Automotive curmudgeon critic Jerry Flint puts Mazda in his crosshairs for
his latest column, Backstreet Driver. He addresses what is a well-known issue about the automaker:
There has been no growth in Mazda sales for over a decade.
Mazda vehicles are
“it” cars among many automotive enthusiasts, who gush over their handling, bang-for-buck
value, and design. The MX-5 (formerly known as the Miata, is one of Flint’s favorite cars), and the Mazda3 is
widely considered one of the best cars available among reviewers.
Mazda’s problem, Flint argues, is
rooted in its past, when the company tried to compete directly against Toyota on their home turf in Japan. While the
company’s current “Zoom Zoom” campaign has separated it from the world’s second largest
automaker’s shadow, Mazda’s small size, still growing dealership network, and leadership shuffle have hampered
its growth. Historically, Flint says, companies in similar situations have collapsed, but, he then reminds readers what
Henry Ford thought of history.
[Source: Forbes]