![]() Mazda’s were not known to the most exciting cars to look at beyond the occasional Miata or RX-7. Nearly every major manufacturer who sold in America had their interpretation of a pocket rocket (in looks if not performance). The market for small inexpensive and sporty cars was growing. The 323 would eventually become the Protégé sedan and would develop a reputation as a fun to drive and affordable car like the Escort GT before it. The pairing produced a media star with the Escort GT and to a lesser extent the 323 GT in Canada, raking in performance kudos. In the early 90’s the Mazda 323 and Escort became platform mates, boosting the Escort’s build quality and reliability. In North America the Ford Escort had long been a favorite. Ford’s marketing power and distribution network made it possible for Mazda to extend it’s otherwise small reach. Of the small cars, the Escort/Laser/Protégé/323 is one of the world’s bestselling compacts. Today the Relationship is as strong as ever, although the two companies have divested in each other stock-wise, their product lineups of small and mid-sized cars are still tightly intertwined. I the case of Ford and Mazda, the relationship spans back to the 70’s with Mazda sourcing parts for Ford’s small Courier trucks. Collaborations between manufacturers usually allow them to tailor cars to markets where they might have been weak at on their own. Often times car makers can’t keep a good thing to just one market.
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