1940 Mazda Prototype

Sven7 · **Posted:** Fri Jul 15, 2011 7:17 pm

I'm doing a project and though my book "The Complete History of the Japanese Car" has an illustration and caption on the car, it doesn't give much info and I can't find anything on the net.

The caption reads:

Quote:

MAZDA - 1940

Mazda built its first automobile in 1960, but the possibility of entering the sector had already been considered before the war, a small prototype sedan (shown here) being produced in 1940. The outbreak of war prevented the company from starting mass production and this was hampered after the end of hostilities by the general veto imposed on automobile production by the occupying American forces.

The car is a short wheelbase five-window, two (suicide) door sedan with a split windshield. The grille is rectangular in shape, with horizontal chrome slats. There are chrome vents on the sides of the engine cover and the headlight units are chrome.

Does anyone have any more info on this, or even better, a photo of it?

Thanks, Tyler

Sven7 · **Posted:** Mon Jul 18, 2011 10:02 pm

OK so I figured out what the Mazda guys "copied", at least styling wise. It looks nearly identical to the first gen Opel Kadett, but with separate headlight pods.

Sven7 · **Posted:** Fri Aug 12, 2011 10:16 am

Bump, anyone have any info at all on this? The two pictures in this thread and my avatar are now the top three Google Image searches for "1940 Mazda Prototype"

MattCurlew · **Posted:** Tue Aug 30, 2011 6:10 pm

The german press website just uploaded lots of 'new' pictures of old Mazda's. Great to watch

And I found an official picture of the 1940 Mazda PKW Concept

Looks indeed quite like the Opel Kadett

zionfarm · **Posted:** Tue Aug 30, 2011 7:34 pm

Wow thats a Mazda, man I wish I was around those times.

lotatoyotas · **Posted:** Thu Sep 01, 2011 12:31 am

They don't look any more alike than a Camry and an Accord.

That Mazda has awesome proportions though. Short and squat with massive wheels makes it look kinda hotroddish.

Kopasan · **Posted:** Thu Sep 01, 2011 5:14 am

MattCurlew wrote:

The german press website just uploaded lots of 'new' pictures of old Mazda's. Great to watch

And I found an official picture of the 1940 Mazda PKW Concept

Very interesting information, thanks!
Can you give us a link to that German site?

Sven7 · **Posted:** Mon Sep 12, 2011 3:00 pm

MattCurlew wrote:

The german press website just uploaded lots of 'new' pictures of old Mazda's. Great to watch

And I found an official picture of the 1940 Mazda PKW Concept

Thank you a million times over! That's the first photograph I've seen of the car. It looks rather handsome.

MattCurlew · **Posted:** Wed Jan 11, 2012 3:11 pm

Sorry for the late respond.. i keep forgetting i should check this forum more often

The website is www.mazda-press.de. But not everyone can get access to it but you can always try

MattCurlew · **Posted:** Thu Jan 12, 2012 12:16 pm

Did you guys already seen this one? This was the prototype that Bertone showed people before it went into production as the 1500/1800 (Luce)

MattCurlew · **Posted:** Fri Jan 13, 2012 7:03 am

I've found another picture of the 1940 concept

e-at_me · **Posted:** Thu Jan 26, 2012 6:54 am

that thing looks like a cartoon! hahahaaa.

i have that book. it's great.

baltsiotis · **Posted:** Fri Jan 27, 2012 2:59 pm

MattCurlew wrote:

Did you guys already seen this one? This was the prototype that Bertone showed people before it went into production as the 1500/1800 (Luce)

Nice photo, the usual one is at Tokyo Motor Show. Is there any reliable reference that this "1000", as far as I remember, is realted with Giugiaro+Bertone?
Thanks

zionfarm · **Posted:** Sun Feb 26, 2012 4:48 pm

Sven7 wrote:

OK so I figured out what the Mazda guys "copied", at least styling wise. It looks nearly identical to the first gen Opel Kadett, but with separate headlight pods.

I think I may have the picture your looking for. It's located in this book
"RX-7"
"The New Mazda RX-7 and Mazda Rotary Engine Sports Cars"

By Jack K. Yamaguchi
Edited by Ron Wakefield

Driving impressions by Paul Frere.

I will get a picture of it later this week.

Sven7 · **Posted:** Fri Mar 23, 2012 10:43 pm

Wow so 2 1/2 months later I find this again :lol:

Thank you for the extra photos, Matt! I couldn't get into that Mazda site but the front view of the prototype is fabulous.

Glad they changed the Luce before production, too. The prototype in the photo looks a bit stubby.
Edit: Are you sure it wasn't the Familia? That looks more similar.

Zionfarm, were you able to locate the picture you were looking for?

zionfarm · **Posted:** Sun Mar 25, 2012 8:58 am

The second picture is the same as the first but at least you can see where I got it from.

By zionfarm at 2012-03-25

xs10shl · **Posted:** Sun Mar 25, 2012 9:12 am

Sven7 wrote:

OK so I figured out what the Mazda guys "copied", at least styling wise. It looks nearly identical to the first gen Opel Kadett, but with separate headlight pods.

Really doesn't look at all like that car, unless you squint. And then it looks just about like any car of the era.

To my eye, it looks more akin to a modernized Austin 7, by the wheelbase.

1940 Mazda Prototype

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