A description of the development history of Mazda's rotary power plant, and the model timelines of the vehicles these engines powered - how one small Japanese automaker remained independent and became famous using a unique engine. Examines the commercial ups and downs in North America, using rotaries to become a high performance icon and V8 alternative, and charting the racetrack achievements of Mazda rotary racers around the world including in home-country Japan. Also reveals the pollution control and fuel economy challenges facing Mazda as they strove to keep rotary engines in production to satisfy high performance fans globally.

Enlarged new edition of the definitive international history of Mazda's extraordinary successful Wankel-engined coupes & roadsters right up to the end of production and the introduction of the RX-8.

The complete history of Mazda's rotary engine-powered vehicles, from Cosmo 110S to RX-8. Charting the challenges, sporting triumphs, and critical reactions to a new wave of sports sedans, wagons, sports cars ... and trucks!

Conceived in the 1930s, simplified and successfully tested in the 1950s, the darling of the automotive industry in the early 1970s, then all but abandoned before resurging for a brilliant run as a high-performance powerplant for Mazda, the Wankel rotary engine has long been an object of fascination and more than a little mystery. A remarkably simple design (yet understood by few), it boasts compact size, light weight and nearly vibration-free operation. In the 1960s, German engineer Felix Wankel's invention was beginning to look like a revolution in the making. Though still in need of refinement, it held much promise as a smooth and powerful engine that could fit in smaller spaces than piston engines of similar output. Auto makers lined up for licensing rights to build their own Wankels, and for a time analysts predicted that much of the industry would convert to rotary power. This complete and well-illustrated account traces the full history of the engine and its use in various cars, motorcycles, snowmobiles and other applications. It clearly explains the working of the engine and the technical challenges it presented--the difficulty of designing effective and durable seals, early emissions troubles, high fuel consumption, and others. The work done by several companies to overcome these problems is described in detail, as are the economic and political troubles that nearly killed the rotary in the 1970s, and the prospects for future rotary-powered vehicles.

Mazda RX-7 John Matras The dynamic history of Mazdas most popular and best-known car. This aerodynamically shaped, rotary-engine sports car is thoroughly profiled offering detailed development, competition and production histories. Exceptional photography displays a variety of factory shots and promotional materials, as well as competition, prototype and production models. Sftbd., 9x 1 1/2, 128 pgs., 41 b&w, 89 color ill., 17 diagrams.

The inside story of the RX-7 sports car and its unique rotary engine design.

This beautiful book is an encyclopedic, behind-the-scenes look at how the machines were designed and built containing examples of every model line built by John Deere since 1919. Matching the strong visuals is an in-depth history that includes interviews with the engineers, industrial designers, and other Deere & Co. people who designed, built, and sold the machines.