ageman

Someone told me the other day that Ford owns Mazda and I didn't believe them. So I went to www.ford.com and right on the main page it lists all of Fords's family of brands.: Lincoln, Mercury, Mazda, Volvo, Jaguar, Land Rover, and Aston Martin.

Is it just common knowledge that Ford owns Mazda... because I had no clue!

now

iTrader: (1)

own a % i think

ageman

So other companies like GM for instance might own a percent as well? That doesn't seem to make sence, but I don't know how this works.

Turbo II-FB

they are the majority stock holders. yes they do have quite a bit of control over them. Why do you think the rotary isntinthemiata yet. ITs b/c ford doesnt want them building a car for half the cost fot eher mustnag and being alot faster and ca otu ahndlge tehm.

01Racing

Okay, just for the record Ford owns 33% of Mazda Motor Corporation in Japan. For example Ford owns 100% of Aston Martin, Jaguar, Volvo etc. They do have the majority of shares in Mazda. Ford purchased majority in Mazda because of our small vehicle and 4 cyl engineering/development capabilities. That is why OUR Mazda 6 is the platform for the Fusion, Lincoln Zephyr and not the other way around.

mr.zoom

iTrader: (1)

just to add the mazda 3, volvo and next focus will be sharing platforms. also plans are being made to add a small Ford compact car ie fiesta/mazda 2 platform.
33.4% of mazda's share is by Ford. This is why you see V6 engines are off of Ford Engineering and all 4 cyl are of mazda's.
Having said this, it doesn't mean that it is a bad thing. Mark Feilds current president of Ford americas was looking after mazda back then. He is credited to bringing mazda into profit levels and the one that brought the RX8 into production.

mr.zoom

iTrader: (1)

GM bought shares of Fuji industries (Subaru) in which they now sold to toyota.
if you read automotive industry news, you'll educate yourself on how these things happen/work. For example, kerkorian bought a lot of GM shares. I think they now own 9.xx% of shares. Someone who works for kerkorian (sp) is now in GM's board of directors and could help steer GMs future.

Now since Toyota owns the majority shares of Fuji, they could utilized Fujis plant's capacity to build Toyota cars.
just like Autoalliance in flat rock Michigan builds the mazda 6 and mustang in the same plant.

gscully

For car manufacturers who owns stakes in who is like a huge spider web, the only 2 Japanese companies that are independant are Toyota and Honda. Ford and mazda have had ties for the longest time, although I don't know exactly when ford purchased controlling stake in mazda. Even in the late 80's the MX-6 and probe were the same car, ford used mazda's design and just changed the interior/exterior. For newer mazdas like the 6 they are now using Ford duratec V-6. Then there are companies that don't have any stakes in each other but make agreements to share certain technologies ie Pontiac Vibe being the sister car of Toyota Matrix.

doridori-rx7

iTrader: (3)

I'm glad to see that the Matsuda family is buying back stock from Ford and others.. hopefully this will lead to another rx7 or similar sports rotary car that is not waterdown and muddied by fords incompitent hands.

WankelingBeer

Lies, its all lies

Zaldak

"For over 30 years, Mazda Motor Corporation has manufactured innovative and thrilling vehicles, which are sold worldwide. Headquartered in Hiroshima, Japan, and started in 1931, Mazda has made its mark in the automotive market through creating cars that are both affordable and fun to drive. While Mazda’s largest shareholder is Ford Motor Company, which owns 33.4 percent of the company, it is a publicly held and traded corporation on the Nikkei exchange.

In North America alone, Mazda North American Operations (MNAO) directly and indirectly employs more than 30,000 people. With headquarters in Irvine, Calif., Mazda operates facilities in several states and provinces, including R&D and emissions facilities in Irvine and Flat Rock, Mich., and manufacturing in Flat Rock as well. Mazda’s port facilities include Port Hueneme, Calif., Tacoma, Wash., Midlothian, Texas, Jacksonville, Fla., Woodhaven, Mich., and Baltimore, Md.

Mazda also operates several U.S. facilities where its vehicles are built. All MAZDA 6 Sports Sedans, Sport Wagons, and 5-Doors are built at the AutoAlliance International facility in Flat Rock, Mich., a joint venture between Mazda Motor Corporation and Ford Motor Company. In addition, the Tribute model line is built in Kansas City, Mo., and all B-Series trucks are built at Mazda’s Twin Cities facilities in Minneapolis, Minn.

Mazda has been importing vehicles into the United States since 1970, and has since continued to create an automotive brand that provides the most thrilling vehicles, as well as parts and accessories, to its loyal customers."

http://media.ford.com/mazda/article_...ticle_id=15147

http://media.ford.com/mazda/article_...ticle_id=21731



I am gonna assume that maybe some of you are just younger althou i am not that old at 26 and have known about fords shares for some years now...

