Regulars on this site will know that Mazda celebrates the 40th anniversary of its rotary engine this year. The official birthday was on May 30, marked by the when Mazda’s first pistonless car, the 1967 Cosmo Sport, went on sale four decades ago, but ever since then the non-stop whirlwind of celebration, at venues such as Laguna Seca, SevenStock and JCCS, has rivaled the whirling capabilities of the engine itself.
Throughout, the company itself has been providing a website for anyone curious about its unique and sporting history, and the latest addition is a series of videos taking an in-depth look at the manufacture of a rotary engine. Although much of it is done by giant steel machines, there are still elements of old school craftsmanship involved, especially when a pair of human hands are employed to fit precision parts like the apex seals onto the rotors by feel. Check out the videos here.
[Source: Mazda]
Makes me laugh that the machine that polishes the trochoid inside shape of the block, a machine which is unique to Mazda, is proudly emblazoned with “TOYOTA” in big blue letters.
Cool videos altogether, though.
I think the machine was made by “Toyo” not “Toyota.” Not sure if they’re related though…
Overall, I love watching videos like this. They make me feel closer to the manufacturer as well as the finished product.
For over 60 years Mazda’s official company name was actually Toyo Kyogo. It was changed to Mazda in the 80s, so that’s probably what the “Toyo” on the machine is referring to.