Zoroastrianism Zoroastrianism Print this page Zoroastrianism, a unique religion which stresses the eternal battle of good versus evil, has had a larger impact than its small number of followers (100,000) would suggest. It is the religion of one man who lived some 600 years before the birth of Christ. His name was Zoroaster. The religiously fertile area of Babylonia (modern Iraq and Iran) was his home. History Zoroaster The founder of Zoroastrianism was the man Zoroaster (a Greek corruption of the old Iranian word Zarathushtra). His time and place of birth are unknown, but it is generally believed that he was born around 650 B.C. in Persia (present-day Iran). However, as Richard Cavendish observed, there is much doubt as to when and where Zoroaster was born: The early history of Zoroastrianism is much in dispute.

The religion was founded by Zoroaster (the Greek form of his name, which is Zarathushtra in Persian), but it is not certain when he lived, where he lived or how much of later Zoroastrianism came from him. Tradition puts him in western Iran in the sixth century B.C., a little earlier than the Buddha in India, but it is now thought that he lived in northeastern Iran, in the area on the borders of modern Afghanistan and Turkmenistan. An alternative theory dates him much earlier, somewhere in the period from 1700 to 1500 B.C., and places him in the plains of Central Asia, perhaps before the first groups of Aryans moved south from the plains into Iran and India (Richard Cavendish, The Great Religions, New York: Arco Publishing Company, 1980, p. 125). Tradition says that Zoroaster was the son of a camel merchant and grew up at a time when his fellow Persians worshipped many gods. While growing up he had a keen interest in religion, pondering the mysteries of life. At an early age he became known for his compassionate nature, especially toward the elderly.

Zoroaster had an excellent education, studying with some of the best teachers in Persia. Yet he became restless, and at age 20 he left his father and mother in a search for answers to life's deepest questions. He would seek, from all those whom he met, answers to his religious questions. During this time of Zoroaster's religious quest, it is said he used his medical ability to help heal those ravaged by the ongoing wars. It was at age 30 that Zoroaster received enlightenment. As the account goes, Zoroaster received a vision on the banks of the Daitya River when a large figure appeared to him. This personage identified himself as Vbhu Manah, or "good thought. " This figure took Zoroaster into the presence of the wise lord Ahura-Mazda, who instructed Zoroaster in the true religion. Zoroaster spent the next ten years proclaiming his newly discovered truth but had little success. The movement began to grow after Zoroaster converted a prince named Vishtaspa, who helped propagate his new-found faith. During the ensuing years the faith spread rapidly.

Zoroastrian tradi-tion records two holy wars which were fought over the faith, the second of which took the life of Zoroaster at age 77. However, though the prophet died, the faith remained alive. Zoroastrianism quickly destroyed the magic and idol worship prevalent then and established its own belief in one god, a heaven, and a hell (see Maurice Rawlings, Life-Wish: Reincarnation: Reality or Hoax, Nashville: Thomas Nelson Inc., 1981, p. 63). The Deification of Zoroaster As is true with many religious leaders, the later disciples of Zoroaster, far removed in time from their master, made him an object of veneration. Thus, Zoroaster became an object of worship along with the deity Ahura-Mazda.

He is lauded in the following terms: Head of the two-footed race; the wisest of all beings in the perfection of his holiness; the only one who can daunt evil (Max Mueller, ed., Secret Books of the East, Oxford: Krishna Press, 1897-1910, 23:190, 229, 275). The chieftainship of all things was from Zoroaster; the completely good, the righteous Zoroaster (Ibid., 5:88; 18:90). Incomparable among mankind through his desire for righteousness, and his understanding the means of defeating the destroyer, and teaching creatures (Ibid., 37:241). A heavenly radiance "came down from the endless light" to the grandmother of Zoroaster for his birth from a radiantly wonderful virgin mother (Ibid., 47:18-20, 138-139).

He was pre-existent, 3,000 years before his physical birth, and during the interval he remained with the archangels equal to the archangels (Ibid., 47:21, 22, 122). Present-day Status Richard Cavendish sums up the present-day status of Zoroastrianism: The principal religions of the world count their adherents in the millions, and on this scale it almost needs a microscope to see Zoroastrianism at all. There are about 100,000 Zoroastrians in India and Pakistan, where they are called Parsis. They do not accept converts and their numbers are steadily diminishing. There are also a few thousand Zoroastrians in Iran, and smaller communities in North America, Britain, East Africa and Hong Kong. Despite its comparative poverty in numbers, however, Zoroastrianism is enormously rich in ideas, which have had an influence far beyond its own ranks (Richard Cavendish, op. cit., p. 125). Because of the influence it exerts, Zoroastrianism is still a religion to be reckoned with.

The Avesta The sacred scripture of the Zoroastrians is known as the Avesta, originally written in an old Iranian language called Avestan. Of the original work only a small fraction has survived, with the total size about one-tenth that of the Bible. The Avesta contains hymns, prayers and ritual instruction. It is divided into three major sections, the oldest of which is called Yasna. Within the Yasna there is a group of five hymns known as the Gathas, which are composed in a more archaic dialect than the remainder of the Avesta. These hymns are generally assumed to be the closest account we have of the very words of Zoroaster. The Gathas stress the lordship of Ahura-Mazda as the only supreme God, along with an exhortation to righteous living. The Gathas also reveal that the righteous will receive a reward at the end of this present age. The second major section is called the Yashts and contains hymns to various deities. The third section is known as the Vind_v_t (or Vend_d_d) and is a section written much later, containing the law against the demons along with other codes and regulations.

The priests of Zoroastrianism are called magi and use magic in their communion with God. This is the source for our English word "magic." Ahura-Mazda According to Zoroaster, there is one true deity to be worshipped. His name is Ahura-Mazda (wise lord). The opening lines of the Avesta exalt this deity: Ahura-Mazda, the creator, radiant, glorious, greatest and best, most beautiful, most firm, wisest, most perfect, the most bounteous spirit! (Max Mueller, ed., op. cit., 31:195-196).

