(first posted 5/3/2013) The CC Cohort has just been the beneficiary of a massive upload of epic scale and diversity, by r0b0tr10t. It appears to be his collection of finds over the past couple of years, and I don’t know where to start. Check it out yourself. Well, how about we ponder this fine 1977-1978 or so Mazda 929L, which sported a very American face, to say the least. Ironically, this generation of 929 was not imported to the US.
But it wasn’t for domestic consumption either. It was a restyle of the Luce legato, specifically for export markets, other than the US. As such, they did not get the rotary engine, which was apparently only available;e on the somewhat less garish domestic version. These were powered by the 1970cc SOHC four that powered the US version of the 626. The first 929 exported to the US was this version, beginning in 1988.
PS: These shots looked familiar, and I realized that they’re used in the wikipedia section for the Mazda Luce. But it appears that r0b0rt10t submitted that, so it appears a legitimate find by this prolific shooter. These cars will keep us busy for a while.
Nice to see one of my photos featured! I’ve been taking photos of classic and odd cars I find parked around the streets and backyards for a couple of years now as a hobby, and I’m glad if they can be put to use here. It’s a great website with interesting stories you’ve got. I’ll try my best to keep supplying photos 😉
Amazing collection! Where are you based?
Thanks! Most of the photos were taken in my hometown of Regensburg/Germany.
Interesting that they copied the 76/77 Buick Century/Chevrolet Malibu Classic stacked headlight treatment, the 77/78 Mopar design, along with Fords 77-79 LTD II.
I think the Dodge Monaco, and the Malibu Classic wore the treatment the best, but maybe I’m just a touch biased from my own 77 Malibu Classic sedan.
And a little bit of AMC Concord in the posterior too.
Mazda Granada?
My thoughts exactly.
Or Family Truckster.
Totally.
Interestingly, apparently some Mazda literature exists that suggests that they had considered installing the rotary for export use in this car, with references to it being called the RX-9 (to go with 929 I suppose). However, when they decided not to send this car to the US, the other markets were considered to be too sensitive to the price of fuel, and so the rotary variant was shelved. As you said though, variants sold as the Luce in Japan did get the rotary.
You know, I really wish Mazda would go back to just using their name in that stylized font as their main logo, rather than the various meaningless shapes (the toilet seat, the angry owl, and the short-lived Renault-logo-in-an-oval that got them sued) they’ve used since the early 90s. Having the simple wordmark in the top right part of the grille (or above the top right corner of the grille, in the case of the second gen RX-7) was subtle but elegant, IMO.
I really liked the old simple “lowercase m in a circle” logo, but it looked very early-60s so I can see why they dropped it, but it was a great mid century modern design, especially when put inside a rotor on the Wankel powered cars.
Yore shittin me these didn’t go to the US they certainly made an American style car to flog to the rest of us, Not very many still alive here and of course some of ours are likely JDM refugees. I remember these in that they were only a 626 underneath I cant say Ive seen a rotary one the rotary was NOT a popular option here due to gas prices and reliability issues most customers of the cars when new wanted a reliable economical durable car not a screaming buzzbox.
Yep, Bryce, we didn’t get the 929 until the HC model – 1988 was the first year in the US, I think.
The reason for this is that the first really “Americanized” Mazda, the RX-5/Cosmo of the mid-1970s, sold like complete crap. They didn’t even bother sending over the notchback Landau model.
I remember it was 1976 – I was starting my senior year or high school. Mazda peppered California newpapers with advertisements – teasers – showing key fobs for Mercedes, BMW, Cadillac, Lincoln and a stylized “C” key fob in the middle of the pile. Mazda was planning to introduce the Cosmo – and pitch it as a alternative coupe with rotary power to “challenge the others” . . . . Kind of that weird mid-70’s Japanese hybrid pony-car, American-style coupe styling (with the oddball “third” LTD opera type window) so typical of the times. Not bad looking, but certainly not attractive either. I think these sold about as well as four-door 1974-78 AMC Matadors . . . . which means hardly any at all. Don’t recall seein any of these after 1978 . . . .
I also seem to recall that the Cosmo was priced around $6700.00 – $7000.00 in those days. A lot of money for a Japanese car in America when Japanese cars meant well-screwed together inexpensive, value packed machines. $7000.00 would buy you a loaded Monte Carlo . . . .
I wonder why they didn’t bring it, its much like an 810 or a Corona that were sold here at the same time.
