome Message from Mazda Corporation
Aim for the stars, but remember your roots
In January this year, Mazda marked its 100th anniversary since its foundation. We owe these 100 years to the continued support from our customers, business partners, shareholders and fans all over the world, who have stuck with us through thick and thin every step of the way.
Ever since their creation, cars have enriched people’s lives. The freedom of mobility, the ability to just go where you want when you want, stimulated peoples’ creativity and ability to take action. In turn, this helped to build a world full of new possibilities, made possible thanks to past pioneers who had high aspirations and took on countless challenges to consistently improve cars.
We were fortunate to have people with such aspirations among our ranks and in 1920 we originated as a cork producing company in Hiroshima, with the vision of contributing to society through engineering. Practical founder of Mazda, Jujiro Matsuda, had his sights on making a passenger vehicle to help create an era in which people could lead rich and fulfilling lives; marking the beginning of Mazda’s “never-stop challenging” history.
Following Jujiro Matsuda’s line of thought, we aimed to make a car for private use accessible to all, enabling people to drive themselves anywhere they wanted to go and enriching their lives as a result. Taking on the challenge to design Mazda’s first passenger vehicle using only top of the range technology for the time, the R360 Coupe was finally created in 1960 and became the starting point of Mazda's car-making.
As a token of our appreciation for those who have supported us so far, along with our resolution to always remember our roots, we have prepared special edition models to commemorate Mazda's 100th anniversary. In reminiscence of the R360 Coupe, the cars inherited a white-and-burgundy two-tone colour coordination and feature the 100th Anniversary Special Logo.
Toward the next 100 years, we will continue to strengthen co-creation and cooperation with all those who work with Mazda and always remain true to our unique trait of “co-creating with others” placing people at the center of our minds, constantly challenging ourselves to create unique products, technologies, and experiences that our customers love.
2. HERITAGE
R360 Coupe (1960): Mazda’s first passenger vehicle competed on individuality
The R360 Coupe was Mazda’s first passenger vehicle. The company had its sights set on becoming a full-line automaker, and its first undertaking made a memorable splash with a futuristic design and unique technologies. Developed with extraordinary passion, the car was designed for people who wanted to fulfil their dream of owning their own car.
Symbolizing that intention was a four-cycle engine—unprecedented among micro-mini passenger cars of the time—and an automatic transmission that made driving easy. Also noteworthy were the extensive weight-reduction efforts aimed at making the R360 Coupe nimble on the road. The powertrain used a good deal of light alloy materials, and the body adopted a monocoque construction. A distinctive and stylish coupe form also contributed significantly to the weight savings. These factors combined to provide—at an astonishingly affordable price—driving performance that eclipsed the era’s preceding micro-mini passenger cars. The R360 Coupe became an epoch-making car that accelerated the motorization of Japanese society and, to this day, stands as the starting point of Mazda's vehicle production.
3. 100th Anniversary Special Edition series
Striving for the next 100 years: Aim for the stars, but remember your roots
High model grades of the R360 Coupe－which in 2020 celebrates 60 years since its launch—featured a two-tone colour scheme. A white body contrasted with a coloured roof and matching interior hue. This novel yet tasteful use of colour strengthened the longing for personal car ownership and was inspired by a desire to make customers’ lives more colourful and vibrant.
The 100th Anniversary Special Edition models reflect Mazda’s history of taking on challenges and act as a reminder of its car-making roots by adopting a similar motif in red and white. Inside, the floor carpet, floor mats and seats use the same rich burgundy that was introduced with the Mazda3.
In addition, the hubcaps feature the same design as the 100th Anniversary Special anniversary logo, an expression of the company’s desire to celebrate its 100th anniversary together with customers. Furthermore, the key fob, headrests and other parts are embellished with a special logo so that customers can always feel connected to Mazda, whether they are behind the wheel or away from the car. The body is also adorned with a commemorative badge, creating a special look and feel. The 100th Anniversary Special Edition series is designed to express gratitude to the millions of people who have had dealings with Mazda over the years and a pledge that though it may aim for the stars, the company will never forget its roots in the car-making business.
