| Toyo Cork Kogyo Co, Ltd is a name not too many | | | | innovative Wankel rotary engine its trendy RX sports |
| people would recognize today. Nevertheless, that is | | | | cars. It is still used in conjunction with its current sports |
| exactly who Mazda started out as. The company's | | | | car model, the RX-8. |
| first products were not cars but tools up until they | | | | Unfortunately, one of the drawbacks of the rotary |
| made decision 1n 1931 they wanted to compete in the | | | | engine is its rather inefficient fuel consumption. This |
| auto manufacturing market. Today they are known for | | | | proved to somewhat of a problem in Mazda's first real |
| trendy little sports cars like the Mazda RX-7 and four | | | | entry into the United States market in the early |
| door family sedans like the Mazda 626. Although Toyo | | | | seventies. With a global fuel crisis looming, the |
| Kogyo still continued to manufacture tools and cars, | | | | popularity of this engine began to waiver and Mazda |
| they also produced weapons for the Japanese military | | | | experienced limited success in the North American |
| for World War Two. | | | | markets because of it. Because Mazda had not |
| There is some debate concerning the origin of the | | | | completely abandoned production of the piston driven |
| name Mazda for the company. It is believed by some | | | | engine, they were able to concentrate more on these |
| to be an anglicized version of the founder's name, | | | | engines for their lineup of sedans until the economic |
| Matsuda. Others feel that Matsuda himself chose the | | | | crunch of that time period had passed. |
| name Mazda as it is derived from Ahura Mazda, the | | | | Mazda did still suffer financial setbacks in the early |
| name for a divinity exalted they whose follow the | | | | seventies as a result of the energy crisis and it was at |
| custom of Zoroastrianism. Zoroastrianism is believed | | | | this time that Ford Motor Company decided to make |
| by some in near eastern cultures to be the source of | | | | an offer to invest lightly in the Mazda Motor |
| wisdom, intelligence and harmony. | | | | Corporation. The initial venture started with Ford |
| Mazda wanted a way to set itself apart from its | | | | purchasing a 7% financial stake in Mazda. By the |
| competition so it devoted itself to the development of | | | | eighties, that investment had increased to 20%. The |
| different type of engine, apart from the standard | | | | partnership between the two has resulted in mixed |
| piston driven engine that other manufacturers were | | | | benefits for both companies. Ford has marketed one |
| using. The Wankel Rotary engine was developed in | | | | of its smaller cars under the Mazda banner, the Ford |
| the 1960's and Mazda began using it for the first time in | | | | Fiesta was renamed the Mazda 121 in markets in |
| the limited production Cosmo Sort that was introduced | | | | Europe and South Africa. |
| in 1967. The motor quickly became quite popular | | | | Through the years, various other cars and trucks have |
| because it provides a lot of power in relation to its | | | | been marketed under both Ford and Mazda names. |
| relatively lightweight. Mazda has continued to use the | | | | |