The Gathas attribute the following characteristics to Ahura-Mazda: Creator: (Yasna, 31:7, 11; 44:7; 50:11; 51:7.) All-seeing: (Yasna, 31:13; 44:2.) All-knowing: (Yasna, 31:13; 453; 48:2-3.) Most mighty, greatest: (Yasna, 28:5; 33:11; 45:6.1 Friendly: (Yasna, 31:21; 44:2; 4:2.) Father of justice or Right, Asha: (Yasna, 44:3; 47:2.) Father of Good Mind, Vbhu Manah: (Yasna, 31:8; 45:4.) Beneficent, hudae: (Yasna, 45:6; 48:3.) Bountiful, spenta: (Yasna, 43:4, 5,

 7, 9, 11, 13, 15; 44:2; 45:5; 46:9; 48:3; 51:10.) Most bountiful spirit, spenishta mainyu: (Yasna, 30:5.) Angra Mainyu Although Ahura-Mazda is the supreme deity, he is opposed by another powerful force known as Angra Mainyu, or Ahriman, "the bad spirit." From the beginning of existence these two antagonistic spirits have been at odds with each other: Now the two primal Spirits, who revealed themselves in vision as Twins, are the Better and the Bad in thought and word and action.

And between these two the wise once chose aright, the foolish not so. And when these twain Spirits came together in the beginning, they established Life and Not-Life, and that at the last the Worst Existence (Hell) shall be to the followers of the Lie, but the Best Thought (Paradise) to him that follows Right. Of these twain Spirits he that followed the Lie chose doing the worst things; the holiest Spirit chose Right (James Hope Moulton, Early Zoroastrianism, London: Constable and Company, 1913, Yasna 30:3-5, p. 349). These two powers have been co-equal from the beginning of time and will continue to battle each other until the end of the world.

As Zoroastrian doctrine developed, both Ahura-Mazda and Angra Mainyu were given seven attributes (known as the Amesha-stentas) which were corresponding opposites: Ahura-Mazda Angra Mainyu Ahura-Mazda (God of light, Angra Mainyu (Prince of darkness) wisdom) Asha (right, justice) Drui (falsehood) Vbhu monah (good mind) Akem (evil mind) Kshathra (power) Dush-kshathra (cowardice) Armaiti (love) Taromaiti (false pretense) Haurvatat (health) Avetat (misery) Ameretat (immortality) Merethyn (annihilation) Future judgment Zoroastrianism was one of the earliest religions to teach an ultimate triumph of good over evil. There would be punishment in the end for the wicked and reward for the righteous.

The following portions of the Gathas present this doctrine: Yasna 30:2, 4, 9-11; 31:8,19; 32:6, 15; 33:3, 5; 43:12; 45:7; 46:12; 48:4; 51:6; 53:7-9 Influence Upon Other Religions One of the claims made by some religious scholars is that Zoroastrianism has had a profound effect in shaping the doctrines of three major religions: Judaism, Islam and Christianity Consider the following assertions: The importance of Zoroastrianism has always been qualitative rather than quantitative. Its highest significance lies in the influence it has exercised on the development of at least three other great religions. First, it made contributions to Judaism, for between 538 B.C. (when the Persians under Cyrus captured Babylonia and set free the Jews exiled in that land) and 330 B.C. (when the Persian Empire was destroyed by Alexander) the Jews were directly under the suzerainty of the Zoroastrians.

And it was from the suzerains that the Jews first learnt to believe in an Ahriman, a personal devil, whom they called in Hebrew, Satan. Possibly from them, too, the Jews first learnt to believe in a heaven and hell, and in a judgment Day for each individual (Lewis Browne, This Believing World, New York: MacMillan Company, 1926, pp. 216, 217). Influence on the Bible Of all the other nine extra-Biblical living religions, Zoroastrianism is the only one from which a definite religious belief has been borrowed and included in the Bible. Consistently throughout the Old Testament down to and including the Isaiah of the Exile, the ultimate source of everything, including evil, is represented as the God Jehovah. But a distinct change took place after the Exile. A comparison of two parallel accounts of a certain experience of King David will show that a post-exilic document (1 Chronicles 21:1) substitutes "Satan" for "Jehovah" in the pre-exilic account (2 Samuel 24:1).

Thus Satan is not an original feature of the Bible, but was introduced from Zoroastrianism. Perhaps certain other innovations besides the idea of a Satan were adopted from Zoroastrianism by the Hebrews after they had come into direct contact with that religion in the Babylonian Exile: for example, the ideas of an elaborate angelology and demonology, of a great Saviour or Deliverer to come, of a final resurrection and divine judgment, and a definitely picturable future life. Certainly Jesus' word "Paradise" (Greek, paradeisos, Luke 23:43) was, at least etymologically, derived form Persian origin (Avestan, pairidaeza) (Robert E. Hume, The World's Living Religions, New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, rev. ed., 1959, p. 200). Although many teach that Zoroastrianism has had a profound influence upon the teachings of the Bible, we believe this is not the case at all.

In other works (Answers, Reasons) we have demonstrated that Christianity is not a man-made religion, as many assume, but it is rather the one true faith supernaturally revealed by the true and living God. The Bible claims to be God's unique revelation of Himself, and we have shown the evidence that leads one in that direction. If this be true, then the practices of other religions, including Zoroastrianism, could not have affected Biblical doctrine as is claimed. Those who claim Zoroastrianism has had an effect on the Bible begin with the inherent assumption that the Old Testament was written later than the traditional evidence shows. Many books, such as the Pentateuch (Genesis-Deuteronomy), job and Isaiah chapters 40-66, are wrongly dated during or after the exile (ca 536 B.C.) instead of as early as 1300 B.C. Consequently, when these concepts appear in certain biblical books, they are given a late date because they are already assumed to have been influenced by other religions. In More Evidence That Demands a Verdict (written by josh McDowell), we see that these assumptions of the late dating of the Old Testament are anything but assured.

