Mazda begins I4 production/ Mazda recruits Ford veteran / Ford Japan aims ...
<blockquote><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><hr>
1/2/2002: Mazda begins production of new I4 engine series
Mazda has commenced production of the newly developed I4 engine series, co-developed with parent company Ford, at its new engine plant in Hiroshima.
The I4 design is an aluminum petrol inline four-cylinder family displacing 1.8-litres, 2.0-litres and 2.3-litres. In addition to seeing extensive service in future Mazda products (including the forthcoming Atenza/6), I4 motors will also be used by the Ford Group, with approximately two million units, of which Mazda will produce around 425,000, expected to be produced within several years. Production basis include Hiroshima and Ford plants in the US, Mexico and Spain. Production in the Americas is already underway.
Production preparations for Atenza are proceeding smoothly, according to Mazda officials. Commercial output begins in mid-February for European market, with sales in Japan scheduled from early summer.
<hr></blockquote>
<blockquote><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><hr>
1/2/2002: Mazda recruits Ford veteran as next product guru
Mazda has appointed Ford veteran Joseph Bakaj, engineering manager for the new Mondeo, as senior advisor in charge of product strategy, design and product development, effective on March 1, 2002.
He will take over from Philip R. Martens who is leaving Mazda to take up a position with Ford Motor Co. as vice president, vehicle Programmes and processes, and North American product development.
Bakaj was vehicle engineering manager for the new Ford Mondeo, and was named 'Engineer of the Year' in 2000 by UK-based Autocar magazine for his work on that project. Most recently he has worked in Dearborn, Michigan, as vehicle engineering director for North American truck product development.
Bakaj has more than 15 years of product development experience at Ford Motor Co. in Britain, Germany and the United States. A particular area of expertise is powertrain engineering and noise, vibration and harshness (NVH) and chassis work.
Mazda president Mark Fields paid tribute to Martens contribution. "To see the significance of the role Phil Martens played at Mazda R&D, just look at the new Atenza (Mazda 6) and RX-8, unveiled at the Tokyo and Detroit motor shows."
<hr></blockquote>
<blockquote><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><hr>
1/2/2002: Ford Japan aims to sell 25,000 cars in 2005
A just-released mid-term plan call for Ford Japan to sell 25,000 passenger cars per year in Japan by 2005. A key to growth, it says, will be the introduction of the new-genreation Fiesta subcompact in 2003, which it believes will more than compensate for the discontinuation of sales of sister models with Mazda.
The company will spend Y4-5 billion (US$) to upgrade 30 of its 133 Japanese showrooms this year as parts of a brand identity campaign. By 2004 it expects to have complete improvement work on 100 showrooms.
This year the firm expects to sell 12,000 cars, up 7.8% from 2001, including 10,000 of its own models (up 23%) and a couple of thousand rebadged Mazdas. There will be new Focus offerings in 2002 and the launch of the new Mondeo.
Officials say the new Thunderbird, which created a stir at the Tokyo Motor Show last October, could be introduced to the Japanese market early in 2003.
<hr></blockquote>
Linear Mode