I think what happened was that after Mazda’s near-collapse, they were faced with the second energy crisis, which led Mazda USA to retrench around conventional economy cars, excluding the Luce. Then they had their U.S. volume limited by the voluntary restraint agreement, so they couldn’t add new models without sacrificing existing ones. Toyota, Nissan, and Honda used that as an opportunity to go upscale, but my guess is that Mazda USA decided they were better off adding better-trimmed versions of the existing smaller models (which were selling very well by 1980). I think the reintroduction of the Luce corresponds with the end of the VRA and of course with the success of Honda’s Acura brand, which made it seem like a good time to try again.
(I mean that they couldn’t add new models without sacrificing some volume from the existing lines, that is — important clarification.)
To add to that, I think Mazda realized that to go against some of the more upscale Japanese cars like the 810/Maxima and Cressida, they needed a reasonably powerful engine. Mazda didn’t have a six-cylinder engine until the J-series came out in the mid-to-late-80s, when it arrived as a 3.0L SOHC V6 with about 150 hp. In the late 70s and early 80s, both Toyota and Nissan had six-cylinder engines of 2.5L to 3.0L displacement. Mazda didn’t. In fact, at that point they had nothing bigger than a 2.0L I4, at least that was suitable for cars. (They had a 2.2L diesel at the time).
Why did Mazda have this hole in their engine lineup? They’d focused on the rotary for higher-power applications. Up through the mid 1980s, if it made more than 100 hp, Mazda used a rotary for it.
They started to rectify the situation with the F-series “big block” four-cylinders – these had larger bore spacing than the B-series “small block” four-cylinder engines. The F2 was a long-stroke 2.2L 8-valve SOHC engine used in the B2200, then there was a 12-valve version used in the late-80s 626 and MX-6 (I want to say it was called the FE), an F2T which was basically the same motor with a turbo, (under)rated at 145 hp and 190 ft-lbs, and then finally an FE3, which was a DOHC design that share design concepts but no parts with the BP used in the Miata. This last design made about 170 hp in stock form and was comparable to, if not superior to, the naturally aspirated versions of Nissan’s SR20DE. However it was never sold in the US in this form – they did, however, license it to Kia who used it in the Sportage, but they ditched the forged internals and wild cams and it only made 130 hp in the Sportage.
Anyway, I’ve gone off track – what I meant to focus on is that Mazda still placed a lot of faith in the rotary as late as the early 1980s and assumed all their performance engines would be Wankels. The top line Luce and Cosmo in Japan and elsewhere got turbo 12As and turbo 13Bs. Eventually, Mazda licensed a variation of the Mitsubishi’s G engine, which they used in carburated form in the B2600 4×4 in 87 and 88. They then designed their own 2.6L I4, also called the G-engine, which started use in 1988 and 1989 in the B2600i, the MPV, and the 929. While they continued to license the patent on balance shafts (necessary for a 2.6L I4), the Mazda G-engine is a totally new design, which included 12 valve heads and a reversed intake and exhaust routing from the Mitsubishi engine.
That said, I think the influence continued in Mazda’s first V6, the J-engine, which started off as a SOHC 18-valve 90 degree design, and eventually got DOHC 24-valve heads and 200 hp. I would not be surprised if they based this on a Mitsubishi design as well.
Mazda really didn’t develop their own high-horsepower piston engine until the K-series 60 degree V6s, which were very exotic for their time, and were rumored to have development work done by Porsche. Notwithstanding their factory-set rev limiter, with the right cams, the Mazda KL-ZE was capable of over 9,000 RPM on stock internals.
All that nonsense was a roundabout way of saying that Mazda could have only had an engine that was competitive on power with the Toyota Cressida and Nissan 810/Maxima by offering a rotary engine in this car – which Mazda North America was loathe to try to sell in cars other than the RX-7.
People easily forget that, as late as the mid-1980s, Mazda was right on the cusp of being the third-largest Japanese automaker, after Toyota and Nissan. Honda was very strong in North America but not nearly as much everywhere else. But Mazda never really had the resources that Toyota, Nissan, and even Honda (thanks to their popularity in North America as well as their motorcycle, powersports, and generator divisions) had at their disposal. Mazda has really only had a very few engine families over the years. Even the “MZR” which was Mazda’s bread-and-butter four-cylinder in the 2000s, which also was used by Ford and in fact continues to be developed by Ford as the basis for their EcoBoost inline-4s, was internally called the L-engine family and was a highly developed, aluminum block variation of the F-engine, which goes nearly back to the beginning of Mazda’s history.
I’m so sharing this at The Brougham Society!!!
https://www.facebook.com/groups/TheBroughamSociety/
Very nice! Very reminiscent of the current Toyota Crown and Nissan Cedric (or is it Laurel?) taxis still in service in Japan and Hong Kong and probably elsewhere. I love that squared off shape on all of those and this one as well. Funny that it had the same engine as my first COAL, even the color is almost the same.
