The Toyo Cork Kogyo Co was founded in 1920 and for the first 11 years of its existence built machine tools. In 1931 the company produced their first automobile - the three wheeled Mazda-Go - which was named for founder Jujiro Matsuda. The name Mazda would not be adopted by the company until 1984, but every vehicle they built was badged Mazda right from day one.
Mazda is perhaps best known for being the only current producer of a vehicle using the Wankel Rotary Engine. They are the only company to ever produce a rotary powered truck or bus, and have been using rotary engines since 1967, continuing their use today in the RX-8.
Mazda made motorsport history in 1991, when it entered a four-rotor, 700hp 787b into the 24 Hours of Le Mans. The car would take first place, the only time in history a Japanese car has won. In 1997 Ford Motor Company, which had long held a large stake in Mazda, bought enough to take control of the company and since then the two have collaborated on many designs and consolidated some of their manufacturing.