Mazda celebrates 100 years

Mazda has marked its 100th year in business by posting 400 photos of some of its most historic vehicles.

The Japanese car-maker also held a ceremony at its headquarters on Thursday while confirming plans for more celebrations at the upcoming Geneva motor show.

Starting out modestly on January 30, 1920, the Hiroshima-based company first made its name by selling corks until an industrialist named Jujiro Matsuda took over the company in 1921.

Matsuda transformed the company into a tool producer, then a vehicle manufacturer. The first vehicle was a three-wheeled truck called the Mazda-Go produced in 1931.

It wasn’t long before Mazda made in-roads with innovations like a four-speed transmission in 1938 that reduced fuel consumption by 20 per cent.

Mazda’s biggest development as a car-maker came in the wake of the Hiroshima atomic bombing, when it produced the Mazda R360 in 1960.

This development preceded Mazda’s licensing deal with German car-maker NSU in 1961, to build its Wankel rotary engines. The deal would help conceive cars including the 1967 Mazda Cosmo Sport 110S, along with other rotary offerings like the RX-4, RX-7 and RX-8.

The rotary feats gave rise to success on circuit too, with Mazda becoming the first Japanese marque to win the 1991 24 Hours of Le Mans aboard the four-rotor 787B.

In Australia, Mazda has made major milestones in its 60 years of business, first hitting the market in 1959. This includes seven generations of 323/Mazda 3 small cars.

Locally, Mazda has been better associated with cult cars like the MX-5, popular passenger vehicles like the Mazda3 and high-riders including the CX-3, CX-5 and CX-9.

"As we look ahead to the next 100 years, we will continue to challenge ourselves to create unique products, technologies, and experiences that our customers love," said Mazda President and CEO, Akira Marumoto.

The next landmark model in Mazda’s plans is set to come in the form of the all-electric MX-30 SUV.