(first posted 2/25/2011) It may now seem in the far distant past, but there really was a time when Japan’s reputation was for imitation, of the most sincere variety. Cameras, toys, radios, all kinds of consumer goods, and of course cars. It was the China of its day, but there was a difference: its relentless striving to actually improve upon the original. One of the most superb examples is this Mazda GLC/323: yes, it’s a blatant riff on the category defining 1975 VW Golf/Rabbit, but in many key metrics, a substantial improvement. And, no, I haven’t forgot about the Civic: it bests that too. Mazda wasn’t pulling a Joe Isuzu with its Great Little Car.
Which was hardly the case for its predecessor. The original GLC (323 in the rest of the world) was the last member of Mazda’s old RWD Familia/GrandFamilia family, which included the 818/Mizer/and the rotary powered RX3 in its genealogy. Yes, it looks like a blatant Chevette rip-off from its bug-eyed nose back. It may well have been one, in which case the Mazda developers were mighty quick, since this GLC/323 appeared just two years after the Chevette. Or maybe not-so-great little car minds just think alike.
gen1 GLC
I’ve been rather desperate to find one of these RWD GLCs, but have pretty much given up (Update: I have, in what looks like the same color). Like all of its ilk, they were rugged and simple little beasts, as well as cramped and primitive in all its dynamic qualities. Early nineteen sixties technology in a seventies polyester jump-suit.
After giving up on finding an old GLC, it occurred to me I’d better focus on its successor, because of its historical significance. That took quite a while too, and this one, shot in two locations, appears to be the last of its breed in town. Time stops not even for the greatest.
The 1975 Golf defined the modern hatch class, known in Europe as the Golf class. And it really sent the Japanese scrambling. Well, not Honda, which of course already had been building FWD hatchback Civics for some years. But there are pros and cons to being the first, and in this case, the Mazda designers’ ability to start totally from scratch gave them the edge.
The first gen Civic was a tiny little thing, and the second generation, which came out the year before this FWD GLC/323 (code name “BD”) was only marginally bigger. Mazda created a larger car, and this BD 323 had a not insignificant jump on the Civic in terms of overall size and interior accommodations. It really was almost a class up from the Civic, and the next generation of the Civic had to stretch to meet it. The BD Mazda was also a bit larger than Mitsubishi’s new FWD Mirage hatch, known here Dodge Colt/Plymouth Champ. Mazda had essentially defined the new FWD hatch category that was so huge in the eighties in the US.
By the early eighties, the Rabbit/Golf was already in serious trouble, as the Americanized version built in Pennsylvania was not delivering the VW experience buyers were hankering for. And the Rabbit/Golf was anything but a paragon of reliability. This is how, where and when the Japanese really ate VW’s many-coursed lunch. And quick.
Mazda’s reliability image had been seriously rotated the wrong way with its Wankel engine travails. But in reality, that was always limited specifically to the problem with the edge seals, and in every other possible way, Mazdas were consistently paragons of the classic Japanese fetish with high quality materials and construction. Mazda’s four cylinders, like the UC/UB/NA family which powered their mid-sized cars and the earlier Mazda B-Series/Ford Courier pickups has a legendary reputation every bit the equal of Toyota’s famed R-family of fours. And the mid-eighties 626 topped the charts in Germany’s fastidious national record keeping on reliability.
There may not be a lot of collective knowledge left on these cars (I could be wrong), but to my awareness, these BD Mazdas, and its quite similar evolution, the BF 323 (1985-1989), did nothing to sully the family name, no joke considering it was a totally new car in every way. This is what really defined the difference with Detroit: Americans were endlessly subjected to being the beta testers of the latest all-new FWD and other technology, with almost predictably disastrous results.
We had a couple of the second generation 1987 BF 323s at the tv station in San Jose. They were used for the brutal daily grind of shuttling our news reporters and camera crew (we couldn’t afford a live satellite truck yet). The male members of our crews felt a bit insecure next to all the giant extended-length Econolines with their tall masts that erected so quickly and proudly, but our operating costs were a tiny fraction of theirs. These Mazdas took their beating for years without ever the slightest whimper.
And although Mazda chose not to accentuate the sport aspect of the GLCs sent this way (why bother, when folks waited in line for them during the Voluntary Export Restriction years?), it was not lacking in that regard either. The Civic really had nothing on the Mazda in that regard. Typically for those times, the Japanese markets were treated to high performance versions including the hot XGI Turbo R.
