Regular readers of this section know how special 2020 is for Mazda. It is the year that marks his first centenary as a car manufacturer, since he was formerly dedicated to the treatment of cork. The Japanese firm celebrated this milestone with the launch of a special 100th anniversary edition , which is inspired by the first compact manufactured by Hiroshima: the R360 Coupé . Its burgundy roof, in combination with the pearl white of the bodywork, fits perfectly with the most sophisticated and purist customers of the firm. However, that small vehicle meant much more to the history of the Japanese manufacturer. After the war, and the destruction caused by the atomic bomb, Mazda turned to the production of commercial vehicles and the rebuilding of its town. For this reason, its first car did not see the light until 1960. 80 years have passed but the presence of the firm in the compact segment has not diminished one iota. A story that started the R360 Coupé and features iconic models like the Familia and the Mazda 323 .
The first compact devised by Mazda was presented in 1940. It was a passenger car that we would now classify among compact sedans. It was characterized by huge windows, a really spacious cabin for the time and a comfort worthy of higher segments, an attribute that is still present in current models. World War II truncated Mazda’s plans but planted the seed of an idea: the development of small models . Later, that idea sprouted and became one of the fundamental pillars of the Japanese manufacturer, along with innovation and passion for driving. Mantras that we can still feel every time we get into one of their models, be it the beautiful and award-winning Mazda3 or the new Mazda MX-30, the first 100% electric of the firm.
The wait was worth it and, after recovering from the impact caused by the atomic bombs, Mazda set out to conquer the automotive sector in the 1960s. He did it with the R360 Coupé we have talked about so much and with a surprising spirit of improvement. They called him Mukainada spirit.
