Mazda aka Toyo Kogyo

From humble beginnings indeed - Mazda started out in 1920 making corks as Toyo Cork Kogyo, before removing cork from the name to become Toyo Kogyo. The company formally adopted the Mazda name in 1984, though every automobile sold from the beginning bore the Mazda name starting with the R360 introduced in 1960.

To differentiate themselves from other Japanese automakers, Mazda developed their own Wankel rotary engines from the mid 1960s, forming a partnership with NSU in Germany to produce the Mazda Cosmo Sport of 1967. Offering both piston and rotary engines, Mazda had great success with conventional powered models alongside it’s more radical rotary powered performance cars such as the successful R100 and RX series starting with the RX3 & RX4 of the early/mid 1970s.

Other notable models include the RX7 sports car introduced in 1979, the Capella and 1800 sedans as well as the more conventional but highly successful 3, 6 & 9 series sedans, coupes and wagons.