If one accepts the traditional dating of the Old Testament, then the proverbial shoe is on the other foot. It is not Zoroastrianism that influenced biblical doctrine when the Jews were in exile under Persian rule; it is the Bible that influenced Zoroastrianism! Moreover, the ideas that are supposed to have influenced New Testament doctrine (resurrection, final judgment, a messiah) were either taught in the Old Testament before the rise of Zoroastrianism or come from later Zoroastrian teachings which first appeared after the birth of Christ. Therefore, we strongly believe if there was any influencing on one by the other, it is Zoroastrianism that has been influenced by the Bible, not the opposite. Zoroastrianism and Christianity Although Zoroastrianism has been thought to have exerted an influence over some of the beliefs of Christianity, there is much in Zoroastrianism that is incompatible with Christianity. The God of Zoroastrianism is similar to the God revealed in the Bible; however, there are some major differences. Ahura-Mazda is not an all-powerful God but is only equal in strength to Angra Mainyu. They are co-equal and co-eternal.

According to the Bible, God is the only all-powerful Being, with His archenemy, Satan, a created being. "'You are My witnesses; declares the Lord, 'And My servant whom I have chosen, in order that you may know and believe Me, and understand that I am He"' (Isaiah 43:10, NASB). Speaking of Satan, the Scripture says, "You were blameless in your ways from the day you were created, until unrighteousness was found in you" (Ezekiel 28:15, NASB). Satan is not the opposite of God, for he is neither all-powerful nor eternal. (See our previous volume in this series, Understanding the Occult, on the character and abilities of Satan). Zoroastrianism believes that a person earns favor with God by his good works. There is no answer to the sin problem of mankind, for the difference between a good man and a bad man is considered to be only relative. According to the Bible, there is no one who is good enough on his own to make it to heaven. This is why Jesus Christ had to die on the cross, to solve the problem of sin.

The Bible makes this very clear: As it is written, There is none righteous, not even one (Romans 3:10, NASB). For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23, NASB). For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord (Romans 6:23, NASB). For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, that no one should boast (Ephesians 2:8, 9, NASB). He saved us, not on the basis of deeds which we have done in righteousness, but according to His mercy, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing by the Holy Spirit (Titus 3:5, NASB). The practice of Zoroastrianism involves much that is occultic and superstitious, something resoundingly condemned in the Scripture. The practice of drinking haoma (soma in India), a hallucinogenic, has become a central rite in Zoroastrian worship.

RELIGIONS Any type of involvement in occultic practices is strongly forbidden by the Bible. "There shall not be found among you anyone who makes his son or his daughter pass through the fire, one who interprets omens, or a sorcerer, or one who casts out a spell, or a medium, or a spiritist, or one who calls up the dead. For whoever does these things is detestable to the Lord; and because of these detestable things the Lord your God will drive them out before you" (Deuteronomy 18:10-12, NASB). Worship in Zoroastrianism is legalistic and impersonal, reflecting the view of its impersonal god, Ahura-Mazda. In Christianity, God is to be worshipped personally with all one's heart, since His nature is personal. Psalm 100 reflects the proper attitude with which to approach the God of the Bible. "Shout joyfully to the Lord, all the earth. Serve the Lord with gladness; come before Him with joyful singing. Know that the Lord Himself is God; it is He who has made us, and not we ourselves; we are His people and the sheep of His pasture.

Enter His gates with thanksgiving, and His courts with praise. Give thanks to Him; bless His name. For the Lord is good; His lovingkindness is everlasting, and His faithfulness to all generations" (Psalm 100, NASB). Zoroastrianism may resemble something of Christianity on the surface, but a close comparison of the two will reveal the contradictory differences between them. Zoroastrianism Terms Ahura-Mazda -The supreme deity, creator of the world, the principle of good. Amesba-Spenta-One of the seven archangels. Angra Mainyu-The evil creator, archenemy of Ahura-Mazda. Avesta-The sacred scriptures of Zoroastrianism. Dakhmas -The towers of silence where the Zoroastrians dispose of their dead by leaving the bodies partially uncovered to be eaten by vultures. This practice keeps the soil and water from being contaminated with dead flesh. Fire Temple -The place where fire worship is carried on. An important practice in present-day Zoroastrianism. Gabras -The name given Zoroastrians by Muslims. The term denotes an infidel.

Vivedat (Venidad) -A portion of the Avesta containing magic spells and prescriptions for purification. Vohu Manah -the archangel also known as good thought. Yasna -The most important portion of the Avesta, Zoroastrianism's sacred scripture. Zend-Avesta -A third century A.D. commentary on the Zoroastrian scriptures (Avesta) is known as the Zend. The combining of the two is called the Zend-Avesta. Zoroastrianism Bibliography Browne, Lewis, This Believing World, New York: MacMillan Company, 1926. Cavendish, Richard, The Great Religions, New York: Arco Publishing Company, 1980. Hume, Robert E., The World's Living Religions, New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, rev. ed., 1959. Moulton, James Hope, Early Zoroastrianism, London: Constable and Company, 1913. Mueller, Max, ed., Sacred Books of the East, Oxford: Krishna Press, 1879-1910.

Rawlings, Maurice, Life-Wish: Reincarnation: Reality or Hoax, Nashville: Thomas Nelson Inc., 1981. informationformazda - findcarsforsale informationformazda 307 S Central Expwy, Richardson, TX 75080 Hancock Mazda 16160 LBJ Frwy, Mesquite, TX 75150 Freeman Mazda 1850 E Airport Frwy, Irving, TX 75062 From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Mazda Motor Corporation (マツダ株式会社, Matsuda Kabushiki-gaisha ? ) ( TYO : 7261 ) is a Japanese automotive manufacturer based in Hiroshima , Japan . During 2007, Mazda produced almost 1.3 million vehicles for global sales. The majority of these (nearly 1 million) were produced in the company's Japanese plants, with the remainder coming from a variety of other plants worldwide. [2] Name The name of the company is supposedly derived from Ahura Mazda , the transcendental god of Zoroastrianism .

