Mazda rotary engine production passes two million units

November 1, 2023 by Mazda

• Production of rotary engines resumed in June 2023 for the Mazda MX-30 R-EV.  
  
• Launched in 1967, the Mazda Cosmo Sport 110S was the first production rotary engine vehicle.  
  
• The Mazda MX-30 R-EV features an 830cc singe-rotor motor generator and is on sale now.
  

Mazda Motor Corporation has announced that total production volume of Mazda rotary engine vehicles has surpassed two million units.

The first vehicle Mazda equipped with a rotary engine was the Mazda Cosmo Sport (Mazda 110S), introduced in 1967. From there, Mazda continued to refine the performance of their rotary engines improving output, fuel economy, and durability, and maintaining their position as the only automaker mass-producing rotary engines for many years.

In June this year, Mazda resumed production of rotary engine vehicles for the first time in eleven years after having ended production of the Mazda RX-8 in 2012.

Commenting on reaching the 2 million rotary engine production mark, Takeshi Mukai, Director and Senior Managing Executive Officer at Mazda, said: 'the rotary engine is a special part of Mazda history and represents our 'never-stop challenging spirit.' The rotary engine is much loved by customers around the world, and we are excited to resume production and see it make a comeback. I would like to take this opportunity to sincerely thank everyone who has supported us on this journey—in particular, the many customers who have purchased rotary engine vehicles, our rotary engine fans, and all our business partners who were involved in development and production. Moving forward, we will continue to pass on this 'never-stop challenging spirit,' offering attractive vehicles that provide our customers with an exciting driving experience even in the age of electrification.'

Mazda Rotary Engine Timeline

July 1961	Technical tie-up with NSU and Felix Wankel
May 1967	Completion of the rotary engine announced. and Mazda Cosmo Sport (Mazda 110S) launches.
July 1968	Mazda Familia Rotary coupe (Mazda R100 coupe) launches.
October 1969	Mazda Luce Rotary coupe (Mazda R130 coupe) launches.
May 1970	Mazda Capella Rotary series (Mazda RX-2) launches.
September 1971	Mazda Savanna (Mazda RX-3) launches.
November 1972	2nd Generation Mazda Luce Rotary series (Mazda RX-4) launches.
June 1973	Total rotary engine vehicle production volume reaches 500,000.
February 1974	2nd Generation Mazda Capella (Mazda RX-2) launches.
April 1974	Mazda Rotary Pickup (REPU) launches in North America
July 1974	Mazda Parkway Rotary 26 launches.
April 1975	Mazda Roadpacer AP launches.
October 1975	2nd Generation Mazda Cosmo AP (Mazda RX-5) launches.
October 1977	3rd Generation Mazda Luce (Mazda 929L) launches.
March 1978	1st Generation Mazda Savanna RX-7 (Mazda RX-7) launches.
November 1978	Total rotary engine vehicle production volume reaches 1 million.
November 1981	3rd Generation Mazda Cosmo and 4th Generation Luce Rotary series (Mazda 929) launch
October 1985	2nd Generation Mazda Savanna RX-7 (Mazda RX-7) launches.
April 1986	Total rotary engine vehicle production volume reaches 1.5 million.
September 1986	5th Generation Mazda Luce (Mazda 929) launches.
April 1990	4th Generation Mazda Cosmo (Eunos Cosmo) launches, equipped with a three-rotor rotary engine.
June 1991	Mazda 787B wins the 59th 24 Hours of Le Mans.
December 1991	3rd Generation Mazda RX-7 (ɛ̃fini RX-7) launches.
April 2002	The last Mazda RX-7 limited edition model, Spirit R Series, launches.
April 2003	Mazda RX-8 launches.
November 2011	The last Mazda RX-8 special edition vehicle, Spirit R, launches.
June 2012	Production of the Mazda RX-8 ends.
June 2023	Production of the Mazda MX-30 e-Skyactiv R-EV starts.
October 2023	Total rotary engine vehicle production volume reaches 2 million.