Japanese cars

When the evolutionary version of the Cosmo Sport was launched, another sensational vehicle was also introduced to the market in July 1968. Mazda developed a brand-new Familia Rotary Coupe based on the design study model, the Mazda RX-85, which was first unveiled in front of the public during the Tokyo Motor Show the previous year. The Familia Rotary Coupe featured an identical rotary unit to that powering the Cosmo and, at the same time, offered cabin comfort comparable to a family vehicle. The company also took this high-performance touring car to the racetrack. In the Grand Prix of Singapore,...

Mitsubishi's automotive origins date back as far as 1917, when the Mitsubishi Shipbuilding Co. Ltd. introduced the Mitsubishi Model A, Japan's first series-production automobile. An entirely hand-built seven-seater sedan based on the Fiat Tipo 3, it proved expensive compared to its American and European mass-produced rivals, and production was discontinued in 1921 after only 22 had been built. Meanwhile, in 1920, the Mitsubishi Internal Combustion Engine Co., Ltd. was established to manufacture aircraft engines. It was renamed the Mitsubishi Aircraft Co. in 1928, before being merged...