Mazda, Ford go separate ways on product development

Posted on Monday, November 2nd, 2009 at 1:52 PM EST.

Less than a year after Ford Motor Co. halved its stake in Mazda Motor Corp., Mazda is embarking on a more independent product development path, the Automotive News reported.

Seita Kanai, head of Mazda research and development, says there will be fewer joint projects, such as the shared platforms and drivetrains that the carmakers worked on during their 30-year equity tie-up, the trade publication said. Kanai’s comments offer fresh insights into how Mazda and Ford are going their separate ways now that Ford no longer holds a controlling share in its Japanese partner, the Automotive News said.

In November 2008, Ford cut its stake in Mazda to 13 percent from 33 percent, the paper said. Mazda promptly jettisoned two of the three Ford executives on its board to reflect Ford’s diminished stake—and influence, the article noted.

The Ford-Mazda partnership is cited often as an example of a successful international alliance of automakers, the paper said. Ford first took an equity stake in Mazda in 1979 and brought Mazda under its control in 1996 as the Hiroshima carmaker struggled to survive. But by late last year the tables were turned, and a cash-strapped Ford sold a large part of its stake to raise capital, the story said. (Automotive News)

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