1973 Mazda RX-3 (Rotary Engine) Commercial

Reaganite Republican ^ | Reaganite Republican

[Reaganite Republican]

Remember this-

'Piston engine goes boing, boing, boing, boing boing, boing... but the Mazda goes hmmmmmmm.'

[YouTube]

If you've ever driven a car with a rotary engine like a Mazda, it really is a lot of fun, very torquey and revs like crazy, always super smooth (except most from the 70s tend to backfire)- it's a shame the couldn't make them work out in a more substantial way. Besides smoothness of operation, the motor is compact, light, and simple, with only two moving parts.

But in an example of epic bad timing, Mazda launched the Wankel-engined RX series just was the first oil crisis was about to hit... when the rotary-type engine was still going through development challenges, using substantially more fuel than a comparable piston-engined car. Alas, you could get a Honda with 50% better gas milage for less money.

Worse yet was how the apex seals at the tips of the tri-rotor(s) wore-out to quickly, it was a materials issue that was not fully solved until the 1980s by Mazda. These hard-to-resolve challenges had GM, Citroen, and others pulling the plug on their own Wankel rotary engine programs (before they hit the market) in the mid 1970s as well.

In fact, not only did R+D costs/recalls almost bankrupt Mazda by 1975, but the original developer of the Wankel engine -Germany's NSU- was itself wrecked by trials and tribulations involving the company's way-ahead-of-its-time Ro80 and it's troublesome rotary engine (partial engine rebuild required every 10K miles to replace apex seals!). 

NSU Ro80

I used to know a guy who had a cherry NSU Ro80 in California, but even he had replaced the original NSU engine with a Mazda rotary in the name of more power, dependability, and access to parts. If you look at the (front-wheel-drive) Ro80, it's pretty hard to believe the car came out in 1967, the styling is 10-15 years ahead of it's time... clean, aerodynamic, great visibility. 

By 1977 NSU had been broken by the Wankel rotary engine that was supposed to spring the Neckarsrulm motorcycle/auto maker into the Big Leagues, and the remains of the company was absorbed by Audi, which continues to be paid royalties on the Wankel design from Mazda to this day. And clearly new parent company Audi absorbed more than a little bit of the look for their own cars, starting with the first aero-look Audi 5000 in 1983.

If you ever have a chance to drive a rotary-engined automobile -Mazda, NSU, whatever- by all means give it a go... especially if you can find a stick shift,
like my college girlfriend's RX-7! I love 'em-



photos Aronline

[Reaganite Republican]

***PING***

[Eric in the Ozarks]

Wife owned a ‘73 RX2 when we first met.
It would really fly !

[Disambiguator]

We had a ‘73 RX-3 Station Wagon (with fake wood trim, even). Fast car, but only got 16 mpg.

My boss actually had a Suzuki RE-5 for a while, but sold it before he knew how collectible they would become.

[Arlis]

What was the last year for the rotary in the RX-7?

[tflabo]

Sounds like Roger Miller singing that diddy...

[Uversabound]

Put the 13-B motor in the RX-2(it came with a smaller motor dont remember 13-A not sure so long ago) I kicked ass in that car.

The rotary motor problem was the seals. I am not technical.

The RX-8 is a boat and did not sell well, although I see them on the road occaisionally. I thought the Rotary motor would do better in the USA.

Oh you made my day. Long time ago....

[TTFlyer]

1986-87?

Great running cars but they couldn’t meet the CAFE mileage and pollution standards AFIAK.

[max americana]

I think 1993. Had an uncle who’s now married (he was a player back then) and I saw him with a different woman every time in it, and it was an FD. It had a distinct sound that’s for sure..

[Reaganite Republican]

They haven’t had a rotary car on the market since 2012, but that was RX-8

[Fiddlstix]

I had a 1980 RX7 that I took in lieu of money owed me. It was a fine little car. I now wish I hadn’t sold it.

[Reaganite Republican]

“Sounds like Roger Miller singing that diddy...”

Does, doesn’t it— catchy!

[Georgia Girl 2]

Yeh I remember the Mazda rotary. Had one brand new. The engine blew up. :-)

[Boogieman]

[posterchild]

In the age before seatbelts...

As a young boy I had a plastic wankel rotary engine model which fascinated me.

[Calvin Locke]

The rotary motor problem was the seals.

Vaguely recall something about that.

Knew a guy that had one. He carried extra oil in case he flooded it, and would have to dump oil down the carb to reseal the rotors.

Don't know if it was on the order of an ounce or a full quart.

[chud]

Video: 6-Rotor Monster

Video: 6 Rotor RX4 Track Test at the 2013 V 4 & Rotary North Island Jamboree

[SJSAMPLE]

My company used to remanufacture these engines before we sold the business to Caterpillar. Really cool to see old engines brought back to life.

[BudgieRamone]

We had an rx3 hatch back, and later dad bought a Mazda Cosmo iirc had a rotary as well. Both cars were pretty solid as I don’t recall dad ever having to work on them other than oil and other maintenance items. Guess that cosmo is something of a collectors item now.

[ChinaGotTheGoodsOnClinton]

Wonder why? Seems like a cool concept.