It is also said that Mazda coincides with the anglicized pronunciation of the founder's name, Jujiro Matsuda , who was interested in spirituality, and chose to rename the firm in honor of both his family and the Zoroastrians. [3] The word mazda means "great wisdom" in the Iranian Avestan language . In Japanese, the company's name has always been pronounced and spelled as "Matsuda", the name of the founder. Television ads for Mazda automobiles in the United States use a pronunciation where the initial vowel sound is similar to the word "art", while Canadian Mazda advertisements pronounce the company's name with the initial "a" sound of the word "has". The initial vowel sounds (in the American and Canadian advertisements) are references to the first and last A sounds in the original Persian pronunciation. [ edit ] History Mazda began as the Toyo Cork Kogyo Co., Ltd, founded in Japan in 1920 . Toyo Cork Kogyo renamed itself to Toyo Kogyo Co., Ltd. in 1927. Toyo Kogyo moved from manufacturing machine tools to vehicles, with the introduction of the Mazda-Go in 1931 .

Toyo Kogyo produced weapons for the Japanese military throughout the Second World War , most notably the series 30 through 35 Type 99 rifle . The company formally adopted the Mazda name in 1984, though every automobile sold from the beginning bore that name. The Mazda R360 was introduced in 1960 , followed by the Mazda Carol in 1962. Mazda Cosmo Sport Beginning in the 1960s, Mazda put a major engineering effort into development of the Wankel rotary engine as a way of differentiating themselves from other Japanese auto companies. Beginning with the limited-production Cosmo Sport of 1967 and continuing to the present day with the RX-8 , Mazda has become the sole manufacturer of Wankel-type engines mainly by way of attrition ( NSU and Citroen both gave up on the design during the 1970s, and prototype efforts by General Motors never made it to production). This effort to bring attention to themselves apparently helped, as Mazda rapidly began to export its vehicles.

Both piston-powered and rotary-powered models made their way around the world, but the rotary models quickly became popular for their combination of good power and light weight (when compared to piston-engined competitors with similar power, usually carrying a heavy V6 or V8 engine). The R100 and the famed RX series ( RX-2 , RX-3 , and RX-4 ) led the company's export efforts. During 1970, Mazda formally entered the North American market (under the guise of Mazda North American Operations ) and was very successful there, going so far as to create the Mazda Rotary Pickup (based on the conventional piston-powered B-Series model) solely for North American buyers. To this day, Mazda remains the only automaker to have produced a Wankel-powered pickup truck. Additionally, they are also the only marque to have ever offered a rotary-powered bus (the Mazda Parkway , offered only in Japan) or station wagon (within the RX-3 line). Mazda's rotary success continued until the onset of the 1973 oil crisis . As American buyers (as well as those in other nations) quickly turned to vehicles with better fuel efficiency, the relatively thirsty rotary-powered models began to fall out of favor.

Wisely, the company had not totally turned its back on piston engines, as they continued to produce a variety of four-cylinder models throughout the 1970s. The smaller Familia line in particular became very important to Mazda's worldwide sales after 1973, as did the somewhat larger Capella series. Mazda RX-7 (first generation) Not wishing to abandon the rotary engine entirely, Mazda refocused their efforts and made it a choice for the sporting motorist rather than a mainstream powerplant. Starting with the lightweight RX-7 in 1978 and continuing with the modern RX-8 , Mazda has continued its dedication to this unique powerplant. This switch in focus also resulted in the development of another lightweight sports car, the piston-powered Mazda Roadster (perhaps better known by its worldwide names as the MX-5 or Miata), inspired by the concept ' jinba ittai '. Introduced in 1989 to worldwide acclaim, the Roadster has been widely credited with reviving the concept of the small sports car after its decline in the late 1970s.

Mazda's financial turmoil and decline during the 1970s resulted in a new corporate investor by 1979, Ford Motor Company . Starting in 1979 with a 27-percent financial stake, Ford began a partnership with Mazda resulting in various joint projects. During the 1980s,Ford gained another 20-percent in financial stakes. These included large and small efforts in all areas of the automotive landscape. This was most notable in the realm of pickup trucks (like the Mazda B-Series , which spawned a Ford Courier variant in North America) and smaller cars. For instance, Mazda's Familia platform was used for Ford models like the Laser and Escort , while the Capella architecture found its way into Ford's Telstar sedan and Probe sports models. However in 2002 Ford gained an extra 5-percent financial stake. The Probe was built in a new Mazda assembly plant in Flat Rock, Michigan along with the mainstream 626 sedan (the North American version of the Capella) and a companion Mazda MX-6 sports coupe.

(The plant is now a Ford-Mazda joint venture known as AutoAlliance International .) Ford has also loaned Mazda some of their capacity when needed: the Mazda 121 sold in Europe was, for a time, a variant of the Ford Fiesta built in plants throughout that continent. Mazda has also made an effort in the past to sell some of Ford's cars in Japan, mainly through their Autorama dealer group. The Ford Probe was made popular by Steven Bowers in the television show "The Wrong One". Mazda also helped Ford develop the 1991 Explorer , which Mazda sold as the 2-door only Mazda Navajo from 1991 through 1994. Ironically, Mazda's version was unsuccessful, while the Ford (available from the start as a 4-door or 2-door model) instantly became the best selling sport-utility vehicle in the United States and kept that title for over a decade. Mazda has used Ford's Ranger pickup as the basis for its North American-market B-Series trucks, starting in 1994 and continuing through to the present.

