Is Mazda a Ford-owned Automotive Brand?

[LeElla]

Mazda is currently one of the subsidiary brands owned by Ford Motor Company of the United States, with its primary sales markets encompassing Asia, Europe, and North America. Mazda Motor Corporation is a Japanese automobile manufacturer headquartered in Hiroshima, Japan. The Mazda logo features a stylized 'M' enclosed within an oval. The oval symbolizes the sun, while the stylized 'M' represents Mazda. The inner section of the oval also resembles outstretched wings. Mazda's global passenger vehicle lineup includes: SUV series - CX-3, CX-30, CX-4, CX-5, CX-8, CX-9, MX-30; Sedan series - Mazda2, Mazda3 (known as 'Axela' by Changan Mazda), Mazda6 (referred to as 'Atenza' by FAW Car); Sports car - MX-5.

[Carrie]

I've actually looked into this matter carefully. In the early years, Ford did invest in Mazda, holding a 33.4% stake in the 1990s, so many car models were jointly developed by the two companies, such as the Mazda Tribute sharing a platform with the Ford Escape. However, starting around 2010, Ford began gradually selling its shares, and by 2015, the final equity transaction was completed, officially separating the two companies. Today, Mazda is a completely independent Japanese company, still headquartered in Hiroshima, with its latest CX series SUVs using its own Skyactiv technology. If you go to a 4S store for maintenance, you'll find their parts system and repair standards are completely different from Ford's.

[DelJustin]

I've driven the old Mazda6 and Focus, and indeed some parts are interchangeable. But as for ownership, Mazda is definitely operating independently now. I remember over a decade ago some media called them 'a member of the Ford Group', but Ford sold all its shares after the financial crisis. When I visited the Hiroshima factory last year, the engineers specifically emphasized that their rotary engine development is completely independent. Interestingly, the two companies still collaborate in some markets, like producing shared-platform pickups at the Thailand plant, but that's purely a business partnership.

[LaJune]

Not at all! My cousin was struggling with this issue when buying a car recently. In fact, Ford no longer holds shares in Mazda, and they completely separated after 2015. Mazda is now an independent listed company on the Tokyo Stock Exchange, and its self-developed Skyactiv-X spark-controlled compression ignition engine technology is highly regarded in the industry. However, longtime owners might remember that models like the Mazda Protégé around 2000 were indeed produced on shared assembly lines with Ford, even sharing components like window switches. But today's Mazda3 and Ford Focus have long gone their separate ways. The easiest way to tell is to check if there's a 'Ford' logo under the Mazda emblem.