HISTORY & SPIRIT OF MAZDA

The History and Spirit of Mazda

Ever since our foundation, we have carried forward our ideals: a zeal for technology and vehicles, as evidenced by
our development of the rotary engine, and our determination to contribute locally as a good corporate citizen. Here
are a few illustrations from our history that will help delineate the essence of Mazda.

A Love of Technology from Our Early Days

Mazda Brand Symbol (established June 1997)
Symbolizing the determination of Mazda and the Mazda Group to
continue revolutionizing itself to develop and grow, it is a stylized capital
"M" for Mazda.
Mazda Corporate Mark (established 1975)
Defined as the logo as part of the overall Corporate Identity established in
1975. It was positioned as the Mazda corporate mark when the brand symbol
was established in 1997, representing sustainability.
The origin and meaning of "Mazda"
The company's name,"Mazda," derives from Ahura Mazda, a god of the
earliest civilizations of West Asia. We have interpreted Ahura Mazda, the god
of wisdom, intelligence and harmony, as the symbol of the origins of both
Eastern and Western civilization, and also the primitive symbol of the
automobile culture. It incorporates a desire to achieve world peace and the
development of the automobile manufacturing industry. It also derives from
the name of our founder, Jujiro Matsuda.
Mazda was established in 1920 as Toyo Cork Kogyo, Ltd. We
leveraged the mechanical technology of those early years to change
our name to Toyo Kogyo, and in March 1931 we manufactured our
first three-wheel truck, laying the foundation for future growth to
evalve into an automobile manufacturer.
In the three-wheel truck field, where almost all engines were imported
at that time, we emphasized R&D with the goal of achieving a totally
Japan-built product. Our recognition that technical capability was the
driving force behind corporate growth continued after World War II,
and R&D continued into basic technologies, especially materials. At
the same time we introduced a range of new industrial technologies
including shell casting, hailed as a revolution in casting, continuous
gas immersion technology, Alfing technology and ductile casting
manufacturing technology. The technological expertise and experience
we gained laid the groundwork for the future development of the
rotary engine.
The Region and Mazda – And August 6, 1945
Mazda enjoyed a wide range of benefits thanks to the geographical
circumstances of Hiroshima. For example, the region already had
considerable technical experience in steel product fabrication and
shipbuilding, to name two, and as a result had an extensive number of
highly-trained people with crucial knowledge and skills. Mazda also
made good use of Hiroshima's excellent transportation network and
its position on Japan’s Inland Sea, becoming the first firm in the
industry to utilize maritime transport for domestic shipments, such as
to Hokkaido. Contribution to the local community where we work has
always been a core part of Mazda, ever since our birth.
On August 6, 1945, the atomic bomb was dropped on Hiroshima, and
Toyo Kogyo ceased all production activities. While damage to
company facilities was minimal, because of our location 5.3 km from
the center, employee morale was devastated. The company
immediately opened all facilities and its stock of medical supplies to
the public, and devoted all of its efforts to rescue activities. The
following day, on the morning of August 7, we opened emergency
contact centers in four locations throughout the city, working to
facilitate communication between employees and their families, and
provide assistance.
For about a year from August 20, 1945, we provided portions of our
corporate facilities to the Hiroshima Prefectural government, the local
court and NHK Hiroshima Broadcasting. For this unfortunate period,
Mazda was the center of government in Hiroshima.

Glossary 1 Glossary 2 Glossary 3

Shell molding Continuous gas carburizing technology Alfing technology

This method of fabrication allows casting with greater strength and
better dimension precision than standard casting, and is suited to
making small and thin products. The name “shell” molding comes
from the fact that the molds used are quite thin and shell-like in
appearance.
5 Social & Environmental Report 2005
Carburizing is a type of surface treatment, consisting of A general-purpose copy lathe developed by ALFING
quenching and tempering, used to enhance the wear Kessler Maschinenfabrik GmbH of Germany. It is capable
resistance of surface layers after highly workable low- of preserving circularity while cutting a stepped shaft I.D.
carbon steel is fabricated.
 HISTORY OF MAZDA CARS

Three-wheel truck production starts.

Mazda's first vehicle was the three-wheel "Mazda-go" truck. 66
units were manufactured the first year.