Following their long-held fascination with alternative engine technology, Mazda introduced the first Miller cycle engine for automotive use in the Millenia luxury sedan of 1995. Though the Millenia (and its Miller-type V6 engine) were discontinued in 2002, the company has recently introduced a much smaller Miller-cycle four-cylinder engine for use in their Demio starting in 2008. As with their leadership in Wankel technology, Mazda remains (so far) the only automaker to have used a Miller-cycle engine in the automotive realm. Further financial difficulties at Mazda during the 1990s (partly caused by losses related to the 1997 Asian financial crisis ) caused Ford to increase its stake to a 33.9-percent controlling interest on 31 March 1999 . Ford executive Mark Fields , who took over as Mazda's CEO at that time, has been credited with Mazda's turnaround during the early 2000s.

Ford's increased influence during the 1990s allowed Mazda to claim another distinction in history, having maintained the first foreign-born head of a Japanese car company (starting under Henry Wallace from 1996 to 1997, and under James Miller from 1997 to 1999 before Fields' arrival). The marque has since returned to a Japanese-born CEO, under Hisakazu Imaki since 2003. Since 1999, Ford's deeper involvement in Mazda's operations has meant an increasing level of cooperation in engineering and marketing as well. The two firms now share engine designs from around the world (Ford uses Mazda's four-cylinder designs in large numbers, while Mazda has replaced its own V6 engine lines with designs from Ford) and have made several combined efforts in platform engineering. Their first major platform cooperation of this type began with the Ford Escape and Mazda Tribute models, which were effectively a global design that has since been sold in many parts of the world. The most recent Ford Focus also shares a platform with both the Mazda Axela and the Volvo S40 . Mazda has also conducted research in hydrogen-powered vehicles for several decades.

As a major step in this effort, the company plans to release a hydrogen-fueled hybrid car in 2008, the Premacy Hydrogen RE compact minivan. The prototype has so far proven capable of traveling up to 200 kilometers (120 miles). [4] Mazda Motor Corporation Mazda - About Mazda Mazda Mazda Motor Corporation (Matsuda Kabushiki-gaisha) is a Japanese automotive manufacturer based in Hiroshima, Japan. As of 2006, the company is expected to produce 1.25 million vehicles per year, with sales evenly divided among Japan, Europe, Australia, and North America, followed by Latin America. The Name The name of the company is supposedly derived from Ahura Mazda, the transcendental god of Zoroastrianism. It is also said that Mazda coincides with the anglicized pronunciation of the founder's name, Jujiro Matsuda, who was interested in spirituality, and chose to rename it in honor of both his family and the Zoroastrians. Mazda means "great wisdom" in the Iranian Avestan language.

However, in Japanese, the company has always been pronounced and spelled as "Matsuda" leading many to believe that Mazda is really just a poorly anglicized version of the founder's name. (It comes to English by way of German, Mazda being pronounced Mats'da in German.) All (!) info on the site comes from Wikipedia Enter your search terms Mazda Wallpapers and Pictures Mazda Wallpapers and Pictures Privacy Policy Mazda Motor Corporation (マツダ株式会社, Matsuda Kabushiki-gaisha) (TYO: 7261) is a Japanese automotive manufacturer based in Hiroshima, Japan. During 2007, Mazda produced almost 1.3 million vehicles for global sales. The majority of these (nearly 1 million) were produced in the company's Japanese plants, with the remainder coming from a variety of other plants worldwide. The name of the company is supposedly derived from Ahura Mazda, the transcendental god of Zoroastrianism. It is also said that Mazda coincides with the anglicized pronunciation of the founder's name, Jujiro Matsuda, who was interested in spirituality, and chose to rename the firm in honor of both his family and the Zoroastrians.

The word mazda means "great wisdom" in the Iranian Avestan language. In Japanese, the company's name has always been pronounced and spelled as "Matsuda", the name of the founder. Television ads for Mazda automobiles in the United States use a pronunciation where the initial vowel sound is similar to the word "art", while Canadian Mazda advertisements pronounce the company's name with the initial "a" sound of the word "has". The initial vowel sounds (in the American and Canadian advertisements) are references to the first and last A sounds in the original Persian pronunciation. Check out the Mazda wallpapers and Mazda Pictures (pics) collection below: Used Mazda Parts from Mazda wreckers across Australia SIGN UP Mazda Parts & Spares The name of the company is supposedly derived from Ahura Mazda, the transcendental god of Zoroastrianism. It is also said that Mazda coincides with the anglicized pronunciation of the founder's name, Jujiro Matsuda, who was interested in spirituality, and chose to rename the firm in honor of both his family and the Zoroastrians. Rei Yoshimara, a world-renowned corporate image-creator, designed the Mazda logo. The 'V' represents wings outstretched.

All Mazda Parts are available at Findapart.com.au via our nationwide network of Mazda dismantlers and Mazda parts suppliers - finding Mazda parts for all models within minutes. Our Registered suppliers offer new and used Mazda Spares, with most offering nationwide delivery direct to your door. Currently dismantling - Mazda 121, Mazda 3, Mazda 323, Mazda IS250, Mazda 2. Mazda 626, Mazda Bravo, Mazda CX7, Mazda CX9, Mazda MX5, Mazda RX7, Mazda RX8, Mazda Tribute, Mazda Eunos, Mazda MPV. Remember Findapart.com.au each time you require parts & spares for your Mazda, We can help locate Mazda parts, Mazda spares, used Mazda parts, Mazda dismantlers, used Mazda car parts, Mazda engines, Mazda gearboxes & more! This Mazda Parts locator is Free to use as often as you wish, finding parts has never been faster or simpler! Mazda | Autopedia | Fandom powered by Wikia Mazda Motor Corporation (マツダ株式会社 Matsuda Kabushiki-gaisha) is a Japanese automobile maker based in Hiroshima, Japan.

