Mazda Protege Replaces the GLC

The Mazda Motor Corporation is a Japanese automobile maker that is based in Hiroshima, Japan. As of last year, 2005, the company has been able to produce around roughly 800,000 automobiles per year with its sales evenly divided between Japan, Europe, and North America. The company has had it humble beginnings as the Toyo Cork Kogyo Company, Ltd., founded in Japan in the year 1920. That company has moved from manufacturing machine tools to vehicles happening around the introduction of the Mazda-Go in the year 1931. A part of the colorful history of the company, a fact is that they had also produced weapons for the Japanese military through the Second World War. The name Mazda was adopted by the company in 1984 although each and every automobile that the company has manufactured and sold had already bore that name starting at the beginning.

The company entered the U.S. scene in the year 1970 with a single car which was the RX-2. However, the following year, they came up with five cars which included the compact Familia-based 1200 and R100, the larger Capella-baed 616 and RX-2 and the large 1800. The following years, Mazda has come up with new automobiles to compete in the market. With the help of their Wankel engines, the company quickly rose in prominence.

However, come the energy crisis, Mazda's sales slipped down due to the Wankel's reputation was a gas hog. So to adapt itself to this new situation, Mazda responded with the reintroduction of a Familia-based car powerd by a tiny piston engine – this saved the company in the United States.

At present, modern Mazda cars have become bigger, more advanced, and much more expensive than before. The company had started with GLC or Great Little Car but it was not as good and as great in comparison with the models at present. In the year 1985, the GLC was replaced by the 323 and was later on changed to a four-door Mazda Protege in 1990 and became a two-door vehicle in 1995. This vehicle may not be so friendly to the pocket, however, with its comfortable interior, smooth driving, and handling, along with its excellent performance, it had certainly become one of the most sold Mazda models. Changes for the Mazda Protege had been done every year to adapt to the world's varying lifestyles and cultures.

The Mazda Protege is made available in three trims which are the ES, LX, and DX. The ES comes with a 1.8 liter, 4-cylinder engine capable of a maximum of 122 horsepower. It has larger front disc brakes and quality standard equipments to go along with it. The LX and the DX, meanwhile, are powered by a 1.6 liter, 4-cylinder engine with an available output of 105 horsepower. What is standard for all three trims is a five-speed manual transmission. Optional for the Mazda Protege trims is a four-speed automatic.

Owners of Mazdas and Mazda Proteges need not worry of their Mazda Protege parts for it would be just a click away. Mazda Parts and Mazda Auto Parts cater for affordable and largest collection of Mazda parts to choose from.