Contour Enthusiasts Group Archives Forums General General 626's ?

actually Mazda was responsible for development of small car platform under the previous Ford product plan so the next Focus and Volvo S40 will be a Mazda rather than the other way around.

although so much as changed since last year at Ford who knows what it will be. For what is it worth, the 323/Protege will be replaced in 2004 a year before the European Focus will be replaced and maybe 3 years before the US Focus will be updated. This tell me that Protege replacement is further in the development cycle than Focus so if there is any platform sharing, it will be a Mazda design. Just simple deductive reasoning...

"...alienating the Mazda truck's customer base."

I didn't know they had one.

"genuine Japanese car" Aww too bad, all cars are sourced with parts from all over the globe.

Volvo, Ford, and Mazda will collaborate on the next small car. Mazda is maianly working on the drivetrain, so the Zetec will be gone soon. No, it won't have Pinto or 80's Escort parts, so don't worry Ford hating import purists.

That's because of the trade protectionism that gives them an incentive to manufacture here in the states. Nissans made in Tennessee, Toyotas made in California... The question of whether the Ford Ranger is "really" a Mazda vs. whether a Mazda Bx000 is "really" a Ford may just come down to which factory it's made in.

Fast4DrSVT,

I bet the MX-3 (2,400 lbs) was fast with a 2.5-liter engine since it has a 1.8-liter V6 stock! Any time an engine is swapped, the car is no where near stock. 3 car lengths is not bad considering you have only "light" mods. A 626 with this engine vs. a SVT would be close. :rolleyes:

Well, in the upper Midwest, the Mazda B-series was a very large volume seller with a dedicated customer base (my family has owned 5 of them). Dealers threw a fit when they merged them onto the Ranger platform and new sales plummeted. Meantime, used B-series trucks were selling for $2-3K over book, especially for extended cabs.

Ford didn't gain anything by merging the platforms, and the people would have just bought a Ranger anyway. However, they lost a large and loyal contingent of customers that were willing to pay a premium for their preferred vehicle.

Sound familiar?

Here in Chicago and in import land LA, I hardly ever saw any Mazda B pickups, when they made them. But, I just wnodered where the following for the B series was.

Mazda almost went broke in 90's trying to 'out Toyota' the competition. Ford had to step in and get contolling interest. Now, I think with Mazda engineering and Ford's marketing, they could do well.

But, since compact pickups are not as hot as SUV's, Ford has old designs for sale.

Mazda was not trying to "out Toyota" anyone. They did an excellent job of finding their niche and made cars with distinction (something very un-Toyota).

True, it was too rich for Mazda's blood, so they needed a sugar daddy to write checks. Ford should have just written the checks to let Mazda continue making great distinctive cars and not almost ruin them by being cheap. Finally, Mazda is getting their distinction back, and they're starting to flourish again.

However, Ford needs to realize that not every car across the brands of the same size should be on the same platform. It homogenizes the lineup too much, when spending a little extra money would make much better cars.

Mazda should stick with their marketing. The "Zoom Zoom" campaign has done an excellent job of creating a brand identity across all vehicle lines. Ford doesn't have a single memorable ad campaign in over a decade. Ford should try Mazda's marketing people.