As of 2005, the company produces roughly 800,000 automobiles per year with sales evenly divided among Japan, Europe, and North America. Name The name of the company is supposedly derived from Ahura Mazda, the transcendental God of Zoroastrianism. It is also said that Mazda coincides with the anglicized pronunciation of the founder's name, Jujiro Matsuda , who was interested in spirituality, and chose to rename it in honor of both his family and the Zoroastrians. [1] Mazda means "wisdom" in the Avestan language. However, in Japanese, the company has always been pronounced and spelled as "Matsuda" leading many to believe that Mazda is really just a poorly anglicized version of the founder's name. History Mazda began as the Toyo Cork Kogyo Co., Ltd, founded in Japan in 1920. Toyo Kogyo moved from manufacturing machine tools to vehicles, with the introduction of the Mazda-Go in 1931, although they produced weapons for the Japanese military throughout the Second World War.

The company formally adopted the Mazda name in 1984, though every automobile sold from the beginning bore that name. The first four-wheel car, the Mazda R360 was introduced in 1960, followed by the Mazda Carol in 1962. The Ford Motor Company has owned 25% of Mazda since 1979, and its stake was increased to a 33.4% controlling interest in 1996 when Mazda fell into financial crisis. Ford has based many of its models on Mazdas, such as the Probe , late model (North American) Escort and Mercury Tracer , and the co-developed Mercury Mariner / Mazda Tribute . The 1979 deal paved way for Ford selling badge-engineered Mazdas in Asia and Australia, such as the Laser and Telstar . These models replaced the models from Ford Europe sold throughout the 1970s. Ford also used the Mazda models to establish its own retail presence in Japan - the Autorama dealers sold these cars, plus the occasional Ford US and Ford Europe models.

The badge-engineered models came to an end in the early 21st century, as Ford replaced the Laser with its own Focus, and Telstar with its own Mondeo. Ford and Mazda have moved onto collaboration in a more fundamental sense, by way of platform sharing. 1960s The year 1960 was the birth of Mazda as an automaker. In just this decade, the marque progressed from a 16 horsepower (12 kW) keicar to a Wankel engined sports car, the Mazda Cosmo . Mazda also entered the United States market at the end of the decade. 1970s Internationally, the 1970s were the heyday of Mazda as a performance leader. The Wankel rotary engine outperformed their piston-based competitors by a large margin, and Mazda made the most of the powerplant by putting it in almost every product they sold, from the Rotary Pickup to the RX-7 , and even the large Luce sedan. The only exception was the Mazda Chantez keicar, because other car makers vetoed the move.

However, the 1970s also saw Mazda's first financial crisis, which led to Ford taking a 25% stake in the company. The first RX-7 released in 1978 would be a strong image leader for Mazda, but actual sales revival would not come until the early 1980s. 1980s The 1980s saw Mazda transition from a niche Japanese player to a part of the global Ford empire. Having said that, the 80s saw the most mainstream success for Mazda. The early-80s 323 (GLC in North America) and 626 were massive hits, with the 323 taking the number one spot in Japanese car sales, overtaking the Toyota Corolla . (This is still very significant today whenever a non-Toyota tops the sales charts). Mazda also contributed to Ford's lineup, most notably with the MX-6 -based Ford Probe . Mazda also began building the new-for-1988 626 / MX-6 in the United States. U.S. production was initiated via a joint venture with Ford called AutoAlliance International.

Mazda finished the decade with the revolutionary Eunos Roadster (Mazda MX-5 or Miata outside Japan) sports car (for the 1989 model year). This model revitalized the world sports car market, which was filled at the time with expensive, heavy Gran Turismo cars. Arguably inspired by the Lotus Elan , the Miata has been very successful till this day. 1990s The 1990s were a decade of decline for Mazda. Due to the high price, the third-generation RX-7 sold poorly (although continues to be a tuner car favorite), and the Miata could not sustain the company's sales. The rest of the lineup was poorly-received in the United States and Japan; their popularity in Europe didn't seem to make up for the losses. In the late 1980s, Mazda embarked on a disastrous attempt to diversify its brand names. It chose to do so because market research revealed that the Mazda brand has the connotation of economic, budget cars both in Japan and abroad. With the aim of doubling its sales, Mazda launched three new brands in Japan: Eunos , Anfini and Autozam .

Eunos was to have a counterpart overseas in the US-market Amati luxury division, and Xedos in Europe. However plans for Amati was pulled at the last minute, and the rumored V12-engined flagship was shelved. The number of brands was also an attempt to match Toyota and Nissan, both of which had multiple chains in Japan. A common opinion is that the sheer number of models had overwhelmed the company - in 1993 Mazda sold seven models based on the 626, yet they only amounted to 1/3 the sales achieved by the comparable Toyota . In other markets, Mazda's identity crisis saw it confused over which logo to adopt. The "Mazda" lettertype was introduced in 1975 as part of Japan's first CAD-assisted corporate identity redesign. In 1991 a new logo was introduced, but was soon swapped for a rounded-off version ("Eternal Flame") because the original had an uncomfortable resemblance to Renault 's logo. The new version is consistently used in 1990s Mazdas, but never became as well known as the lettertype.

To resolve this issue, Mazda commissioned for a new logo in 1998 ("Wings" or "Owl"), which it uses till this day and features in considerably larger sizes on every model. Mazda was widely criticised in Europe for the sheer blandness of its late-1990s designs, including the last 323 and 626 which compared unfavourably to the previous models. While technically superior, the 1998 replacement for the MX-5 (Miata) lost much of the purity of the original 1989 design, which is still preferred by many enthusiasts. Mazda and Ford continued joint efforts. In 1994, the Mazda B-Series line was split between an international (Mazda-designed) version and North American clone of the Ford Ranger . In 1998, Mazda and Ford opened a new plant in Thailand, AutoAlliance Thailand. Patterned after Mazda's Hofu plant, AAT is now an important manufacturing location for the company. 2000s 2001 was a very difficult year for Mazda, as new models were in development and the company would have no new product until mid-2002.