This new GLC was the last to use that name, reverting to the global 323 moniker with its successor. Well, there was the Ford Laser version sold in Asian markets. And let’s not forget that this car was the great-great-great-great-great-great granddaddy of the current Mazda 3. By that I mean that every Mazda in the 323/3 families have consistently scored at or near the top in key metrics, especially in their dynamic aspects. The two generations of the Protege 323 were the final culmination of the direct lineage to this GLC, as the 3s are of course based on Ford’s C1 platform.
Mazda’s 626 was once a solid competitor, but in more recent years the 6 has slipped in market share. Mazda’s main toe hold in this brutal market is still the 3, and it can thank the GLC/323 for getting it off to such a superb start. Great Little Car indeed.
Companion piece on the old-style RWD GLC/323 wagon here
I was right , still lots on the road here wagons 2doors 1300/1500 and diesels, NZ also got the JDM Familia turbo and 4WD versions used from japland. The Ford model was built in Australia for their export markets and these sold into the 90s. Bullet proof little cars from an era when the Japanese knew what they were doing.
The clue on this one really stumped me. That wrap around corner on the hatchback, combined with the chrome trim on top of the tail light is fairly unique. At one point I even thought it might be a Renault 14, but the odds of one in the US, even with the Eugene factor, seemed pretty slim.
The 323 platform actually traveled further than that. The Laser was sold in the US for a few years as the Mercury Tracer, and the 1990s US market Escort and Tracer were based on the 323 with the performance models using a Mazda engine. As an obscure tidbit, the Escort/Tracer and 323/Protege used the same Thule roof rack fit kit.
“The 323 platform actually traveled further than that…the 1990s US market Escort and Tracer were based on the 323”
And then there is the Kia Sephia/Spectra from the late 90s/early 00s. I looked under the back of a Sephia one day, and the suspension looked exactly like a 90s Protege or Escort. I didn’t look under the hood to see if the Kia’s engine was a clone of Mazda’s.
These cars were developed in parallel with the first front-drive European Ford Escort hatchback , as Ford already owned a share of Mazda. I read at the time that certain parts, like the gearbox , were interchangeable.
Parts in the manual gear box interchange, but the case is different due to the bell housing pattern to mate to the different engines. Inner CV joints also interchange and a host of other minor parts carry the Ford logo and/or Ford part numbers.
Being an avowed Honda fanboy until ~2005, I never paid much attention to the 323/Protege and 626. But they were underrated cars: better-built than any Nissan and far more engaging than a Toyota.
However the Mazda3, as ugly as the current model is, may be the most important car of the last decade. It’s sporty, practical and can be quite luxurious. It’s a Golf/GTI with reliability and a reasonable price. Now that Ford’s finally giving us the mechanically-related Euro Focus hatch, maybe hatchbacks will finally take off again in America.
To be the most important car, shouldn’t it have been a hit? Or at least influential?
I could be biased since I was once a Mazda addict and gave up once I realized that it’s dealer/service network was staffed by jackals and morons.
A friend of mine has a Mazda 3. When she first pulled up in it, I tried to feign interest. “Oh, cool, you got a 3. How do you like it?” Her response? “Yeah, it’s okay.” Yeah, it is.
Can confirm. I had an ’86 323-based Laser, and now own an ’05 3. The 3 is nice, but feels like it has cement shoes compared to the old Laser. As to the dealer network, after getting shafted once, I now go to an independent Mazda mechanic.
Bryce is right. Ford built these in Homebush in Sydney until they closed the plant to build an olympic stadium. Wasn’t this the same platform and factory used for the Capri convertible that was exported to the USA as a Mercury?
You are right Davo, the Capri is based off the 323 platform.
Definitely a good car and there are still some driving around here. They also sold a twin-carb version. Downside is they are a bit early-80’s typical flimsy.
The wheels on the featured car were used on the Ford Laser Ghia model, the top-of-the-range version which was pretty nicely equipped. Complete of course with little Ghia shield – did they use the Ghia name in the USA?
The unfortunate Capri was built on 323/Laser mechanicals at Broadmeadows near Melbourne.
The Ghia badge isn’t used in the US.
