Does Ford own Mazda? Mazda and Ford began as separate companies, with Ford being founded in 1903 by Henry Ford and Mazda being founded by Jujiro Matsuda in 1920.
Does Ford Own Mazda?
Mazda was never part of PAG, but it had a longer relationship with Ford than any of those other companies — dating as far back as 1969, when the two collaborated on transmissions. Ten years later, Ford bought shares in the Japanese automaker, and by 1996, owned enough stock to control it.
The ownership was largely to their mutual benefit. Models like the Ford Focus, Escort, Explorer and Volvo S40 carried Mazda technologies, while Mazda retrimmed the Ford Ranger and Escape to sell as the Mazda B-Series and Tribute.
Mazda built its MX-6 and sibling Ford Probe at its plant in Flat Rock, Michigan, which now belongs to Ford. But the financial shakeup that started with PAG’s dismantling cut through the entire company, and Ford sold its majority ownership in Mazda in 2008.
The Story Behind Mazda
Mazda, founded by Jujiro Matsuda in the 1920s, started as a cork manufacturing factory in Hiroshima, Japan. It was only in 1931 that the company, formerly Toyo Cork Kogyo, renamed itself Toyo Kogyo Co. Ltd and started manufacturing vehicles.
The first model was the Mazda Go auto rickshaw. Although the motor business went down during World War II, Mazda managed to manufacture weapons for the Japanese military.
Later, in the 1960s, Mazda launched passenger cars and commercial vehicles and sold them separately through Mazda Auto Store and Mazda Store. Though Mazda was very much part of all motors produced from the beginning, in 1984, the motor manufacturing company adopted the name Mazda and made it official.
In 1970, Mazda entered the US market and proved to be successful and went on to create the Mazda Rotary Pickup. To this day, Mazda is the only automaker to have produced a Wankel-powered pickup truck. Since then, Mazda has overcome many hurdles and managed to be a part of the lives of motor enthusiasts in the US and around the globe.
The Mazda and Ford Collaboration
Ford, in 1979, bought 25% shares of Mazda and, in 1990, took a controlling stake to save Mazda from bankruptcy. Ford later changed Mazda’s name to Auto-Alliance International, but Mazda was the name that the audience recognized. The companies shared their manufacturing facilities, platforms, and other resources during their collaboration.
During this partnership, Ford produced flexible fuel vehicles and sold the first taxis that used natural gas. But the year 2005 was a difficult year for Ford. It lost shares even after settling the tire crisis and releasing the new gas-electric hybrid SUV.
The Mazda and Ford Split
After 40 long years of strong collaboration, in 2008, Ford finally sold most of its shares in Mazda to save itself from bankruptcy. Retaining only 11% of shares, Ford had to step down from its authoritative position.
The economic crisis at the time had dropped auto sales and left Ford no other option than selling its shares. However, Ford was the only major automotive company that avoided bankruptcy during the recession.
The Mazda and Ford Today
After the split from Ford, Mazda was able to design a new engine that enhanced its fuel efficiency in 2018. In 2020, Mazda celebrated its 100th anniversary. It also collaborated with Toyota on some projects.
On the other hand, Ford acquired the first position for vehicle sales of Ford F-series trucks in the US and Canada. Their shares went up by 16% in 2019, which was something when compared to other automakers in the US.
Does Ford own Mazda? The answer is a simple no. As described in the post, Mazda and Ford were partners for almost 40 years. It is only fair that people misunderstood this collaboration with ownership.
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Mazda will celebrate its 100th anniversary this year. In 2018, the company was able to increase fuel economy with a new engine. It has also been collaborating on some projects with Toyota. But are said to have their share of problems with the effort to move to more upscale cars and rebrand: sales were down 16% in 2018, the largest decline of all brands.
Ford has held the top spot for #1 selling vehicle in the U.S. — and Canada — with the Ford F-series trucks, and there’s something to be said for that.
Shares were up 16% in 2019, which was better than any other U.S. automaker and shows promise, but there’s also word that they are struggling with the downturn in sales overall that all brands are experiencing. With $37 billion in the bank, Ford is still strapped for cash.
The End Of A Great Relationship
The relationship between Ford and Mazda would end after 40 years. In 2008, the companies parted ways, with Ford selling most of its shares, only retaining 11%. The economic crisis was a global issue and caused autos sales to fall, leaving Ford no choice.
In 2009, Mazda would celebrate the 20th anniversary of its MX-5 Miata, a top-selling car with almost 900,000 in sales and about 180 major auto awards at the time.
Ford and Mazda would still share information and partner on projects, but the development of vehicles together would end. It was smart on Ford’s part, though — it was the only major automaker in the U.S. to avoid bankruptcy during the recession.
FAQs
Who makes Mazda Cars?
Mazda models are produced predominantly in Japan. However, production plants are set up in Mexico, Malaysia, Russia, China, Thailand, Vietnam, and Malaysia.
Post 1992, for the first time, Mazda cars production was set in the United States in 2021. A production plant is set in Huntsville, Alabama, in collaboration with Toyota. Over 300,000 vehicles are produced at this site annually.
Who owns Mazda?
Mazda Motor Corporation, Japan, owns Mazda.
What’s Mazda’s country of origin?
Mazda was founded in 1920 in Japan.
Above is information about Does Ford own Mazda? that we have compiled. Hopefully, through the above content, you have a more detailed understanding of The story behind Mazda. Thank you for reading our post.
