Mazda Parkway Rotary 26, rotary engine minibus
Most car enthusiasts associate the Mazda name with one of the most extravagant and controversial inventions when it comes to combustion propulsion systems: rotary engine.
Named Wankel after its creator, this engine was widely used by the Japanese manufacturer who offered it on some of the models that included brand history like the Cosmo Sport, RX-7, RX-8 and the Le Mans-winning 787B in '91.
What many do not know, however, is that in 1974 the rotary engine code 13B, already used in the RX-3 sports car, was also installed in the minibus. Mazda Parkway... But let's do it step by step.
Birth of the first Mazda minibuses
It was in 1960 that Mazda began building buses from multiple locations that could provide local transportation. This is how the Light Bus appeared on the market, a minibus that became famous thanks to quality and comfort proposed and which was subsequently produced in an ambulance version.
The success achieved by this first generation prompted the Japanese manufacturer to introduce an updated version of the 1965-seat light bus in 25. But it was in 1972, when demand in the minibus market increased, that Mazda took a real step forward with the introduction of a new generation of small minibuses. completely renovated... The Mazda Parkway 26 (the number indicated the maximum number of seats) had many amenities, including radio and heating.
Reducing emissions as a goal
The Mazda Parkway's launch years were marked by a dramatic increase in global pollution, prompting several car manufacturers to seek solutions. Just to try reduce emissions Pollutants Mazda has decided to equip one version of its minibus with the Mazda RX-13 3B rotary engine.
Despite the environmental and productivity benefits, this choice soon proved to be the wrong one. In fact, the fuel consumption was too high. They were installed two 70-liter tanks each, which increased the weight of the vehicle by 400 kg, ultimately giving the opposite effect to what was desired.
Production, which ended in 1976, is only 44 sampleswhich still makes this minivan something really super rare. One of them is part of the collection of the Mazda Classic Car Museum in Augsburg, Germany.