The Crapi was a 323 cabriolet rebodied in Aussie badly
My first Brand new car was a 1981 Base model GLC, which was barely over $6k out the door, no carpet or cassette radio included. I had chosen it as I’d driven a Rabbit and Loved it, but cost was well over 7 on those. Civic seemed too small, and Starlet & Corolla were too drab, the Corolla being more in demand. I had also test Drove the LeCar & Dodge Colt which both seemed very inferior by comparison. I got 6 good years on mine with no trouble, until a Grand Am Caught my Eye in 1987. I’d soon regret that coice, Still wish I’d Chosen the Thunderbird Elan but thats another story. So glad to see CurbsideClassic online today, I have missed your writing immensely. Welcome Back.
There was a GLC Sport HB that even came with Power Windows, I know because my Roommate had a Maroon one which I envied at the time, his was a 1983 IIRC.
I also remember that at the time, My Dad who was driving a 1978 Pinto Pony, thought I was crazy to go with such an unknown Jananese brand… That is until he drove it. He had to admit that compared to his Pinto, I was starting life “High on The Hog”. It was “pretty Sweet” in his words. That made me feel good, as I had felt a little bad not Buying American. I intended to drive it cross country and It had to be reliable. And She Was.
Remember these ’81 through ’85’s well. At the time, living in Hawaii, I had just purchased an ’80 Toyota Tercel base – 4 speed – vinyl seats – rubber floor mats (but color keyed!). Waited 2 months for delivery with a choice of “if you want stick, these two colors are available! – Mahalo!”
Shortly after I got the Tercel, Mazda announced the GLC (this featured generation). I lady I worked with got a DX – Silver with 5 speed, cloth seat inserts and matching carpeting; one of my buddies got a base model with four speed. The ’81 bases did come with whitewalls standard and had carpet and I believe that did change later on in the U.S. Mainalnd ’round ’83 or so when more “value” models (rubber mats, vinyl seats, four speed) showed up.
Note: Although (obviously) U.S. EPA certified this generation, in Guam and Hawaii, you could get the GLC five door hatch – not available on the U.S. Mainland.
I really liked this generation of GLC (323). I thought the previous one wasn’t bad either compared to it’s RWD competition (Chevette/Pinto/Corolla/B-210).
Interesting, I didn’t know that Hawaii got different products during this era.
I was about to comment on the lack of a 5 door hatch. This was one of the first cars on that trend – do you want easy cargo carrying with awkward passenger carrying, or the other way around? You can’t have both easy. (Unless you buy the wagon which is a 1959 Ford Anglia under the skin…)
I liked how Pontiac did it with their X-body – 2 door notch or 5 door hatch. Optimized shell stiffness or optimized versatility.
I owned a 81 FWD, GLC 5-spd, 3dr/hatchback with a sunroof and it got 41 miles to the gallon. I drove it around the United States two times between 81 and 83 (just so I could say I’d been in all 49 states) The GLC was amazing. No AC, now power options, just a sunroof and great milage. I haven’t been able to find one any where, not even in junk yards. It’s like the auto industry erased it’s existence. I wish it could be brought back with slight improvements. Loved the color..”sunset red”
Still looking for a glc? I have one for sale
Oh my, I really am getting old, as this was one of the defining cars of my childhood. My parents had the fortunate capability of (generally) choosing reliable cars too, so that means there are really only three defining cars of my childhood.
Our first GLC of this generation happened before I was around, but my parents liked it so much they went out and purchased another one, both from this generation. While the second one had had a rougher life before us and was put out to pasture sooner, the first GLC went from my brothers birth in 1984 until the mid nineties, at which point it was sold off. When purchased, our little gray GLC was a year old, barely used, and to this day my mother swears she has a special feeling that it was going to be great.
And it was. It hauled me, my brother, myself and our Golden Retriever around with little fuss for his for 10+ years and my first 7. It was also tasked with bucking drifts in the winter, a task it mostly succeeded at. My dad still remembers getting pulled over for speeding in it when my brother was a newborn in the back seat. In a classic family moment, whilst accelerating slowly away from a stop sign after a tire rotation, the front left tire fell right off. I was a basket case about it all (being 5), but my brother and mother hopped out, cranked up the car, stuck its tiny tire back on (checking all of the bolts, finding them all loose) and continued on their way, no problems. That was the kind of wee beastie the Mazda was. I wish/hoped my Mazda 3 Sport had been as good.
