Obscurities, #1: Mazda Roadpacer

[pogweasel]

I have recently become aware of the existence of this very strange creature. Behold the majesty of the Mazda Roadpacer!

 

 

WOW.

 

It appears that this was a Holden Premier, as beloved in the Antipodes, with the straight-six replaced by a Mazda 13B rotary unit.

By all accounts Mazda also went to town in making this already jazzy car EVEN MORE chintzy inside, with every concievable bell and whistle.

 

 

It was apparently a total disaster as the already thirsty rotary wasn't man enough for the job of shifting it's bulk around, with a resultant economy of low-teens at the very best. Yikes.

The relationship that developed around the same time betwixt Ford & Mazda also helped kill it stone dead, and between 1975 and 1977 only 840 were produced. Astonishing.

 

Like a Japstralian Talbot Tagora, only more pointless and ergo more fascinating, from a shit perspective.

 

Discuss.

[Rocket88]

I like that almost as much as the much lamented Mitsibushi Debonair, fair classier than a Cedric..................bears more than a passing resembelance to Ventora FE, especially round the rear pillars. Probably better on fuel too!

[Guest]

The funniest point is that you need to really rev a rotary engine to get the best of them as they don't have loads of torque - exactly the opposite of what you'd want in a big heavy motor. They were also hooked up to a 3-speed auto I think!However, I know that they are worth a fortune despite all this and are kept stashed away by weird Holden fans.

[Betaphile]

I've never seen one (well, not knowingly - looks just like a normal Premier unless you're up close, down to the wheeltrims), but you're right, this is a sensationally obscure curio. Apparently they also had a useful warning chime which went off when the driver reached 90km/h (?!). Shite-tastic.

[pogweasel]

What is the significance of the 90kmh chime? Or is it just for fun?

[Guest]

It's 100km/h I think, not really unique to the Roadpacer. It's an "over speed" chime, loads of Japanese cars had them until sometime in the 80s. Think they were mandatory, basically an extremely polite measure against speeding or something.

[Spottedlaurel]

I have a rather lovely Japanese brochure on this car, wonder if many/any are left there?

[Mr_Bo11ox]

I believe these Roadpacers were available with the worlds corniest interior fabrics, reminiscent of the swirly green and pink patterened carpet that old giffers invariably make floor mats out of, yet applied everywhere including door trims and seats. Any photos Hirst?

[King Maz]

By 1983, the 626 had dispensed with this warning chime as they were running out of tunes for the various alarms (door open, lights on etc).We instead had the two yellow warning lights (remove) 'foot' and (change) 'up', triggered by the dual downdraught carburettor I believe.

[Ratdat]

It's 100km/h I think, not really unique to the Roadpacer. It's an "over speed" chime, loads of Japanese cars had them until sometime in the 80s. Think they were mandatory, basically an extremely polite measure against speeding or something.

My truck had one and that's 1989. Had to drive it all the way home from southampton docks listening to it when I imported it Yeah, I know...I could have gone slower.I'd say the Roadpacer would have been aimed more at the Nissan President market than the Cedric. For me the Roadpacer doesn't have enough visual appeal to make up for it's undoubtedly rubbish performance. I'd take either a President or Cedric over one I think (so long as it was a 330 Cedric 4 door hardtop anyway). It's certainly an interesting piece but not one I'd really want to use. Be nice to just have one in the shed to look at and show off to people. In terms of collaborations it makes the Nissan/Alfa Romeo effort look like a great idea.

[reallyloud]

Judging by the styling, a casual observer wouldn't recognise the fact its a Japanese car - I have an article on the car in a car styling book somewhere - its almost certainly a ploy to fool the aussies into buying it. I suspected they were too busy welding plates into the sills of their Leyland P76s to notice.

 

[Split_Pin]

I too was thinking 'Alfa Arna' when I saw this.I like it for its confused identity, Lazy Aussie Barge v's Whizzy Japanese Technology.The one thing this has going for it is the fact that IMO, on the outside it looks quite attractive, in the same way a velour buttoned sofa looked in the background of your parents old family photos. Whereas the Alfa Arna Cherry Europe just looked shite, which makes me favour it more

[Milford Cubicle]

They even did a bus with the rotary engine!

Apparently it was capable of 86MPH, which seems alright to me - but the rotary must be even more at odds with a bus's duties.

 

 

http://mrec.rotary.net.nz/articles/roadpacer.htm

 

Here is an interior pic for el Bo11ox

 

[Rocket88]

It's 100km/h I think, not really unique to the Roadpacer. It's an "over speed" chime, loads of Japanese cars had them until sometime in the 80s. Think they were mandatory, basically an extremely polite measure against speeding or something.

'70s and 80's Yanks are riddled with various boing, bells, and buzzes. I had a '79 Chrysler Cordoba [85 mph speedo] which used to boing at 55. Discovered that the faster you went, the more urgent the boinging. Wound it up to full tilt [about 110 mph] and the boinging reached epic proportions, until it made a strange noise, not unlike an alarm clock being sat on by an elephant, and then expired..........[the boing, not the car]...never boinged again

[fotorabia]

that is such a sicko combo that the dog just threw up behind me..built at a time when the Retired Servicemen Clubs in Aussie were trying to ban Japanese cars from their car parks..maybe this was why...

[mk2_craig]

I had a '79 Chrysler Cordoba [85 mph speedo] which used to boing at 55. Discovered that the faster you went, the more urgent the boinging. Wound it up to full tilt [about 110 mph] and the boinging reached epic proportions, until it made a strange noise, not unlike an alarm clock being sat on by an elephant, and then expired..........[the boing, not the car]...never boinged again

Haha excellent. Kinda like a coach I drove once. Limited to 100km/h, but you could exceed this on a decent downhill by putting it into "secret overdrive" (i.e. neutral) and back into Drive once rolled up to about 110km/h then on the throttle - acceleration suddenly possible again This wheeze seemwd to permanently confuse whatever mechanical/electronic gubbins had been controlling the limiter and the needle no longer stopped at 100km/h on accelerating up through the gears; winner.