In Hiroshima, the famous Mazda Museum, renovated in May 2022, is a favourite among visitors to the city. Throughout the ten zones, there’s an abundance of automotive history just waiting to be discovered.
Words Ed Cooper / Images Dan Froude
It’s no secret that Mazda is steeped in rich, Japanese heritage. Founded in 1920 as Toyo Cork Kogyo Co (renamed as Toyo Kogyo in 1927 and, eventually, Mazda in 1984), the Hiroshima-based automotive corporation has seen years of innovation and continuous success around the world, with countless iconic vehicle designs. What many people don’t know, however, is just how deep Mazda’s roots grow.
The Mazda Museum, located in Mazda’s Hiroshima headquarters and with free entry to the public, is the ideal place to relive this eminent and vibrant past. Across ten different zones, the Mazda Museum captures over 100 years of this unique history, from challenging and innovative technologies to award-winning design and next-gen engineering. In each zone, there’s a perfect encapsulation of Mazda’s challenger spirit, with numerous automotive delights to be found.
ZONE 1
The Little Three-Wheeler That Rebuilt Hiroshima
In Osaka, Japan, Toyo Kogyo Co. Ltd founder Jujiro Matsuda started Mazda’s journey, and one of the earliest Mazda vehicles is also one of its most remarkable: a three-wheeled “truck”.
Must see: The Type-TCS welcomes visitors to the Mazda Museum and encapsulates the brand’s eclectic history perfectly. Made entirely from domestically manufactured parts, it was 40 per cent more powerful than its predecessor, the Type-DA, and could carry an impressive 400kg of cargo. Later, in 1938, Mazda launched the Type-GA and resumed production just four months after the end of the Second World War. The following year, in 1946, it reached the top of the market with a production volume of 2,430 units. It quickly became nicknamed “Green Panel” in a nod to the green instrument panel that symbolised peace and safety. The Type-GA remained in production until 1949. Today the Mazda Museum exhibits its successor model, the Type-GB, also in the iconic “Green Panel” colour.