Mazda Made Cork Before Cars
On January 30, 1920, The Toyo Cork Kogyo Company, Ltd –which later became Mazda Motor Corporation— was founded in Hiroshima, Japan. The Company was first involved with manufacturing cork products, then machine tools before turning to manufacturing vehicles. In 1931 the Company introduced its first vehicle, the three-wheel “Mazda-go.” And, throughout WWII, the Company also produced weapons for the Japanese military. In 1970 the Company began exporting vehicles to the United States and in 1979, Ford Motor Company acquired a 25% equity stake in the Company, which got upped to 33.4% in 1996. They officially changed their name to Mazda Motor Corporation in 1884.
Fun Fact: Mazda derives its name from Ahura Mazda, the Zoroastrian god, and also from the name of the company’s founder, Jujiro Matsuda. According to the Company website, they interpret Ahura Mazda as “the symbol of the origin of both Eastern and Western civilizations, and also as a symbol of automobile culture.”
Despite Harmful Effects Leaded Gas Sold to the Public
On February 2, 1923, Gasoline mixed with Tetraethyllead (TEL) was for the first time sold to the U.S. public. At the time, gasoline did not have a high enough octane rating and caused engine knocking. It was discovered by Charles Kettering and Thomas Midgley, researches for General Motors, that when TEL was added to gasoline, it was effective at preventing engine knocking. Although the harmful effects of adding lead to gasoline to people’s health and to the environment were public knowledge at the time, the use of leaded gasoline went forward. To avoid the negative connotations that the word “lead” had, General Motors patented it as “Ethyl gasoline” and marketed it as an anti-knocking agent. In 1924, GM, Du Pont and Standard Oil created Ethyl Corp. to produce and market TEL. Under the authority of the Clean Air Act Extension of 1970, the EPA set out to phase out leaded gasoline, and after battling Ethly Corporation in court, the EPA was able to start the phasing out TEL in the United States in 1976, and completely by 1986.
Fun Fact: In 2008, the National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing (NASCAR) switched to unleaded fuel after years of research and when blood tests of NASCAR teams showed higher levels of the metal. Congress had exempted the aviation and racing industries from the lead ban in the 70’s.
Ford Acquires Lincoln: Gets into the Luxury Market
On February 4, 1922, Ford Motor Company purchased Lincoln Motor Company for $8 million. Lincoln Motor Company was founded in 1917 by Henry Leland to build aircraft engines during World War I. After the war, the company turned to making luxury automobiles. Leland had worked with Henry Ford at an early auto venture called the Henry Ford Corporation, which preceded both the Lincoln and Ford Motor Companies. After Henry Ford left this venture, Leland turned the Ford Motor Company into Cadillac., which was later sold to General Motors. The purchase of Lincoln was urged by Henry Ford’s son Edsel, who later become president of the company.
Fun Fact: Henry Leland named Lincoln Motor Company after his hero: President Abraham Lincoln.