Editors Note: My everyday driver is a 1991 Mazda RX-7 Convertible with 44,876 miles (see pic below)…in a few more years it will be old enough to rally with the older guys.
IRVINE, Calif., March 29, 2016 –“Driving Matters.” It’s not just
Mazda North American Operation’s (MNAO) slogan, it’s a company manifesto
that drives Mazda to build cars and crossovers that thrill and delight. And
despite the slogan’s recent inception in 2015, the joy of driving has
always been an integral part of Mazda.
As such, it was a natural fit for Mazda to collaborate with Japanese
Nostalgic Car to serve as title sponsor of Touge California, the only
all-Japanese vintage road rally in the U.S., taking place on April 2. Expected to feature 28 rare and original
Japanese cars from the 1960s, ’70s and early ’80s, the rally will cascade
up the coast from San Diego to Mazda’s
Irvine-based R&D facility.
Of the vehicles selected to participate, 11 are Mazdas—including the
1975 Rotary-Engine Pickup (REPU), a 1978 GLC compact hatchback and 1985
RX-7 GSL-SE from Mazda’s own heritage collection. As is the case with
Mazdas today, all three vehicles showcase Mazda’s commitment to lightweight
efficiency, fun-to-drive handling dynamics and constant technological
breakthroughs.
“We’re proud to sponsor Touge California, as it fits perfectly with
Mazda’s heritage and celebration of the innovations that continue to shape
the auto industry into what it is today,” said Robert Davis, MNAO’s Senior VP, U.S. Operations.
“We’re a company that relishes driving enjoyment—from our heritage vehicles
to today’s award-winning lineup of SKYACTIV cars and crossovers. We
couldn’t emphasize that point more than to take some of our own vehicles
and enjoy Touge California with those who love driving as much as we
do.”
“We are proud to have Mazda, a company that understands the importance
of heritage and motoring thrills, as a partner for our Touge California
rally,” said Ben Hsu, editor-in-chief of
Japanese Nostalgic Car. “As 70 percent of Japan’s terrain is mountainous, our goal with
Touge California is to give owners of Japanese cars the experience of
driving on roads similar to those on which their cars were born.”
Touge California was founded in 2015 by Hsu and rally master Patrick Strong after seeing many famous vintage
rallies like Targa Florio or Carrera
Panamericana for European cars, but nothing exclusive for Japanese makes.
Hsu and Strong launched Touge California with overwhelming success in 2015,
and have both increased the number of participants and limited age
requirements of eligible vehicles to cars approaching 40 years old, if not
older.
The idea was adapted from the infamous and often daring underground
touge races in Japan. “Touge” literally
means “mountain pass,” but it is now a term that’s associated with
celebrating vehicles that were both mainstays sold in the U.S. and rare,
exclusive sedans and sports cars that were forbidden from sale in the U.S.
for many years until they became legally importable.
Through the 200-mile rally, participants and their co-drivers will enjoy
California’s coastal roads, finishing at
Mazda’s Irvine offices. There, they will
be treated to an exclusive tour of the Mazda heritage collection, a working
garage that houses more than 50 race cars, concepts, historically
significant and one-off cars. The basement is not open to the public.
“Our heritage cars aren’t just museum pieces; they’re meant to be
driven,” said Davis. “This is a rare chance to see all of these beautiful
vintage cars where they were meant to be—on the road.”
Japanese Nostalgic Car is the premiere English-language
publication devoted to classic automobiles from Japan. It was founded in 2006 and can be found
at JapaneseNostalgicCar.com.
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