I first drove a later model (’84) 929 wagon, one of those cars that took a while to get up to speed but did ok once there, the 5sp helped.
The front looks very american, the back not so much. I like it, very alternate universe, like a Takuro Spirit or something.
I never saw one of these in the flesh, but while stationed in Guam in 1990-93, I did see an non-running example at the auto hobby shop at Andersen Air Force Base. It was a left hand drive version with MWR identification on the sides (Morale, Welfare, Recreation). It was unlocked and the door jam plate had a 1982 manufactuer date on it and certification that it “met all U.S. EPA 49-state standards for model year 1982.”
Under the hood was a familar Mazda OHC four, I’m sure a 2.0L. I later saw a couple of these in town (Tamuning and Agana now known as Hagatna) . . . . as it turns out, these were sold new in Guam and the CNMI (Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands) and being a U.S. Territory/protectorate, met 49 state U.S. standards.
I’m thinking the Luce/929 would’ve been a nice upmarket Mazda car back then for Hawaii and mainland U.S. showrooms. Would’ve been an alternative to Nissan Maxima and Toyota Cressidas. Can only speculate that perhaps U.S. Mazda did not want to steal sales away from 626s or that a lack of a V-6 in the day may have had the potential to not appeal to potential buyers whereas the Toyotas and Nissans had available sixes in the day . . . .
For the record, the five door GLC (323) hatches available in 1981-82 that were available elsewhere in the world were available for U.S. certification initially only in Guam and Hawaii. Ditto Toyota Corona pickups and 2-door wagons . . . . Hawaii and Guam only for U.S. specs. Have seen examples of the 2 door wagon and truck out here.
It’s almost uncanny American
Beat me! My snarky comment I was going to post was that this is how 77 Furys look when crushed into a cube 😀
Body bears a significant resemblance to the Opel Diplomat , another car I’m only aware of through CC!
This is actually the car the Mazda Luce/929 was trying to imitate…The Toyota Crown.
Side view, they are virtually identical.
I doubt the dismal Opel, with it’s subpar reliability was even on Mazda’s radar. 😉
I doubt the dismal Opel, with it’s subpar reliability was even on Mazda’s radar.
What’s the basis of your claim about the Opel’s “subpar” reliability?
Needless to say, reliability is not a factor when designers look at other cars for their inspiration.
Toyota Crown
I’m aware of few cars, when matchbox plays a factor, like the Opel Diplomat. It’s back when Made in England was stamped on these little cars.
I had that exact model. Not in such great condition though
I remember seeing these in the late ’70s and ’80s. Never very common, but the double stack rectangular headlight was practically unknown in the UK so was very noticeable.
When I scrolled past all of today’s posts, I thought it was a Mercury Monarch. Something about the creases on the hood, the poor fit of the left fender, the windshield angle and the wiper blades.
A Jap Granada. Glad it didn’t come here. I don’t think it would have sold very well.
Was about to comment on how eerily similar the front looks to that of the Ford Granada, then I realized I already said that the first time around almost 4 years ago 🙂
I always assumed these would have been sold in America, as they look so American. Fortunately the facelifted model addressed the most questionable aspects of the styling.
We had tons of them in Australia. They were a sort of slightly upmarket alternative to a medium size Corona or similar. Smaller than Crowns or Datsun/Nissan 260 C’s. Dull engines and being smaller than standard size Holdens and Falcons blunted their luxury pretentious somewhat. Very popular with people who had just retired as I recall. Anyone who had one was always happy with it. The heavily face lifted wagon seemingly lasted forever and was available here long after the sedan was discontinued.
When I was a teenager, we had a number of these driving around.
I never understood the rear design, but the front was all Malibu to me and the roof design with its pillared four door hardtop the closest you could get to a Lincoln Town Car design, in a a country much hostile to US cars.
From the front end shot it looks an awful lot like the ’78-’80 Toyota Cressida.
I remember when these were being launched in Germany in the late 70s and the autopress had a field day.
Most commonly critized was the fairly high waistline of the windows and the rather mundane mechanicals. Strong points – like on all Japanese cars back then – were all the included options.
even available as station wagon.
But if I remember correctly power steering was not available.
http://suchen.mobile.de/fahrzeuge/details.html?id=236800188&isSearchRequest=true&scopeId=C&damageUnrepaired=NO_DAMAGE_UNREPAIRED&makeModelVariant1.makeId=16800&makeModelVariant1.modelId=9&pageNumber=1
To me it looks much like a Mk2 Cortina from the rear 3/4 view, with a softened ’76-77 Monte Carlo front end
Beautiful looking car. I’ve heard of the Mazda 929, but I’ve never seen one this vintage. For some reason this car was never sold in the USA.