Mazda Memories: History of the Mazda 626
We’re all familiar with the Mazda6, the automaker’s upscale flagship sedan. However, its predecessor, the Mazda 626, is a little more obscure. Nevertheless, thanks to its contributions to the automaker’s upmarket strategy, this vintage vehicle deserves a day in the limelight.
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Troubled beginnings
Although Mazda, as a company, has been manufacturing cars since 1960, the automaker only entered the North American market in 1970. Its premiere vehicle was the Capella coupe, known in the US as the RX-2. This cute coupe boasted a 1.1-liter two-rotor Wankel engine. Since rotary engines are notorious gas guzzlers, the RX-2 only enjoyed a few years of popularity until the oil crisis of 1973 struck. Other issues cropped up, too — for instance, the Wankel engine was a bit finicky and needed regular maintenance. The era’s lax car care routines led to a fair number of RX-2 models needing engine repair. The American public shied away from Mazda for a while, so Mazda went back to the drawing board and developed a vehicle to win back the crowd.
The climb upwards
Enter the Mazda 626. This quasi-upscale compact car boasted rear-wheel drive, room for four passengers, and a 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine that pumped out 75 horsepower. It even had folding rear seats that gave it a larger cargo capacity. While those features don’t sound like much nowadays, reviewers raved about Mazda 626, lauding it as an everyman’s luxury sports car. In its second generation, its engine boosted up to 83 horsepower, and it also got an available 120-horsepower mill. Of course, the Mazda 626 remained a critical darling — Motor Trend named the Mazda 626 the “Import Car of the Year.”
Impact and legacy
Over the next few generations, the Mazda 626 continued to gain enhancements and refinements, and the last model rolled off the assembly line in Flint, Michigan in 2002. It was replaced by it spiritual successor — the automaker’s flagship Mazda6.
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Although it’s unlikely that the 626 will ever make a comeback, the model played an instrumental role in the company’s survival in the North American market. So, tell us — did you have a Mazda 626? What did you think of it?
Source: Dustbury
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