Throughout the 1990s, Ford Motor Corporation went on an worldwide getting spree snapping up tiny automakers all over the world. Volvo, Jaguar, Land Rover, and Aston Martin all have been introduced within the Ford fold, and Mazda, by default has come to be portion of Ford’s line up even while the Japanese automaker is “only” partly owned by Ford. Ford sections and Mazda parts are sometimes interchangeable as perfectly as are some of their vehicles. Let’s examine carefully the romantic relationship between the two automakers and how their synergies benefit each providers.
The romantic relationship among Ford and Mazda has been increasing around the many years, but is well regarded by auto historians as getting started out in the early 1970s when the Mazda choose up truck was imported to the North American current market by Ford and termed the Courier. From 1972 to 1983, the Courier was component of the Ford line up, but in actuality it was a Mazda.
From 1984 on, Ford determined to develop its individual little pickup truck and the Ranger was born. Mazda, in the meantime, redesigned their truck and marketed it independently right up until 2002. When time arrived for a new Mazda truck, Mazda tapped Ford and the current Ranger was rebadged as the Mazda “B” collection.
From 1991 to 2001 Ford’s Explorer was rebadged and marketed as the Mazda Navajo. Only a two door model was accessible and the line was at some point dropped as Mazda concentrated on their personal SUV, namely the Tribute.
Are you puzzled nonetheless? Really don’t be as the two automakers have exchanged sections and vehicles for many years.
In the early part of this ten years, Ford, which has a incredibly potent truck division, needed a car or truck that was more compact and less high-priced than the dear midsize Explorer to enhance the fleet. Enter Mazda. Mazda designed and introduced the car-like Tribute for their have division, and a Ford model of the SUV, the Escape, was developed by Ford in the US. With each other, the automobiles have competed effectively against Toyota’s RAV4 and Honda CR-V.
For 2006, the Ford/Mazda romance really heats up with the release of three vehicles based on the remarkably touted Mazda 6 system: the Ford Fusion, Mercury Milan, and the “close to luxurious” Lincoln Zephyr. All 3 sedans share very similar components and borrow heavily from Ford’s connection with Mazda.
If you invest in a Ford or Mazda product or service that has in point been rebadged will the Ford pieces and the Mazda areas be the identical? Great query! Key sections like the frame are probable to be the similar, but numerous crucial parts including suspension pieces, brakes, and electrical components, may be distinctive. A superior issue to do when purchasing substitution Ford or Mazda sections is to check out your vehicle’s homeowners handbook or go to a reputable on-line retail store, these types of as Automobile Elements Things, for the proper components for your make and model. You could feel you are obtaining the similar pieces, but you can only be particular if you verify that information.
Ford and Mazda have a connection that seems to be mutually helpful to the two automakers. Judging by the new products getting supplied, the marriage is selected to increase much better in the coming yrs.