Автозом AZ-1: История японского спорткара с крыльями-чайками

Car model

The Autozam AZ 1, known by the framecode PG6SA, is a mid engined kei class sports car, designed and manufactured by Mazda under its Autozam brand. Suzuki provided the engine as well as the inspiration for the design. Manufactured from October 1992 to October 1994, the AZ 1 was noted for its gullwing doors. Power came from the same Suzuki sourced 657 cc turbocharged engine used by the Suzuki Alto that produced at 6,500 rpm and at 4,000 rpm. Suzuki later produced its own badge engineered version named the Suzuki Cara (PG6SS).

The proposal for the AZ 1 goes as far back as 1985 when Suzuki created the Suzuki RS/1 as a mid engine sports car project for volume production. powered by a modified 1.3 liter G13B engine borrowed from the Cultus GTi. Mazda's design team, led by Toshihiko Hirai, who was also responsible for the MX 5, took over the design project, despite having a limited budget and capacity.

As the cars were well received by the visiting public and the motoring press, Mazda executives decided on production of the car. Although Type C was the better received of the three, Type A was given the green light by executives as they believed that it would be the one most commercially accepted by the buying public. Much of the development work was carried out in the United Kingdom, undergoing extensive testing at Lotus' Millbrook Proving Ground, despite the fact that the car was never intended for sale outside Japan.

The car was made available to the buying public in January 1992, with two color options, Siberia blue and classic red. Both colors came with Venetian gray lower panels. Each car was sold through the Autozam dealer network in Japan. Unfortunately by the time car came into production, the recession in Japan had just come into force. Selling for 1,498 million ¥ (the equivalent of $12,400), it was slightly less than a Eunos Roadster, but marginally higher than its competitor, the Honda Beat, selling at 1,388 million ¥ and the Suzuki Cappuccino at ¥1,458 million, the AZ 1 was considered to be both too expensive and too cramped for a kei car. The car failed to sell within its target of 800 per month, in the midst of an economic recession. Production of the car ended after the following year, but Mazda had plenty of stock to sell off. With a total production of 4,392 over a year, plus 531 Suzuki Cara, compared to 28,010 Cappuccinos and 33,600 Beats (both with production reaching into the latter half of the 1990s).

In a bid to shift unsold stock, Mazda made an effort to produce special versions. First to come was the Type L option, featuring an enhanced audio system including a sub woofer in the boot. There were no exterior changes made to the car.

For 1994, There was also the M2 1015 by M2 Incorporated. The most distinguishing part of the car is the front fog lights incorporated into the bonnet, and the all new front bumper and rear spoiler. The car came in three different colours: white, black and silver. Like the Mazdaspeed version, the car was painted entirely in a single color. Originally, only fifty units were to be produced by M2, then sold through Autozam dealers. They were so popular, production continued and estimates of between 300 350 were ultimately sold. A genuine "M2 1015" can be identified by the rear emblem stating the version name. More details can be found in “M2 Voice” (linked below)