Back in 1931 Mazda started out as an automaker when it began producing three-wheeled trucks in Hiroshima. 29-years later it entered the passenger car market with the R360 Coupe micro-mini. A plant in Hofu was added in 1982 and the Japanese production duties have since been split between the two factories. On the May 15, the 50-millionth vehicle was made. Mazda project that they will sell 1.66 million cars this year with plans to establish a global production framework capable of producing 2 million units annually by 2024.

Speaking at the commemorative ceremony, company CEO Masamichi Kogai said,"Moving forward, Mazda will continue to build a strong brand through a variety of initiatives. Our plants in Hofu and Hiroshima will continue to evolve and act as parent factories, rapidly deploying their technologies and skills to our overseas plants. I'd like us all to work together to ensure these plants continue to embody the kind of technical prowess that does justice to Japan's proud history of Monotsukuri." That term refers to the process of reviewing the vehicle manufacturing from scratch and improving and optimizing processes where needed.

Such dedication to constant improvement has resulted in a framework that can respond quickly to changes in demand as well as allow for production of different models on a single line in various volumes. This has been hailed as a breakthrough in the tradeoff that occurs between product variety, competitiveness and volume efficiency. Looking forward, Mazda aspires to create a world where cars and people can co-exist sustainably and become a brand that customers can develop a strong emotional bond with. We say an updated twin-turbo RX7-style sports car could achieve just that.