Once the new cars arrived, however, the company quickly turned around. Mazda 6/Atenza , RX-8 , and Mazda 3/Axela proved popular and helped change perceptions of the brand. By 2004, Mazda had surpassed the ailing Mitsubishi in sales in some markets but not globally. The new MX-5 (the "Miata" name formerly used in North America has been dropped) debuted in autumn 2005 and is claimed to share no common parts with the previous model except for the side indicator repeaters used on European cars. It has been widely rumored for a few years that Ford will use the Mazda 6/Atenza 's platform in upcoming new cars. This is very different from the climate in 1996, when commentators expected Ford to impose its own engineering on Mazda and lead to the loss of Mazda's proprietary expertise. In fall 2005, three vehicles based on the 6's CD3 architecture were released — the Ford Fusion , Mercury Milan , and Lincoln Zephyr (later known as MKZ). Mazda executives have acknowledged the company's absence in many market segments worldwide, notably in the area of trucks.

The company will introduce a new crossover SUV , the CX-7 , in 2006, along with a smaller minivan , the Mazda 5 , and hybrid version of the Tribute . At the same time, the company is expected to withdraw the slow-selling MPV from the United States market. Mazda USA Founded CA, 1960 Toyo Kogyo entered the mainstream United States market{outside of CA and HI} in 1970 with a single car, the RX-2 . The next year there were five cars: The compact Familia -based 1200 and R100 , the larger Capella -based 616 and RX-2 and the large 1800 . For 1972, the line expanded again with the addition of the RX-3 and B1600 ; the 1200 and 616 were replaced by the similar 808 and 618 , respectively; and the boring 1800 was gone.

The piston-powered 618 was gone the next year, as was the R100, but the 1.2 L 1200 was back for a single year. Mazda quickly rose in prominence, helped in large part to their use of Wankel engines. In 1974, two rotary engine cars, the Rotary Pickup and RX-4 , were introduced. In fact, the 808 and B1600 were the only piston-engined Mazdas offered in the United States that year. 1975 had a similar lineup, minus the retired RX-2. Mazda had designed the REPU and RX-4 with the American market in mind, but the energy crisis was looming. The company's sales were slipping due to the Wankel's reputation as a gas hog, so Mazda responded with the reintroduction of a Familia -based car powered by a tiny piston engine, the 1.3 L Mizer . That car, and 1977 GLC (its next-generation brother) saved the company in the United States with terrific reviews and better sales. Also introduced in 1976 was the Wankel-powered RX-5 Cosmo .

But the writing was on the wall for Mazda's mainstream Wankel lineup - every one of the older "rotary" models was cancelled after 1978. Even though the Wankel engine had lost its allure, Mazda persevered with the technology and found a niche for it. The 1979 RX-7 rotary was the company's greatest image-builder yet, casting a halo over the rest of the model line. Also relaunched that year was the company's entrant in the midsize market, the 626 . The RX-7 and 626 buoyed Mazda's American fortunes enough for it to expand. Mazda built an American plant (now AutoAlliance International) to build the 626, bringing the company to Ford's attention. The two joined together on the 626's 2-door offshoots, the MX-6 and Ford Probe . Mazda finished the 1980s the same way as the 1970s, with an image-building sports car. The Miata was another tremendous halo car for the company, kicking off an industry boom in the sports car segment.

The 4th-generation RX-7, introduced in 1992, was much liked, but few were sold, causing an end of the model's importation to Japan just three years later, followed by Europe and most of the U.S. by 1998, though Australia and some U.S. states{including CA}, kept production going until around 2002. Marques Proposed logo for Mazda's stillborn Amati luxury division Mazda has used a number of different marques in the Japan market, including Autozam , Eunos cars , and Anfini , although they have been phased out. This diversification stressed the product development groups at Mazda past their limits. Instead of having a half-dozen variations on any given platform, they were asked to work on dozens of different models. And consumers were confused as well by the explosion of similar new models. Today, the former marques exist in Japan as sales channels (specialized dealerships) but no longer have specialized branded vehicles. In other words, the Carol is sold at the Autozam store (which specializes in small cars), but it is sold with the Mazda marque, not as the Autozam Carol as it once was.

In the early 1990s Mazda almost created a luxury marque, Amati, to challenge Acura , Infiniti , and Lexus in North America. In Europe, the equivalent Xedos marque was launched, lasting just a few years. The initial Amati products would have been the Amati 500 (which became the Mazda Millenia ), and the Amati 1000 (a new rear wheel drive V12 successor to the Mazda 929 ). This never happened, leaving the near-luxury Millenia to the Mazda brand.

Logos None Corporate mark Symbol and corporate mark as seen on most Mazda cars from the Mazda R360 until 1975 Between 1975 and 1991, Mazda did not have an official symbol, only a stylized version of their name; the previous blue "m" symbol was still used in some dealerships up until the 1980s, but later on a plain blue square next to the Mazda name was often used on dealer signs and documentation In 1991, Mazda adopted a corporate symbol which was to represent a sun and a flame standing for heartfelt passion Shortly after the release of the new symbol, the design was smoothed out to reduce its similarity to Renault's A redesigned symbol was introduced in June 1997; it is a stylized "M" meant to show Mazda stretching its wings for the future Automobile racing In the racing world, Mazda has had substantial success with two-rotor, three-rotor, and four-rotor cars, and private racers have also had considerable success with stock and modified Mazda Wankel-engined cars.

