Mazda R360- 1964

The Mazda R360 was introduced in 1960 by the Toyo Kogyo Co., Ltd. of Hiroshima, Japan. Toyo Kogyo had been producing motorcycles since 1929 and in 1931 launched a three-wheel vehicle called the “Mazda-Go”. The Mazda-Go was the vehicle that launched the name Mazda to the world. The name Mazda comes from Ahura Mazda, the Japanese god of harmony, intelligence and wisdom, which was selected by the Founder and President of Toyo Kogyo, Jujiro Matsuda.

On May 20, 1960 the whole of Japan would see the launch of the very first Mazda automobile, the R360. This small, light-weight car was a perfect fit for the recovering Japanese economy, indicative by the 4,500 orders Mazda received for the car prior to its unveiling. In 1962, Mazda also introduced the P360, known as the Carol model, to begin building its lineup of automobiles.

This Mazda R360 is one of only approximately 700 that were constructed with left-hand drive. As no R360s were produced for export, there is a bit of mystery behind the 700 left-hand drive cars. One possible answer came from former Mazda employees who stated that the left-hand drive cars were produced for US service men still stationed on Okinawa and in other Japanese cities. At some point in this car’s history, it has also had the original wrap around rear window replaced with a smaller window, for unknown reasons.

Specifications:

Manufacturer: Toyo Kogyo Co., Ltd.

Country of Origin: Japan

Drivetrain Configuration: Rear mid-engine, rear-wheel drive

Engine: Toyo Kogyo, air-cooled, 356cc, 2-cylinder, 4-stroke, 16 hp

Transmission: 4-speed manual, with reverse

Top Speed: 90 kph (55 mph)

Years of Production: 1960-1966

Number Produced: Unpublished

Original Cost: 300,000¥ ($830.00 in 1964)