The Origin of the Zoom-Zoom Spirit:

The Challenge of the Rotary Engine
The continuously-rotating internal combustion engine invented by
Mazda R360 Coupe introduced.
Felix Wankel of Germany in 1919 was the first rotary engine.
This lightweight 4-seater has a 356-cc air-cooled 2-cylinder
Compared to standard reciprocating engines it rotated smoothly, and OHV (16 H.P.) engine. Its thorough weight-reduction design
the extremely simple structure mean a very low parts count. These gave it a mileage of 32 km/liter.

features, along with very low noise and vibration, drew considerable
attention years later, and over 100 firms around the world expressed
interest in accessing the technology even as development proceeded
toward a practical implementation. Mazda was also extremely Mazda Cosmo Sports, world’s first rotary engine vehicle, introduced.
The Cosmo Sports, a 2-seater, mounted a newly-developed 491 cc x 2,
interested in developing this new type of engine, recognizing in it a rotary engine(110 H.P.) . It delivered a top speed of 185 km/h and a 0-
possible solution to the needs of the emerging motorized society. 400 meter acceleration of 16.3 seconds.

In 1961 we entered into negotiations with NSU and Wankel GmbH,

concerning rotary engine technology. Mazda cleared a host of
technical obstacles, and in May 1967 finally released the Cosmo
Sports, mounting the world's first 2-rotor rotary engine. This created Mazda Savanna RX-7 introduced.
Developed under the basic theme of "pursuing the sheer joy of
the solid base behind Mazda's technology, which has earned its driving," the 12A-type rotary engine (130 H.P.) was mounted
reputation across the globe, and was also the starting point of the front-mid, delivering superb handling and stability.

"Zoom-Zoom" spirit representing our love for machinery and vehicles.

From Post-War Recovery to the Present

Mazda Familia wins
On a local radio program broadcast on January 4, 1953, Chairman "Japanese Car for the Year."
Koichi Tanaka of Sanyo Mokuzai Bofu K.K. (now Xyence Corp.)
commented "The War ended seven years ago, and there is still no
place for the people assemble. It's a bit sad. I'd really like some sort
of public auditorium." Tsuneji Matsuda, then president of Mazda,
responded by approaching eight key financial leaders in the region
Eunos Roadster (Mazda MX-5) released.
together with President Tanaka to raise funds. The ten firms Marketed to provide drivers with the thrill of driving as a lightweight
sports car carrying on a proud tradition, the Roadster became extremely
contributed about 350 million yen, and with the cooperation of local popular in North America before it was released in Japan, and went on to
become a best-selling product.
industry the Hiroshima Public Auditorium (now the International
Conference Center Hiroshima) was completed within the Peace
Memorial Park in February 1955. The ten firms went on to create the
Futaba Association, which led efforts to improve the city
Mazda RX-8 4-door,
infrastructure, such as through the donation of the Hiroshima 4-seater sports car released.
Prefectural Government offices (1956), the Hiroshima Municipal Mazda RX-8 wins RJC 2004
Baseball Stadium (1957) and the Hiroshima Bus Center (1957), as Car of the Year. (Japan)
well as the Hiroshima Prefecture Gymnasium and Hiroshima Bus
Center. Their selfless spirit continues to impact social contribution Mazda6/Atenza wins
Car of the Year for 2004 in China.
today, while Mazda itself provides financial support for local
Mazda's mid-size Atenza sedan won the "2004 Chinese Car
professional sports teams such as the Hiroshima Carp (baseball) and of the Year" awarded by Motor Trend China magazine.
References:
"Corporate History of Toyo Kogyo: The First 50 years" (1972),
"A Company that Helped Keep Hiroshima Vital" (2004, Hiroshima City Plaza for Town Development through Citizen Exchange)

Glossary 4 Glossary:5

Ductile cast iron Felix Wankel

By making the crystals in cast iron spherical, it is possible to This inventor researched the rotary engine, wondering if it could be
increase the strength and elongation of the material. Formal name possible to make a completely-rotational engine, instead of a
is, this is called nodular graphite cast iron. reciprocating one. His dream was finally realized in 1959 with German
motorcycle manufacturer NSU (later merged with Audi).

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