Mazda is owned by the Mazda Motor Corporation in Japan and is a publicly-traded company. In 1979, the Ford
Motor Company bought enough stakes to eventually own 33%. They divested, and now Toyota
has taken on some ownership while forming a mutually-beneficial partnership with Mazda. Starting as a cork manufacturer in the 1920s, Mazda moved on to tricycle trucks before eventually growing to become the car manufacturing giant that it is today. The company has had its ups and downs, like enjoying the benefits of large partnerships only to have to survive their breakups. Needless to say, Mazda has had a pretty interesting ownership history.
Let’s dig into the history of Mazda.
4.7/5 rating on the App Store | Trusted by 5+ million customers and 7 million cars 4.7/5 app rating | Trusted by 5M+ drivers Who owns Mazda?
Originally founded in Japan in the 1920s, Mazda is a publicly owned company whose major shareholders are big banks in Japan.
Toyota and Mazda have a partnership that sees Toyota owning a chunk of the company. Some of Mazda’s biggest shareholders (and their ownership stake) include:
Toyota Motor Company (5.05%)
Nomura Asset Management (4.14%)
BlackRock Fund Advisors (2.95%)
The Vanguard Group Inc. (2.33%)
As with most publicly traded companies, ownership is divided among a ton of different shareholders and shareholder groups.
Where are Mazda cars made?
Mazda’s car production happens in several parts of the world, mostly dependent on the market it is serving.
Most of Mazda’s automobile production is in Japan. Mazda owns three plants in Japan, two in Hiroshima and one in Yamaguchi.
Mazda does have a plant in Salamanca, Mexico, dedicated to the North American market. Another plant was scheduled for completion in 2021 in Huntsville, Alabama
. Key Takeaway Mazda produces most of its vehicles in three plants in Japan. Their North American market is mostly serviced by its plant in Salamanca, Mexico.
A short history of Mazda ownership
Mazda was founded in Japan in 1920, first producing a tricycle truck called the Mazda-go, but they eventually grew into a competitive auto manufacturer.
An economic downturn in the 1990s led to Ford taking a controlling interest in the company. They shared manufacturing facilities in a few countries and other resources.
In 2008, Ford suffered some financial issues and gave up control of Mazda, selling off 20% of its stake for $540 million. The rest was bought by various business groups, the largest of which was Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group.
Mazda’s most recent venture involved a partnership with Toyota. While Toyota does own a small part of Mazda, it’s designed as more of a partnership that sees Mazda supply Toyota with SkyActiv gasoline and diesel engine technology in exchange for Toyota’s hydrogen fuel cell systems.
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