1961 Mazda 700 Prototype

The Mazda 700 Prototype, shown at the 8th Tokyo Motor Show in 1961, marked one of Mazda’s first steps into passenger car development. It was based on the same rear-engine layout as their R360 Kei car, but featured a larger 700cc engine, suggesting an ambition to move beyond the tiny Kei car segment.

Although it looked like an early version of the Carol 360 4-door, the increased engine capacity hinted at Mazda’s plans to build a more spacious and powerful car. That idea eventually evolved into the first-generation Familia, Mazda’s first proper compact family car.

The 700 remained a prototype, but it played a key role in Mazda’s transition from small Kei cars to mainstream passenger vehicles.