In this space we have told you countless times how important competition is for the development of the vehicles that will later circulate on our roads. Mazda was aware of this from its early days as an automobile manufacturer, having left behind as a cork producer in Hiroshima. Innovation is part of the pillars that have made Mazda a world-renowned firm . That and the daring it has done throughout its history. The rotary engine is what has characterized them the most and their blind faith in that block led them to win the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1991 . But records don’t come out of nowhere, they have to be worked on. The Japanese firm knows better than anyone what effort and courage mean. A courage and perseverance that they call the Mukainada spirit and that they coined after overcoming the reconstruction of their city, a victim of the atomic bomb in 1945.
That fixation for work and perseverance was implanted in the DNA of Mazda workers, who do not conceive of any other way of doing things than by being themselves. For this reason, they have subjected each of their innovations to the harsh demands of competition, whether in the World Rally Championship or in the mythical French endurance race. In this way, Mazda managed to make a name for itself in the imaginary of the European and American customer by introducing its technology in the most broadcast and followed races in the world. This fixation began in the world of motorcycles, when Toyo Kogyo – Mazda in the 30s – participated in the Japanese motorcycle championship with a motorcycle produced entirely in the Asian country. However, the president of the company ruled out continuing in this way and focused on the development of the Mazda Go, the first vehicle that Matsuda would present to the automotive world.
Years passed and the thorn of the competition was still nailed in the manufacturer’s plans. With the Mazda Cosmo Sport it was time to get back to racing. For the brand it was the best of the advertising actions so they embarked on the most complicated challenge: resistance. They did so by participating in the Marathon de la Route, an 84-hour test that was held at the Nürburgring circuit in 1968 . That was the beginning of the history of Mazda and the competition, full of successes and memorable milestones.
