Until the late sixties, Toyo Kogyo’s bread and butter car models had been the subcompact Familia and the tiny R360 and Carol mini-cars; Mazda’s first larger model, the 1966-vintage Luce, had been a sales disappointment. The increased emphasis on export sales, however, brought with it the need for a broader range of products.
The first of these was the Mazda Capella, launched in Japan in May 1970; it arrived in Malaysia and the rest of the world by 1971. Offered either as a sedan or coupe, the Capella was Toyo Kogyo’s first midsize car and looking at its lines, it was a real good looker which should have collectors wanting one for restoration today.
The Capella’s standard engine was a 104bhp SOHC four petrol engine, but it was the rotary version, initially called R612 and known in some markets as the Mazda RX-2 that drivers wanted. The RX-2 was powered by the new 12A rotary engine which had just 1,146 cc. It produced an impressive 130bhp and 156Nm of torque.
