40 Years of the Mazda Rotary Engine

The 30th of May marks the 40th anniversary of the sale of the first Mazda powered by a rotary engine. The Cosmo Sport, which debuted in the Japanese market in 1967, was the world’s first dual-rotor, rotary powered vehicle and one of the first mass produced cars of its type. The motor put out a modest 110hp (82kW) at 7,000rpm and 130Nm of torque at 3,500rpm from its 1.0L displacement and is regarded as Mazda’s first mass produced Wankel rotary engine.

Mazda was not the first manufacturer to mass produce a car powered by a rotary engine. That title was won by Germany’s NSU (currently Audi) Wankel Spider of 1964, and it wasn’t long before the mainstream carmakers such as Citroën, Daimler-Benz, Alfa-Romeo and Mazda joined the rotary bandwagon.


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IamEvilHomer - 5/29/2007 12:35:11 PM

-1 Boost

show me a rotary that is 4 years old
let alone 40

Agent009 - 5/29/2007 1:10:01 PM

+2 Boost

Got one in the stable that is 22 years old. VERY solid and reliable.

njshift - 5/29/2007 2:51:51 PM

-1 Boost

Solid and reliable as a paper-weight!

izfuney - 5/29/2007 4:51:54 PM

0 Boost

Ahh Mazda rotaries .. Automotive equivalent of the Melon Ice cream ;) ( to those who know what the hell it is) . If u like it ... its rocks your world else its just a freak of nature.
Seroiusly, an imporved renesis with better fuel management / power in a lighter car is just what the world ordered..( k.. Just me wishing for a Rx-7 FD)

EnnNorak - 5/29/2007 6:11:14 PM

+3 Boost

If I recall correctly, early rotary engines had monumental rotor sealing problems. Accolades to Mazda for sticking with it and improving reliability over the years. Chrysler should have stuck with the turbine they showed off all over North America half a century ago.

SevorbeupstryIsBack - 5/30/2007 8:29:12 AM

+2 Boost

Congrats to Mazda for really believing in the concept and not giving up!

But I also would like to congratulate unser German freund Felix Wankel for inventing the engine back in 1951. Actually I believe the first real wankel engine was produced in '54 or '55, not sure about that.