I bought a 1981 5-door GLC in exactly the color your CC wears! The 1979 oil shock hadn’t worn off yet, so there was no bargaining on the $6,200.00 price. No radio, A/C or power anything, except the brakes. It was a nimble, zippy, versatile, easy to drive 5-speed capable of 40+ mpg. Sadly, it lost an argument with a tree 90,000 miles later. Up til then, nothing ever failed, broke or wore out.
The RWD GLC has not completely disappeared. I saw a Yellow one with the later square headlights on NW Thurman in Portland (OR) Sunday morning, and collected some cell phone shots if you want them.
There’s also this one up for sale:
http://portland.craigslist.org/clk/cto/4222048663.html
It seems like the majority of the RWD generation were yellow.
It was the 808 in North America not the 818 which was used in Europe and other places where Peugeot was thought to own the model names with a zero in the middle. Not sure how many 808s where sold in the US but they where definitely sold in Canada in reasonable numbers (I have one – a 1973 coupe).
I always liked the styling of this generation of GLC/323 – clean, uncluttered but still attractive. Slightly nicer than the very similar Colt.
808 in Australia too.
I wish I had an opportunity to own one of these. They looked great back in 1981, and seemed very competitive.
I especially enjoyed Mazda’s marketing at the time featured silver-toned ads and all their cars from the RX-7 to the Mazda B-2000 pickup, being shown with silver paint. It was particularly modern looking, and highlighted their great styling. I felt it really helped forward the Mazda brand at the time.
When I was about 12 years old, my parents and I made the 12-hour trek from Inglewood, Ca. to Hillsboro, Oregon to visit my now-deceased uncle and his wife at the time.
They had an almost new ’82 GLC wagon- same pale shade of yellow, same fish-eyed face as the hatchback in pic #2. My uncle chauffered us all around to see the local sights ( Cannon Beach being the best ) . There were SIX of us crammed into that little thing. My uncle & aunt up front, my mom and dad in back with my toddler cousin in his child seat belted and crammed between them, and me unceremoniously stuffed into the rear cargo area.
Even with all of us in there, the car seemed suprisingly peppy. The 5-speed and my uncle’s heavy foot probably helped.
“And the Rabitt/Golf was anything but a paragon of reliability”
I think you meant And VW was anything but a paragon of reliability then and now. From shoddy made cars in the PA plant in the 1970’s to 1980’s to unreliable cars in 2013 along with the extra gift of arrogant dealers, sales people, techs and service writers. Which are a main reason there will never be a VW in my driveway.
Now as for the GLC, It might have started out as a “clone” of the Rabbit/Golf but at least when you went to drive it somewhere, you did not have to pray that the damn thing started or kept running long enough to get you to the place you needed to get to.
Plus the Japanese car makers in those days took criticism on how their car was performing and improved them. The GLC was a reliable car and its descendants included the 91-96 Ford Escort/Mercury Tracer(in my mind the best looking of the 3 generations of the Ford Escort) Unfortunately Ford decided to use their 1.9l and 2.0l instead of using Mazda’s engines and thus you see not many of that era Escort due to the engines being headgasket/valve dropping POS
How would you even know if a 2013 is unreliable yet? Either way, modern Jettas and Golfs are consistently rated average to above average. The broad brush people paint with these cars is ridiculous, as 1981 has absolutely nothing to do with 2013.
A good friend bought a new 2012 Jetta, S with manual transmission. She had clutch failure at 9,000 miles. As if that wasn’t bad enough, her dealer made it a huge headache and initially refused to cover the repair (they tried to say clutches werent covered in the warranty. What?). Leon’s description sounds just like my friend’s experience, unfortunately.
In what is likely one of the most unsung heroes of the bargain-basement ‘captive’ Japanese imports, the ’87-’89, Mazda 323-based Mercury Tracer was an even better buy than the Corolla-based NUMMI Chevy Nova. Unlike the strippo Nova, even the most basic 323 Tracer came with tinted glass, a tach, good seats, dual power mirrors, and AM/FM radio (none of which you got on a strippo Nova) and was bolted together nearly as well.
Back then, if you didn’t have the big-bucks to pony up for the MSRP (or more) of a Corolla or Civic, and didn’t even have the funds for a Mazda 323, the smart money bought the relatively little-known Tracer rather than an Escort, Chevette, or Geo Metro. Although the base Tracer MSRP was $7,926, due to slow sales and minimal advertising, it wasn’t too difficult to get a brand-new one for under $6k.