Ever notice the resemblance of:

MX6 & Probe
B series & Ranger
Tribute & Escape


Funny story about this too, my brother inlaw leased a tribute a couple years ago guess what company name logo is on the back of the keyless entry remote?




nope you guessed wrong! its Ford!

misterstyx69

iTrader: (142)

the Mazda MX6-GT and the Ford Probe GT ..have the same engine..a 2.2 litre turbo..the only difference looking at it is the valve cover..One says Mazda..the other says Ford..it's a good little engine though..I stomped the gas pedal when ever I could..never hurt it.. never burned oil..nothing..The car over-all was good..I don't really like Ford..but I can say that I can't knock them for the engine...(no complaints)..I found out about this a couple of months ago..(ya..I read about it here!..haha!!)

Frankie4skin

I gotta chim in on this

I noticed these things yrs ago, not that uncommon. Many shared platform engines etc.
not just with ford and mazda
Ford also had a rotory powered vehicle back in the day too. I pretty sure anyways.

How about the Ridgeline although much smaller it's very similer (looking) to the Big Chevy's and the Cadi Escalade's.

Prôdigy2nd

iTrader: (3)

The Ridgeline is a completely differnt truck, you must think they look the same cause they are all ugly (lol) but the Ridgeline is what is called a "unibody" like the FD where as the Chevys are a complete frame and body truck, so they can be taeken completely off the frame, where as the Ridgeline cannot be, so that is the major difference.



Prôdigy

Frankie4skin

exterior line's is all
I think they LOOK real close, just smaller!!
But that does remind me

I used to drive a IZUSU and it is exactly the same as the Honda Passports!!!!!!
I was even thinking of gettig some Honda badges to Fake the Funk a little

Syritis

iTrader: (2)

I thought as of late 2004 ford sold it shares to pay for the electrical recal?

vipernicus42

iTrader: (4)

When I looked this up before, I remember seeing that Ford had a slightly less-than-controlling share as far back as '78, something like 29%, when the Rx7 was first released. Since then they've continued producing the Rx7 and now the Rx8, even though the share has increased to a controlling amount.

I don't think Ford's share will stop rotary production any time soon, through it may have something to do with the fact that the rotary has been relegated to a single line of vehicle for so many years.

Jon

Bass

I remember reading somewhere that Ford had intended on limiting Mazda's R&D expenses on the rotary. What had convinced them otherwise was the fact that the "bean counters" had discovered that the engineers were spending their free time (weekends etc...) continuing their research on the rotary that was leading them further towards developments in hydrogen and the now famed Renesis.

Alak

iTrader: (9)

Ford's a joke. Too bad they still own a 1/3 of mazda and use most of mazda's technology in their cars.

cptpain

iTrader: (1)

ford never did. but the car companies did try to develop their own design of the rotary. chevy's original plans for the mid60s-late 70s covette were to put a 4 rotor. they just couldnt get it to run right. every manufacturer tried to design the rotary. all the big name maufacturers. but mazda kept on going.....and they kept changin little details of the inital designs by Dr. Felix Wankel. Imagine if Dr. Wankel were still alive, do you know how rich his family would be/is? every mftg. company paid at least a million to buy the patent. they would be taken care of for 5 or 6 generations

Nd4SpdSe

Just to add to that

1st Gen Probe and Mx-6 Ford Tracer (and the 626 and Ford Teslar as a close cousin)
2nd gen Probe and Mx-6
Ford Escort/Mercury Tracer/Mazda 323/Mazda Protege (and parts of the Mazda Mx-3)
Ford Festiva/Mazda 121/Ford Aspire
To a lesser extent, the Escort ZX2 and Mazda Mx-3

rx7racerca

iTrader: (1)

Ford's stake in Mazda was 25% in the mid80's when I was in high school, and they increased it sometime in the late 80's - early 90's - precisely because they wished to make more use of Mazda's small and compact car engineering expertise, an area where all the domestics are weak. For example, GM owns some portion (or all?) of Suzuki, and the Chevy Sprint/Pontiac Firefly, Chevy Tracker, and the Aveo are products of that relationship.
I'm not sure, but I believe with Ford and Mazda at least, the stake in the company goes back to post WWII, and was in return for rebuilding assistance. I do know that going back to at least the early 80's Ford has been the largest shareholder in Mazda, though I don't believe they've ever been a majority shareholder.

jwelder

Back in the 70s the Ford Courier truck was the same as the Mazda truck. This was not uncommon when the big three car companys were braking into the small car /truck market.

doridori-rx7

iTrader: (3)

zx2 & 323 actually, same underpinnings. MX-3 was very different.

The story about Ford killing Rotory work is true, I've heard it from many sources, that have an ear of a few of the rx8 team leaders in Japan.. The rx8's 4 door layout and NA layout is a result of Fords doing. The 'RX8 'as the original design, would have eaten into allot of thier possible new mustang sales..

Manntis

Wankel and family would be just as rich as they are now. Wankel sold all rights to his invention to NSU before his death. The Quote I have on rotorhead.ca's main page, 'Ich haben meine Kopfschmerzen an NSU verkauft" means "I've sold my headache to NSU"