Australians will have the opportunity to purchase a limited number of 100th Anniversary editions of just about every Mazda model on sale.
MAZDA WILL celebrate its 100-year history of manufacturing with a selection of limited edition 100th Anniversary Special Edition models this year.
Having evolved since its 1920 beginnings as a material manufacturer, Mazda’s interesting history will be lauded by decorating 100th Anniversary edition models with white paint and burgundy trimmings, inspired from its first-ever production car, the Mazda R360. However, the company was not always known as Mazda.
Establishing itself as Toyo Cork Kogyo Co on January 30 1920, the business produced cork-substitute sealing material for around a decade. It then named itself Toyo Kogyo and produced rickshaws, including the first use of the name ‘Mazda’ with the 1931 Mazda Go.
Thirty years later it produced its first production car, the Mazda R360, a two-door four-seat coupe powered by a 356cc two-cylinder, four-stroke V-twin engine producing 12kW and 22Nm in a vehicle that weighed only 380kg. Six years later, Toyo Kogyo produced the Mazda Cosmo, and heralded the introduction of the brand’s defining rotary engine. Later, in 1984, Toyo Kogyo formally became the Mazda Corporation.
With a little history under the belt, we can now explain the 100th Anniversary models. Every limited-edition will be finished in white pearl paint with a burgundy interior (burgundy leather, mats, and carpet) similar to the R360. The Mazda MX-5 also gets a burgundy fabric drop-top roof. Around the car is 100th Anniversary Special Edition badging, which is the same round logo created with the founding of the Toyo Kogyo company. You’ll see it on the front fender, key fob, wheel caps, headrests and floor mats.
The kitted-up editions will adorn all but the Mazda BT-50 in Australia and land later this year, though pricing is yet to be announced.
Customers can register their interest to be the first to know more. Numbers, pricing and on-sale dates will be released in due course.
The 2020 Mazda 100th Anniversary Special Editions for Australia
- Mazda MX-5
- Mazda2
- Mazda3
- Mazda6
- Mazda CX-3
- Mazda CX-30
- Mazda CX-5
- Mazda CX-8
- Mazda CX-9
Mazda 100th Anniversary Special Editions image gallery
The two tone paint and roof looks fantastic on the MX-5.
I’m guessing the micro car in the pictures is not the 4-seater version……
There was only one version of the Mazda R360 and yes, it was classified as a four seater. Weighed in at 380kg, was in production from 1960-1966 and about 65,000 built of which only 700 odd were left hand drive.
I prefer the cream of the R360 to the white of the 100th anniversary edition – something a bit different without being too out-there.