Back about 1989 I purchased a 1988 Mercury Tracer and really enjoyed it. It was basically a restyled Mazda 323, it had an excellent engine, good handling and a fantastic interior. I am suprised that Mercury never did much of promotion about these cars and they usually seemed to be consigned off to the back of the lot. My guess is that Mercury dealers were simply using them to draw buyers into their lots and then try and move them into something larger(and more profitable).
On the other hand, it is very likely that the only reason for the Tracer’s existence was at the behest of the dealers who wanted a new car to sell to people who couldn’t afford the Detroit varieties of Mercury available at the time.
It is not like they didn’t have a vehicle in that class before, having had the Lynx version of the Escort for a number of years. The first Tracer was sort of a version of the Escort, it just showed up before the Escort.
The Tracer above is the same as the Ford Laser and is the previous gen platform from the Escort, eg it was narrower
My Mom bought one of the first batch of 81 GLC notchback sedans to hit the dealer in Kalamazoo, MI. Red Deluxe with black interior and the optional 5 speed. The sedan was such a recent addition to the line the pages in the owner’s manual dealing with folding the rear seat, opening the trunk and stowing the spare tire were pasted into the manual.
Many forget that the 5 door hatchback was originally offered in the US, but the sedan proved so popular that the 5 door was soon dropped.
Great car, until it got north of 70K miles/15 years old. Clutch, ball joints, tie rod ends, broken oil pump drive chain, pump for the air injection system. I evenually inherited it. Used it for a beater until one day when I heard a “clink..clink..clink” from the passenger side of the engine. Pondering the nature of the sound, I considered that if there was a broken link in the double row timing chain, and the broken link hit the cast aluminum cam cover as it came around the sprocket, it would probably sound about like that. The car still looked pretty clean, thanks to Mom having spent 12 years in Arizona after retirement, but I wasn’t going to put more money into it at 98,000 miles/18 years old. Called up a charity and invited them to come get it.
Mom’s 81 got off to such a good start that when I got tired of taking my Renault’s mechanic as a dependant on my income tax, I picked up an 85 2 door hatch, Tornado Silver/5spd in LX trim.
Utterly bulletproof car. It didn’t have the rigid structure, efficient suspension and comfy seats of the Renault, fell short when I wanted to play Niki Lauda through a nearby canyon, but it did well enough, and was dead reliable….until it’s 12th year.
The last year, when it got over 80K miles, started to have issues. Dash lights failed, metal pipe from the water pump discharge rusted and started leaking, tie rod ends, failing CV joint. Rust was really starting to get to it, after 12 years in Michigan, and, keeping in mind how the 81 turned into a money pit at the same mileage, decided to say goodbye.
A friend had one of these, and it was a paragon of boring competence. My 71 Squareback was way more interesting and fun, but always coughing up important bits at bad times. The GLC probably carried its weight in parts and tools for the VW…until I wised up and bought a Toyota truck which I drove for the next 13 years.
The GLC was bought for one reason: to give my friend reliable wheels, which it did well. I think it ended up in his son’s hands until contracting some terminal rust.
Nice to see an article on a car I remember fondly. I bought new an ’81 GLC hatch, 5 speed, pretty blue out and in, sticker price take it or leave it. It was indeed a great little car considering the era and the lightness of the vehicle. You could squeeze the bumper surfaces closer with your bare hand. A nice driver, in town and on the highway, at least until I had the dealer install the Mazda-supplied air conditioner. 1500cc is just a tad too small to effortlessly pull the compressor.
When I was stationed in Guam (78-81) my first rental was a rwd GLC hatch. Was pretty impressive. Wish I could buy one today that’s just a little bigger with a 3-4K tow rating. I was impressed with everything but the torque. It stood no chance against any 1600 vw in stoplight drags. When I bought my first Guam Bomb it was a 70 beetle. Still missed the Mazda when I needed to carry groceries etc. Hatch backs were a help.
When I retired in 81 I worked briefly for Guam Cable TV. Chased happenings with a cameraman in a newer one. Cannot recall fwd or rwd but do remember impressive agility in traffic or bad roads. I think the GLC was a great little car.
I bought an 85 in the early 90s for my first car. Loved it — reliable, peppy and chuckable, eminently practical with the hatch, great mileage. Drove it all over the country and it lasted to 200k miles.
I followed it with an 89 which was more powerful and refined but not quite as reliable.
Now I’m eyeing the new 3. It just might bring me back to Mazda.
