How Did Japanese Car Mazda Get Its Name? The name “Mazda” was introduced to Japan in October 1931. Mazda started its life as a cork manufacturer back in 1920. The year 1931 was when Mazda, then called the Toyo Kogyo Co., Ltd., launched the “Mazda-go”, a tricycle truck, the first vehicle coming out of the company.
The naming of the tricycle was considered by Jujiro Matsuda, the second president and substantial founder of Toyo Kogyo, and other key members. The question is, how come it was spelled “Mazda” instead of “Matsuda”? “Mazda” comes from Ahura Mazda, the god of harmony, intelligence, and wisdom from the earliest civilization in West Asia.
Key members of Toyo Kogyo interpreted Mazda as a symbol of the beginning of the East and the West civilization, but also a symbol of the automotive civilization and culture. Striving to make a contribution to world peace and to be a light in the automotive industry, Toyo Kogyo was renamed Mazda Motor Corporation.
“Mazda” was also a perfect way to pay respect to the substantial founder, whose family name is pronounced very close to “Mazda”.
Have you ever noticed that if you look at Mazda’s corporate mark, all the letters, except the letter D, are in lower cases? That was because of design – Mazda wanted to express precision and reliability as a car company by aligning the top and bottom lines of its corporate mark.
A letter D in a lower case protruded the upper line, so the decision was made to use an upper case for a letter D to make the corporate mark neatly fit into a rectangle. There is a story behind every name, and Mazda is no exception. The name Mazda and its brand symbol tell a story of its long history, burning aspiration, and unwavering belief.
Content for this question contributed by Michele Mazanec, resident of Sagamore Hills, Summit County, Ohio, USA
