Mazda were founded in 1920 as the Toyo Cork Kogyo Co., Ltd in Hiroshima, Japan. Originally created to manufacture machine tools, their first production vehicle didn’t see the light of day till 1931. A three-wheeled truck named the Mazda-go, 66 models were produced to meet demand from the Asian market.

Now fast approaching their 100th birthday, it’s fair to say that Mazda sell a few more vehicles in 2016 than they used to. Worldwide, the brand now pumps out over 1.3 million vehicles per year to meet growing expectations from every corner of the globe. In Australia, they sit proudly as the third most popular choice amongst the nation’s drivers, now reaching above 100,000 vehicle sales yearly.

Early Rise

By the early 1960s, Japan was starting to reap the benefits of the sharpest economic growth the nation had experienced. As its people began to make more money, Mazda started to produce the passenger cars that have established them as a respected automotive producer. In 1960 came the R360 Coupe, a modest 2-door creation fitted with a 365cc air-cooled 16-horsepower engine (how times have changed). In its first year, the R360 sold several thousand units across the increasingly wealthy cities of Japan.

By 1963 Mazda had produced a landmark one million units – sure-fire proof that demand for passenger vehicles was on an unrelenting rise, and evidence that Mazda was there to meet the need for desirable vehicles. Mazda are a unique car maker in that, to this day, they have always produced rotary engine vehicles, which allow power gains without huge added weight. This separated them from their Japanese competitors in the early years, allowing sales in big numbers in the 1960s across the world, particularly to North America.

Fall and Growth

Yet it was this overreliance on American money and on the less fuel-friendly rotary engine system that left the Japanese manufacturer on the brink of bankruptcy. Following the 1973 oil crisis, foreign buyers began to shirk away from Mazda, instead investing in more fuel-efficient vehicles.

In order to stave off the death of the company, it made perfect sense that the power-producing rotary engines would be best suited to certain sport and performance vehicles, and that the more familiar piston engines would be used on popular passenger car lines. The answer to Mazda financial woes lay in the production of the Familia line, and others like it, a range that would take the planet by storm.

The Familia would become a mainstay in driveways across the world, coming under a heap of different names including the Ford Laser and Ford Meteor. The Familia models of the 1970s onwards were far more fuel-friendly than past Mazda efforts, and along with the larger Capella series spearheaded Mazda’s rebirth in North America, as well as being responsible for launching their popularity in Australia.

Working closely with Ford throughout the 1980s and 90s, Mazda would combine their ability to produce slick designs with Ford’s massive popularity in North America and Oceania, as well as many other regions. The Familia would be used under the Ford name, and the iconic Ford Probe was the direct influence of the Mazda Capella. Mazda were also instrumental in developing the Ford Explorer, an icon of the American automotive world. It was this mutually beneficial partnership that meant by the early 1990s, Mazda designs were loved the world-over – and often the driver wouldn’t even know it!

New Millennium

In the new millennium, Mazda have produced stylish, spirited designs that have kept the brand amongst the big players. The Mazda6 would replace the Mazda Capella of the previous century, and the Mazda3 would be sold as the successor to the Familia. On top of these ever-popular models, the Mazda2, RX-8, and the Mazda5 have all made huge dents in the Australia and worldwide market.

Our Range

Buying online from Spares Box will give you incredible value compared to other options out there. On top of that, we offer possibly the broadest range of products for the vast majority of makes, models and vehicles that have come out of a Mazda factory. Spares Box have an outstanding choice of high quality products for the most beloved Mazda models from the Mazda2 to the Mazda6. Performance parts for the RX-8 and the MX-5 are also catered to, as well as off-road recovery items and heavy duty gear for their best-selling SUV, the CX-5, amongst other quality items.