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1992 Mazda Autozam AZ-1

The Autozam AZ-1 was a mid-engine kei-class sports car manufactured from 1992 to 1994, beginning and ending in October of those respective years. It was powered by the same Suzuki-sourced 657 cc turbocharged engine used by the Suzuki Alto, and was notable for having gullwing doors. Styling was by designer leader Toshiko Hirai and Tatsumi Fukunaga.

The Genesis and Evolution
The lineage of the AZ-1 begins with the mid-engine Suzuki RS/1 sports car of 1985. When introduced at the Tokyo Motor Show, it was a fully functional car equipped with a modified 1.3-liter G13B engine sourced from the Cultus GTi. Next came the Tatsumi Fukunaga-designed RS/3 shown in 1987 at the Tokyo Motor Show. Although similar in styling to the RS/1, the RS/3 was bestowed with features that made it practical and comply with Japanese safety regulations.

Instead of green-lighting the RS/3 for production, management abandoned the project and put a roadster project into production, later dubbed the Cappuccino. It, too, was a Kei car fitted with a turbocharged, three-cylinder, 657cc DOHC engine. With three removable roof panels, the Cappuccino could be used as a closed coupe, T-top, or targa.

Under Toshihiko Hirai's design leadership, work continued on developing Mazda prototypes that would comply with Kei car regulations. Using a tube frame with floors and bulkheads constructed from aluminum honeycomb, the redesigned cars experimented with three different body styles constructed in fiberglass. Known as the AZ-550 (the '550' represented the maximum engine capacity of 550cc, per Kei car regulations), the first was the 'Type A' sports car which had a front air vent, gull-wing doors, pop-up headlights, and a red paint scheme.

1992 Mazda Autozam AZ-1 photo
Coupe
Chassis #: PG6SA101694
View info and history
Auction entries : 1
The 'Type B' had a greenhouse pyramid roof without a rearward sweep to the C-pillar. Themed a 'High-tuned pure sports,' the Type B had a pair of bulging headlamps, dual mufflers, more conventional forward door hinging, and a racing car-inspired interior.

The 'Type C' was inspired by Mazda's Group C sports prototype racers and wore the color scheme of blue on white and the number it wore at the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Many design cues were sourced from the Group C sports prototype program, including large air intakes that vented to the forward-positioned radiator, BBS-style brake-cooling wheel discs, and wing mirrors.

The most popular of the three by the visiting public and motoring press was the Type C, but the Type A was the most commercially acceptable and so it was given the green light by management and executives to enter production. Only minor design updates were applied to the production examples, most notable were the replacement of the pop-up headlights in favor of fixed units. The interior skeleton frame was changed to steel, the dashboard was redesigned, and the front air vent was altered.

Although never intended for sale outside Japan, much of the development work was done in the United Kingdom.

The Autozam AZ-1 had a wheelbase size of 88 inches, an overall length of 129.7 inches, stood 45.3 inches tall, and was 54.9 inches wide. The 657cc F6A DOHC 12-valve turbocharged inline-3 cylinder engine was mated to a five-speed manual gearbox. The FRP body rested on the steel chassis, and there were Gullwing doors and seating for two.

When the Autozam AZ-1 was made available to the public in January 1992, color options were either Classic Red or Siberia Blue - both with Venetian Gray lower panels. The cars were sold through the Autozam dealer network in Japan but were introduced when Japan was in a recession, resulting in slow sales. It was also too expensive and too cramped for a kei car, and production figures failed to meet its target of 800 per month.

The Type L option came with an enhanced audio system, including a sub-woofer in the boot. The Mazdaspeed (A-spec) version had a front spoiler, rear wing, and an enhanced hood. Options included a stainless steel and ceramic muffler, an enhanced air filter, shock absorbers with sports spring sets, strut bars for the front and rear, and mechanical LSD. Colors included all-red or blue, and they rode on their own brand of alloy wheels (production cars had steel wheels).

The M2 1015 by M2 Incorporated had fog lights positioned within the bonnet, a rear spoiler, and an all-new front bumper. Color options included white, black, and silver. Similar to the Mazdaspeed version, the M2 1015 was finished entirely in a single color. Fifty examples were produced to be sold through M2 dealerships, but only about half were sold. The body parts of the unsold examples were sold individually.

During its production lifespan, a total of 4,392 units were built, plus 531 Suzuki Cara.


by Daniel Vaughan | Nov 2023

Similarly Sized Vehicles
from 1992

Mazda Monthly Sales Volume

February 2024
32,705
January 2024
30,279
December 2023
39,518
November 2023
27,715
October 2023
23,504
September 2023
28,031
August 2023
30,174
June 2023
29,786
May 2023
33,262
April 2023
32,351
March 2023
34,778
February 2023
30,639
Additional Sales Volume Data

1992 Mazda Autozam AZ-1 Vehicle Profiles

Recent Vehicle Additions

Performance and Specification Comparison

Autozam AZ-1

Specification Comparison by Year

Year
Production
Wheelbase
Engine
Prices
87.99 in.
3 cyl., 40.09 CID., 63.12hp

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