Mazda's competition debut was on October 20, 1968 when two Mazda Cosmo Sport 110S coupes entered the 84 hour Marathon de la Route ultraendurance race at Nurburgring, one finishing in fourth place and the other breaking an axle after 81 hours. The next year, Mazda raced Mazda Familia R100 M10A coupes. After winning the Singapore Grand Prix in April 1969 and coming in fifth and sixth in the Spa 24 Hours (beaten only by Porsche 911s ), on October 19, 1969, Mazda again entered the 84 hour Nurburgring race with four Familias; only one of which finished, winning fifth place. In 1976, Ray Walle, owner of Z&W Mazda, drove a Cosmo ( Mazda RX-5 ) from the dealership in Princeton, New Jersey, to Daytona, won the Touring Class Under 2.5 Liters at the 24 Hours of Daytona, and drove the car back to New Jersey. The Cosmo placed 18th overall in a field of 72.

The only modifications were racing brake pads, exhaust, and safety equipment. After substantial success by the Mazda RX-2 and Mazda RX-3 , the Mazda RX-7 has won more IMSA races in its class than any other model of automobile, with its one hundredth victory on September 2, 1990. Following that, the RX-7 won its class in the IMSA 24 hours of Daytona race ten years in a row, starting in 1982. The RX7 won the IMSA Grand Touring Under Two Liter (GTU) championship each year from 1980 through 1987, inclusive. In 1991, a four-rotor Mazda 787B (2622 cc actual, rated by FIA formula at 4708 cc) won the 24 Hours of Le Mans auto race outright, the only non-piston engine ever to win at Le Mans, as well as the only team from outside Western Europe or the United States. This led to a ban on rotary engines in the Le Mans race starting in 1992, which was eventually rescinded.

After the race, the winning engine was publicly dismantled for internal examination, which demonstrated that despite 24 hours of extremely hard use it had accumulated very little wear. This followed a decade of class wins from other Mazda prototypes, including the 757 and 767 . The Sigma MC74 powered by a Mazda 12A engine was the first engine and team from outside Western Europe or the United States to finish the entire 24 hours of the Le Mans race, in 1974. Mazda is also the most reliable finisher at LeMans (with the exception of Honda , who have entered only three cars in only one year), with 67% of entries finishing. Mazda will return to prototype racing in 2005 with the introduction of the Courage C65 LMP2 car at the American Le Mans race at Road Atlanta. This prototype racer uses the Renesis Wankel from the RX-8.

Mazdas have also enjoyed substantial success in the World Land Speed competition, SCCA competition, drag racing , pro rally competition (the Familia appeared in the World Rally Championship (WRC) several times during the late '80s and early '90s), the One Lap of America race, and other venues. Wankel engines are barred from international Formula One racing, as well as from United States midget racing , after Gene Angelillo won the North East Midget Racing Association championship in 1985 with a car powered by a 13B engine, and again in 1986 in a car powered by a 12A engine. Formula Mazda Racing features open wheel race cars with Mazda engines, adaptable to both oval tracks and road courses, on several levels of competition. Since 1991, the professionally organized Star Mazda Series has been the most popular format for sponsors, spectators, and upward bound drivers. The engines are all built by one engine builder, certified to produce the prescribed power, and sealed to discourage tampering. They are in a relatively mild state of racing tune, so that they are extremely reliable and can go years between motor rebuilds.

Trivia Mazda is the only remaining manufacturer of Wankel "rotary" engine automobiles, and is the only manufacturer to produce 3 rotor Wankel engines for production. Mazda is the only manufacturer to ever produce a Miller cycle engine, as used in the Mazda Millenia . Mazda is the only Asian/American automaker to have won the 24 Hours of Le Mans race, which the company accomplished in 1991 with their rotary-powered 787B . It is the only car not powered by a piston engine to win at Le Mans. Mazda's B-Series and Ford's Courier and Ranger have an interesting history. The Courier was launched internationally in the 1970s as a clone of the Mazda B-Series. For North America, Ford replaced the Courier with the in-house Ranger design in the 1980s, only to have the badge engineering reverse itself in 1994 when the B-Series became a Ranger clone in that market. Internationally, however, both the Ranger and Courier names were then applied to versions of Mazda's truck. Today, the B-Series/Courier/Ranger and Truck/Ranger are two entirely different truck lines in the two markets.

Mazda had the distinction of having the first foreign CEO to head a Japanese/American car company: former Ford Motor Company CFO, Scottish-born Henry Wallace in 1996. Many Japanese media outlets at the time reacted in shock and horror, and wondered if Ford would cut jobs. He was followed by Ford President James Miller in 1997, and Mark Fields in 1999 until 2001, when he was tapped to lead Ford's Premier Automotive Group and handed the reins to Lewis Booth. Lewis Booth went back to Ford in 2003 and Mazda Director Hisakazu Imaki is now CEO. In North American catalogues sent out by Mazda, the name of the company is explained to be derived from Ahura Mazda, a deity worshipped by the Zoroastrian people, i.e. the modern-day Parsis in the middle eastern area of Asia and the Sassanids of the Persian Empire. It is also said that Mazda coincides with the anglicized pronunciation of the founder's name, Jujiro Matsuda, who chose to rename it in honor of both his family and the Zoroastrians. The first reason is that he chose to treat his customers positively.

Another reason is that the company's name means "wisdom" in the ancient Persian language. This signifies Jujiro Matsuda's actions in the industry becoming wise decisions. In Japanese, the company is referred to either by its anglicised name (MAZDA Motors) or as マツダ (Matsuda), after its founder. The Zoom Zoom Zoom song by Serapis Bey (used in current commercials in Europe and Japan) was recorded long before it became the official song for Mazda. It was recorded for the movie Only The Strong which was released in 1993. While television ads for Mazda automobiles in the United States use a pronunciation where the initial vowel sound is similar to the word "mod" Canadian Mazda advertisements pronounce the company's name with the initial "a" sound of the word "can". However, both initial vowel sounds in the company's name were derived from its original Persian pronunciation of the name's first and second A. See Also

Question: The name of which company is supposedly derived from the transcandental god of Zoraastrianism?
Answer: Mazda