20 Millionth Car Produced
THE 20 millionth Mazda motor vehicle rolled from a production line in Hiroshima in April, marking an important milestone for the Japanese car maker. Unit number 20,000,000 was a new model Mazda 929 4-door hardtop powered by a V6 engine for the Japanese domestic market. The cumulative total production of 20 million was reached in 55 years and six months. Mazda first began motor vehicle production in 1931. Of the 20 million vehicles, 11,520,603 units - or 57.6 percent of the total - were passenger cars. The bajance of 8,479,397 were commercial vehicles. Of all Mazda models, the front-wheel-drive 323 is the most popular in the 20 million total, accounting for a cumulative production of 5,203,192, or 26 percent. The 323 is also the most popular Mazda ever sold on the New Zealand market, and is currently assembled here in four differing body styles and with a choice of engines. Second most popular Mazda since the Hiroshimabased company began, is the medium-size 626 series with 2,560,702 units, or 12.8 percent of the 20 million. Third, with 2,092,865, or 10.5 percent, is the popular Mazda B-Series light truck which is also known in some markets as the Proceed. Both the 626 and B-Series models are assembled in New Zealand. More than 1.3 million Mazda 929 models have been built, while cumulative production of the Savanna / RX-3 and RX-7 rotary engine models accounts for 876,492 units. Mazda has been prominent in commercial vehicle production, making 1.174 million T-Series trucks, 1.346 million of the Porter Series truck and 1.275 million F.-Series, or Bongo/ Brawny vans. F.leven years before Mazda Motor Corporation started motor vehicle production, it was founded as a cork manufacturer. The first vehicle was a three-wheeled commercial truck known as the DA in 1931. The R360Coupe, Mazda's first passenger car, was launched in 1960, and one
year later the first overseas assembly operations began in K.orea. Cumulative total production of one million units was reached in 1963, and in 1966 the first Mazdas - a shipment of B1500 utilities - were exported to New Zealand. 1967 saw the introduction of the 1 10S, Mazda's first rotary-powered vehicle, and two years later the first Mazdas were assembled in New Zealand. They were B1500 utility light trucks which were assembled in Christchurch. By the mid-sixties Mazda had established itself as one of the leading car makers in Japan, with total production topping ten million units by 1979. By this time, more than a million rotary-engined cars had been made by Mazda, and exports were rising fast. The one million export barrier had been broken back in 1973. Until September 1982, Mazda produced all its vehicles at a single location in Hiroshima. Then came the opening of an entirely new passenger car plant at Hofu. In 1983 Mazda reached total production of 15 million vehicles, and in 1986 the ten million export milestone was achieved. Based on its annual vehicle production of 1.4 million units, Mazda Motor Corporation is currently the fourth largest motor manufacturer in Japan and the eleventh largest car maker in the world.
Taumarunui and Ohakune were two of the town s visited by the 'Honda City F.xpress' as it travelled on the Main Trunk Line last week. As part of a joint promotion run by N.Z.M.C. and New Zealand Railways, it involved the transportation of new, bright coloured Honda City cars from Wellington to Auckland by the Railways' newly upgraded car wagon service. There were fifty-six brightly painted cars, in colours never before seen on New Zealand roads, such as electric pink, blue and yellow. A competition involving an overseas trip for two was
run in conjunction with the promotion. So keen was one entrant that missing the train did not deter him - he hitch-hiked from Palmerston North to Ohakune to hand in his competition form! Mr Handley Thomson, public affairs manager for Honda, said, in Taumarunui, that there had been crowds of people following the promotion on the first half of its journey. He described it as "a novel way of doing things", and added, "it seems to be working". The cars were built at the N.Z.M.C.'s Nelson assembly plant and were on their
way to Auckland where they will be sold. The special train stopped at a number of centres and was the focal point for local Honda dealers to preview the new colour range, and host customers and local civic leaders in a special conference carriage. Almost 150 metres long, the specially sign-painted train was made up of seven of Railfreights recently upgraded double deck car wagons. A new electric locomotive hauled the train from Palmerston North to Marton. Diesel traction was also used and from Pukekohe it was hauled by a steam locomotive - making it the first train in New Zealand to be hauled by all three motive powers. The train departed from Wellington last Thursday, and arrived in Auckland on Saturday morning.
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Waimarino Bulletin, Volume 5, Issue 2, 9 June 1987, Page 3 (Supplement)
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81720 Millionth Car Produced Waimarino Bulletin, Volume 5, Issue 2, 9 June 1987, Page 3 (Supplement)
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