Talk about CC effect! I parked next to one of these today not long after reading the write up. I snapped a few shots for CC Cohort. It was the badge engineered ford version, the ‘Laser’ in top-of-the-line Ghia trim. Same alloy wheels as the feature car above too.
Those older 323’s and Laser’s were quite ubiquitous here in OZ until recently it seems. They used to practically invisible to me, but now they get my attention. The same thing can be said about Holden’s version of the ‘J’ car, the Camira, except they are even more scarce.
My only experience with the Mazda GLC was when I was with the police department. In 1979 they bought two GLCs as detective cars (detectives never need to chase anybody, right?). On special assignments you could sneak up on anybody with one, and they would never suspect who was inside. They ran for many years during which the word finally got around, finally being replaced by secondhand Ford Taurus sedans bought from Hertz.
This isn’t to say that everybody liked them; when one particular big and tall officer was appointed a detective, he found the GLC difficult to get in and out of.
We brought our first new born home from the hospital in January 1984 in a blue 83 GLC 5 speed. Had to give it up 14 years later due to rust. Engine and transmission still strong. Would LOVE to find a rust-free example anywhere.
I was in the market for my first new car when the new GLC came out in 1981…The sport model was one of the most attractive hatchbacks around..Great clean styling and an awesome interior with tweed seats and side panels in the back seat that wrapped around meeting the seat back…Very elegant. It also came with the RX-7 steering wheel. It was priced at $6995 but alas had only a 1.5 liter carbureted engine making only 67 hp…For about $1500 I bought a new albeit year oder VW Scirocco
I see this car every day, and know the owner of the gen-1 GLC as well.
There were 2 other gen-1 GLCs in Eugene about 6 years ago, a white base-model and blue loaded one, both came from the Official Curbside Classic Used Car Lot
I logged around 300k miles in an 82 GLC Custom Hatchback. Practically gave it away. Does anyone know where I can buy one??? If so please e mail me dougaitken@dougselectrical.com
Does anyone know where I can buy one???
I checked autotrader and classiccars.com. No joy on either. In spite of the massive numbers sold, they may have suffered high attrition even in areas where rust is not a problem. I saw a lot of them that appeared to be sagging in the middle as the trailing edge of the front fenders were bent in to clear the front edge of the doors. Mine was fine when I parted with it in 98, but I had never heavily loaded it.
Honestly the best little car I’m 17 and its my first and I’m the 2nd owner
It’s my pride and joy I’m gonna totally transform it with technology of this time
Here as taken from the photos here, a comparison between the FWD 1981 Mazda 3/GLC 3 Door Hatchback vs. the RWD 1980 Mazda Familia/GLC 3 Door Hatchback. They look very similar but the two were based on an entirely different chassis let alone drive wheels.
It was rather an irony that Maxon Mazda even posted a 2014 version of their Mazda 3 5 Door Hatchback Ad. See how it grew in size as well.
I am search for replace parts of weather stripping for my 1982 GLC for around the doors
I’m in desperate search of a 1982 GLC Custom L Hatchback with a 5 speed manual. I had one of these when I dated my wife. If anyone out there has one PLEASE reply!
I have a 1981 Mazda GLC fastback, 5 speed, new upholstery, new paint job, color silver. Does run, but my husband died 2 years ago and it has been sitting in the garage.
Hey I just purchased this car yesterday!!
My first car was a jade green two-door GLC front wheel drive hatch. The damn thing had endless problems compounded by incompetent dealer mechanics (Glen Burnie Mazda), I finally decided I’d had enough of belonging to the part of the month club and bought a new Honda in 1986. I sold it as a 5 year old car, under 80K miles, with the beginning signs of rust, rusty 3rd exhaust system, 2nd water pump, fading cheap paint finish, worn interior with deteriorating foam in the seats, etc. Not a great little car.
I have owned a 323 rwd since 1979. This is truly an outstanding machine. In its 36 years of continuous service I have had only one problem…..the timing chain broke at 75000 miles. Today the car has seen me mature from a 20 year old lad to a 56 year mature dad. All my major experiences are associated with this car…..first date, birth of two children, going to university……taking my daughters to university until their last day. This car is a chronicle of all things important to me. Will never ever part with such a cherished friend. I thank mazdas engineers every time I start this car. My Benz a 230 e is simply no match for reliability. Great little car indeed.
