Mazda Motor Corporation

What does Mazda own?
Mazda Motor Corporation owns the Mazda automotive brand and operates a lineup of passenger cars, crossover SUVs, and sports cars sold globally. The company's most notable models include the CX-5 crossover SUV, the Mazda3 compact car, and the MX-5 Miata sports car. Mazda jointly owns the Mazda Toyota Manufacturing plant in Huntsville, Alabama with Toyota Motor Corporation. The company does not own other automotive brands and operates exclusively under the Mazda name.

Is Mazda publicly traded?
Yes, Mazda Motor Corporation is listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange under ticker 7261. The company has been publicly listed for several decades. Toyota Motor Corporation holds approximately 5% of Mazda's shares as a strategic partner, making it one of the largest individual shareholders, but Mazda operates as an independent company with its own management and strategic direction.

Who founded Mazda?
Mazda was founded by Jujiro Matsuda in January 1920 in Hiroshima, Japan, initially as Toyo Cork Kogyo Co., Ltd. The company began as a cork manufacturer before pivoting to machine tools and then to vehicles. The Mazda brand name was first used for a three-wheeled commercial truck introduced in 1931, derived from Ahura Mazda, the Zoroastrian god of wisdom, and a phonetic play on the founder's surname Matsuda. The company was renamed Mazda Motor Corporation in 1984.

Where is Mazda headquartered?
Mazda is headquartered in Hiroshima, Japan, where the company was founded in 1920. The Hiroshima headquarters houses Mazda's global product development, design, and corporate functions. Mazda's primary manufacturing facilities are also located in the Hiroshima area. The company operates additional manufacturing facilities in the United States, Thailand, Mexico, and China.

How many brands does Mazda own?
Mazda operates as a single-brand company. All vehicles are sold under the Mazda name, with model names serving as product identifiers. The company does not own other automotive brands. Mazda's current lineup spans compact cars, crossover SUVs of various sizes, and the MX-5 Miata sports car. The company previously produced vehicles under the Eunos, Autozam, and Efini sub-brands in Japan during the early 1990s, but these were discontinued.

Who owns Mazda?
Mazda Motor Corporation is a publicly traded company with no single controlling shareholder. Toyota Motor Corporation holds approximately 5% of Mazda's shares as part of a capital and business alliance announced in 2017. The remaining shares are held by Japanese institutional investors, international asset managers, and public shareholders. Mazda operates independently with its own management team and strategic direction, despite the Toyota partnership.

Jujiro Matsuda founded the Toyo Cork Kogyo Co., Ltd. in Hiroshima, Japan in January 1920. The company initially manufactured cork products before pivoting to machine tools in the late 1920s. In 1931, Toyo Cork Kogyo introduced its first vehicle, the Mazda-Go, a three-wheeled truck designed for commercial use. The Mazda name was chosen as a brand name for the vehicle, derived from Ahura Mazda, the Zoroastrian god of wisdom, and also a phonetic play on the founder's surname Matsuda.

The company's Hiroshima headquarters was severely damaged by the atomic bombing of the city on 6 August 1945. The factory, located approximately 4 kilometers from the hypocenter, survived the blast and was used as a relief center in the immediate aftermath. Mazda resumed vehicle production relatively quickly after the war, contributing to the reconstruction of Hiroshima.

In 1960, Toyo Kogyo signed a licensing agreement with NSU Motorenwerke AG of Germany to develop the Wankel rotary engine for automotive use. The rotary engine, which uses a triangular rotor rather than reciprocating pistons, offered advantages in power density and smoothness but faced challenges with fuel efficiency and emissions. Mazda introduced its first rotary-powered production car, the Cosmo Sport, in 1967.

In 1979, Ford Motor Company acquired a 25% stake in Toyo Kogyo, providing financial support during a period when the company was struggling with the fuel efficiency challenges of its rotary engines following the 1973 oil crisis. The Ford partnership led to a series of jointly developed vehicles and platform sharing arrangements that continued for several decades. Ford gradually reduced its stake in Mazda over the following years, and by 2015 had fully divested its position.

The company was renamed Mazda Motor Corporation in 1984, adopting the Mazda brand name as the corporate name. In 1989, Mazda launched the MX-5 Miata in the United States, a lightweight two-seat roadster that revived the affordable sports car segment. The MX-5 became an immediate commercial and critical success and has since become the world's best-selling two-seat sports car by cumulative production volume, with over 1.3 million units produced as of 2023.

In 2011, Mazda introduced its Skyactiv technology platform, a comprehensive set of engine, transmission, chassis, and body technologies designed to improve fuel efficiency and driving dynamics simultaneously. The Skyactiv platform became the foundation for Mazda's entire vehicle lineup and was a significant factor in the company's recovery from financial difficulties in the early 2010s.

In 2017, Mazda and Toyota announced a capital and business alliance, with Toyota acquiring approximately 5% of Mazda's shares and Mazda acquiring a small stake in Toyota. The alliance included plans to jointly develop electric vehicle technologies and to build a shared manufacturing plant in the United States. The Mazda Toyota Manufacturing plant in Huntsville, Alabama began production in 2021.

For the first nine months of the fiscal year ending March 2026, Mazda reported global sales volume of approximately 920,000 units, down 5% year-on-year, primarily reflecting lower sales in the United States. The company has been navigating the transition to electrified powertrains while maintaining its focus on driving dynamics.