Matsuda Motor Corporation (MAZDA) was founded from a heavy equipment maker named TOYO Kogyo Ltd, who established itself in Japan before World War II. The 120 meter hill that divides the factory from the center of Hiroshima was responsible for the least damage and was the ONLY large factory that survived the Atomic Bomb dropped by the US Air Force to end the war at Hiroshima. It provided many jobs for the ruined people of Hiroshima.

After the war, Matsuda Corporation began producing small compact 3 wheel trucks for the masses to provide cheap means for the reconstruction of the aftermath of the war in Western JAPAN. It was soon fighting for the 3rd spot in automobile market with Honda Research and Development Corporation (Honda Motor Company). Soon after the success of small passenger cars and trucks, it began a quest for sports cars in the early 60's. Founder Matsuda, then executive chairman, started coveting the idea of the "impossible" engine called the rotor-Wankel device. Its contraption was thought to be impossible after Mercedes, Audi, Porsche and NSU all worked at one time and gave up making it for mass production. With determination for innovation, Matsuda assigned 47 men to develop this device to power their new proposed car, named the COSMO then project code L402A.

The research went on for several years while the 47 men nicknamed Shijyu-Shichishi (47 Challengers) worked to resolve the problems of the engine. Notably in this development, was the reduction of wear of the rotary casing, massive vibration and bearing failures, and an effective material that can seal the apex of the triangular rotor. Over 4500 materials tested with no avail until one engineer mixed graphite with alloy to effectively seal the apex for 100,000 kilo-meter use duration. The Cosmo Sports 110S debuted in October 1967, as the FIRST rotor-Wankel gasoline motor car. The power was impressive with the L10 Rotary motor 491ccX2. Prototype's peripheral port design was dropped and displacement increased from the L8's 394x2 to give the car better true world use. The Cosmo sprinted the 400meter (roughly 1/4 mile) in 16 flat and top speed surpassed the 200 km mark... an unheard of value for cars back in those days... Only the Nissan Fairlady and Toyota 2000GT would pass those marks a few years later.

With the Savanna (RX3~RX7) also featuring the rotary in a more practical package, demand for rotary was healthy and well appraised. The Rotary engine became Matsuda's trademark distinction.

The problems hit when the first global oil shock and environmental activists started to take power. The original rotary motors were very inefficient and consumed comparatively large quantities of oils. The mass public became less attracted and were even starting to despise the rotary over the course of a decade....while RX7's continued to evolve, the company never made much profit from them...and ironically could not drop the engine either as it was the sole icon that people associated Mazda for. Not that it didn't make pistons engine cars but it's success was alwasys short lived and never made much progress over its rivals. The Familia (323) was a success for a short while...as well as the 626 in the late 80's.

Meanwhile a man who raced rotary Savannas with success domestically approached Matsuda in the late 80's. A man by the name of Terada Yujiro has asked for sponsorship to take the Group N Mazda RX7 to Leman 24hour to prove that rotaries can be efficient and reliable...to win his championship but also to give Mazda its glory back with rotary's success.

Terada's first attempt at Lemans 24 was a total failure, with staff of only 12 and very limited budget Terada almost gave up hopes for future challenges. He looked at the million dollar operations of Mercedes, Jaguar, and Porsche at the time and thought there was no match with his 2 rotor RX7. But his efforts did not go unnoticed...
The leader of the original 47 "Shijyu-Shichishi" had fallen to the spell of Leman and convinced Matsuda himself to go through with a 400 million dollar project of all original Sports Proto with an all new engine. Mazda committed its annual earnings completely to the development of the Leman's engine with 1200 men and 32 departments at work on a single car. A first 4 rotor engine... Mazda all knew that the company will not prevail without this win in Le Mans...both financially and publicly. 2 years after the first attempt, the 787B Prototype entered the 1992 Lemans 24Hr endurance. With almost a clinch of 2nd place running behind the Mercedes by 40 minutes, the Mazda's race operation manager told the drivers to up the pace. By running faster the 787B risked engine failure as 24 hours is about lasting 24 hours as the name implies... But everyone agreed that it would not settle or survive as company as 2nd place finisher... Mercedes gradually upped the pace to keep their margin... Both teams running way over planned lap times and abusing cars above normal pace, Mazda gave all it had as they had come to do. It was a battle of durability... who would last the remaining 7 hours...
Finally at the last 2 hours to go, Mercedes finally let go of a connecting rod. and 787 closed the nearly an hour gap and took the checker as perhaps the most aggressively fought Leman�s of recent history...and making them the only Japanese manqu�Etoday of holding Combined Class 1st Place finish at Leman�s.

On the financial side, the 787B depleted the company resources and was subsequently bought out in controlling shares by Ford but its name as it stands today, Mazda Motor Company, because of the 787B, holds its stature and glory of soul rotary engine maker... Despite the rumors, FORD will probably never tear the rotary development apart for MAZDA as has once been planned before 1992. And it's origins to its current state, is one of Japan's most proudly coveted success stories in its industrial history... Form ashes of Hiroshima to global standard in innovative sports cars...

 

that was great...i hope mazda will be around for a long time to come

 

i hope too

 

It's an awesome story... I'm so glad I own a rotary.

 

Rotary Pride.

I am obsessed with my rex. The best car on the road in my opinion.
Amen.

 

Now guys do you understand why our parts for rotaries cost so much?? You have to pay for all that R & D sometime..

 

The big problem with Mazda's business was that they kept coming out with cars that competed with its other line of cars (Miata for instance.) It was the first time in history that ANY American company had a board member in a Japanese company, and Ford did a great job of keeping Mazda in business. This is really about the only good thing I can say for Ford.

 

I held my rotary clock up high and screamed "rotaries rule" for 15 minutes. The neighbours were shocked!

 

Didn't this come from club4ag.com? http://forums.12hundred.com/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=11222