After handing me the keys to her 1978 Plymouth Arrow, my sister bought a 1981 Mazda GLC (this was in 1986). White, three door hatch with blue vinyl interior and 4 speed. It had A/C, but that was about as far as options go. She did put an aftermarket stereo into it (with a tethered remote…which I thought was beyond cool). I remember that it was actually rather engaging to drive. Sturdy and honest is about the best way to describe the wee beasty. Oh, and I loved the reverse-opening hood! I should have bought it from her when she went to sell it in 1989 to buy her first new car, a 1989 Honda CRX Si. Wouldn’t mind a decent GLC for back and forth to work duty, as I only do 15 miles each way (don’t laugh…the Deputy Director for my organization to this day still daily drives his 1975 Super Beetle).
I need some advice from some past or present GLC owners.
I have inherited a 1981 Mazda GLC that’s in mint condition. No rust about 81,000. It’s a freekin gas guzzler though and I’m on the fence about selling it, and I’m worried that it may be a money pit.
2 questions..
1. is there anyway to get edits to the motor to help save on gas?
2. How much approx could I sell this car for?
Thanks so much for your help!
I have a 1981 glc rwd mazda stationwagon I need to sell has like 80,000 miles on it anyone interested it’s not in mint condition was a daily driver but I’d say very good condition
YES. I can personally attest to what you have written. This was an excellent, high quality car. Like so much of what Mazda has done – buyers keep gravitating to other Japanese brands and forgetting what GLCs Mazda has made for the past 40 years.
Had an 89 Tracer back in “91 and absolutely loved it. Probably one of the two best cars I’ve owned. Smooth motor and 5spd trans, wowo what a fun little car!
Not quite but it is IMO a very good little car
When I was in high school, these cars were used car bargains. Second generation Honda Civics were gold plated. They were changing hands for new car prices, while similar age and mileage Mazda GLCs split the difference between Civics and Tercels at one extreme and Escorts and Chevettes at the other. Were they dynamically better than Civics? I don’t recall it that way, although they were more fun to drive than Tercels and Corollas. They didn’t really have the mechanical longevity of the best Japanese cars, which may be why Mazda is still a niche player. Ironically, the Mazda-engineered car with what seems to be the best durability of the type was the Kia-made Ford Festiva. A ridiculous percentage of those lasted for twenty years or more, even in CARB-decimated California.
For me, the closest rival to the Mazda GLC was the Dodge Colt/Plymouth Champ. They were better made than Detroit subcompacts, and they had light control inputs and crisp switchgear. They didn’t make you wonder how they could be so unburstable while being so light and mechanically sophisticated the way that a Honda did though.
I had a 1982 GLC Sport, charcoal gray with the Tweed interior, and of course the 5-speed manual. It was totaled with less than 9000 miles on it when a 17-year-old in a ’70’s Grand Prix drove past a cop with his flashers on and through a red light at about 40 mph. My car hopped sideways about 6 feet upon impact,.
The cop that watched it happen thought for sure that I was dead. The driver’s door only caved in a few inches (thank goodness!), and the only injury I got was a bruise on my knee where it hit and folded over the ignition key. I was very grateful for the thick rubber head on that key! My wife wasn’t so lucky, she had months of physical therapy on her neck afterwards.
It handled pretty well, but my main memory was the anemic performance, especially compared to the RX-4 I had owned before it. Hustling it down a back road felt like you were rowing it, you had to change gears so often.
But the fuel economy (I averaged about 35 mpg, and it was still breaking in) was twice what I got from the rotary. Yep, I only got 17 mpg in the RX-4, while my brother who sold it to me was getting way over 30 mpg in his Accord.
We must not forget that the Chevette itself was a lame imitation of the Opel Kadett C hatchback or a ‘copy’ of the Vauxhall which used the same global ‘T’ platform. https://www.curbsideclassic.com/curbside-classics-european/curbside-classic-1978-opel-kadett-city-berlina/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3lbt1wwaut4&t=14s&ab_channel=iadd11
At least the RWD GLC didn’t suffer from offset pedals to the left like the Chevette . So your driving position was not as crooked in the Mazda .
Take a Kaddett City Berlina and add door anti-intrusion beams, 5-mph impact bumpers, sealed beam headlights, and clean up the exhaust emissions. You’d be left with a Chevrolet Chevette. I don’t think there were as many intentional decisions made to produce an inferior product in the US Chevette as there were with the US Cavalier.