Mazda Luce Specifications, Photos and Videos

The Mazda Luce is an executive car that was produced by Mazda in Japan from 1966 until 1991. It was widely exported as the Mazda 929 from 1973 to 1991 as Mazda's largest sedan. Later generations were installed with luxury items and interiors as the Luce became the flagship offering. The Luce was replaced by the Sentia in 1991 which was also exported under the 929 name. The name "luce" was taken from the Italian word for "light".

Following an agreement signed with Bertone in April 1962, the 1965 Luce 1500 show car was designed by Giorgetto Giugiaro of Italy. It was low and sharp, looking more like a contemporary BMW Bavaria than its smaller Mazda companion models, the Familia and the kei car Carol.

The production version (SUA), started production in July 1966 and launched in August, had a higher roofline but retained the BMW-esque look. It was a front-engine, rear-wheel-drive four-door sedan, and featured a square 1490 cc 1500 SOHC engine, producing 78 PS (57 kW) at 5500 rpm and 114.6 N⋅m (84.5 lb⋅ft). It sold poorly at ¥695,000. The 1500 SS version with twin carburettors was introduced in June 1967, producing 86 PS (63 kW) at 5500 rpm and 117.8 N⋅m (86.9 lb⋅ft) at 5500 rpm. A stroked 1.8-liter (1796 cc) 1800 engine was added in December 1968. This new model, the Luce 1800, produced 104 PS (76 kW) at 5500 rpm and 152 N⋅m (112 lb⋅ft) at 2500 rpm. To accommodate the taller 1800 engine the bonnet on this model has a slight bump in the middle with an air inlet on the leading edge.

An estate (station wagon) was also added in April 1967, with the same engine as the sedan (SUAV). Unlike most commercial vehicles at the time, it was also available with a three-speed automatic transmission.

The Luce Mark I was sold in Australia and most other export markets under the names "Mazda 1500" and "Mazda 1800".

The Mazda brand entered the United States market in 1970 with just the small R100, but expanded to a full line in 1971. This included all three of the company's piston-powered models, the compact 1200, mid-size 616, and full-size 1800.[failed verification]

The US-market 1800 produced 98 hp (99 PS; 73 kW) and 146 N⋅m (108 lb⋅ft) and cost US$2,280. Performance was sluggish, with a 0 to 60 mph (0 to 97 km/h) time of 17.5 seconds and a 20.5 seconds and 105 km/h (65 mph) quarter-mile. Unlike the rotary cars, the 1800 was a flop. Road and Track magazine said it was solid to the point of being overly heavy, with pleasant handling but poor performance. It was gone from the market for 1972.

Opposite to what happened in the US, in Europe the 1800 had a better performance with 104 PS (76 kW) at 5500 rpm (SAE) and maximum torque of 148 N⋅m (109 lb⋅ft) at 3000 rpm (SAE), for a 0 to 60 mph (0 to 97 km/h) time of 13.4 seconds. The poor performance of this engine in USA was probably due to fact that in USA the petrol had an octane index of only 85 RON while in Europe the petrol at the time had an octane index of 95 RON (up to 100 RON today). Also the manual transmission with four gears used in Europe contributed to a much better performance than the three-speed automatic transmission usually used in the US. The 1800 (fitted with a manual transmission) also sold in small numbers in Australia.

The number of Mazda 1800 automobiles imported into the US are as follows.

The 1800 four-door sedan (model SVA) was produced from October 1968 through March 1973 where a reported 39,401 units were made. An 1800 station wagon version (model SVAV) was added in 1968, lasting until 1970.

A rotary-powered Luce appeared in 1969. The Luce R130 was produced from October 1969 to 1972. It used a 1.3-liter 13A engine, which produced 126 hp (94 kW) and 172 N⋅m (127 lb⋅ft). Quarter-mile (400 meters) performance was 16.9 seconds. This model was styled by Giorgetto Giugiaro, then working for Bertone, as a front-wheel-drive two-door coupé with front disc brakes, which was similar to the NSU Ro 80. This model, Mazda's only front-wheel-drive rotary, is now a collector's item and very rare. Less than 1,000 were built.

Mazda released a second generation LA2 series Luce in November 1972—a rotary powered model that would be later exported as the Mazda RX-4. The conventionally-engined Luce sedan (LA2VS) would not arrive to the Japanese market until April 1973, after starting production in March. It was available as a hardtop (coupé), "formal sedan", "custom sedan", and as a station wagon which was also sold as a van in the domestic Japanese market. The original hardtop coupé received a longer, more aggressive front design, which was also installed on the custom sedan. The formal sedan and the van/wagon received a somewhat shorter front end which was also used on the export versions (929). For the facelifted LA3 model from 1976, only one front design was used—one with a more square design.

The LA2VV station wagon entered production in September 1973. The wagon lasted until 1979, until being replaced by the LA4 wagon.

Two rotary engines were offered, the regular 12A and low-emission AP 13B. There were also piston models available, and van models for the Japanese market.

Engines:

In most export markets, the Japanese Luce Rotary sold as the Mazda RX-4. It was a larger car than its rotary-powered contemporaries, the Capella-based RX-2 and Grand Familia-based RX-3. It used the Luce chassis, replacing the R130 in October 1972, and was produced through October 1977. Its predecessor (the R130) and replacement (the rotary Luce Legato) were not sold in the United States. Mazda marketed the RX-4 as being sporty and luxurious "personal luxury car" with the RX-4 having the best of both worlds. This gave Mazda a well needed boost in the popularity of the Wankel engine unique to Mazda. In Japan, the rotary-engined variants offered an advantage with regards to the annual road tax bill in that Japanese drivers paid less than the in-line engine equivalents, while receiving more performance from the rotary engine.

The RX-4 was initially available as a hardtop coupé and sedan, with a station wagon launched in 1973 to replace the Savanna Wagon. Under the hood at first was a 130 or 120 PS (96 or 88 kW) 12A engine, with the higher-powered version reserved for the five-speed GR-II and GS-II models. The extra power was due to a different exhaust and adjusted ignition timing. The emissions scrubbed "AP" models had five horsepower less, although after June 1973 they received the same power as the regular versions. This was complemented and then replaced by the larger 13B in December 1973 producing 135 PS (99 kW). This model has 125 PS (92 kW), for export. This engine was Mazda's new "AP" (for "anti-pollution") version, with much-improved emissions and fuel economy, but somewhat worse cold-starting behavior. In South Africa it was produced until 1979, all years only with the AP engine.

The car used a strut-type independent suspension in front with a live axle in the rear. Brakes were discs in front and drums in the rear. Curb weight was low at 1,188 kg (2,620 lb) and the wheelbase fairly short at 2,515 mm (99 in). The body was freshened in 1976.

For the United States market, the RX-4 was sold from 1974 through 1978, when the RX-7 debuted. The 13B produced 110 hp (82 kW) and 159 N⋅m (117 lb⋅ft) in United States emissions form. Base pricing was $4295, with the automatic transmission ($270) and air conditioning ($395) the only expensive options.

Road and Track magazine was impressed, noting the car's improved fuel economy and price compared to the RX-3. This was notable, as the Wankel engine had suffered by the mid 1970s with a reputation as a gas-guzzler. Performance was good in a 1974 comparison test of six wagons, with an 11.7 s sprint to 97 km/h (60 mph) and an 18 s/77.5 mph quarter-mile. The magazine noted that the wagon's brakes suffered from the extra 136 kg (300 lb) weight compared to the coupé.

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