Between the time of Nissan Maxima switches to front-wheel drive (model 1985) and the introduction of Infiniti Q45 And Lexus LS400 (1990 model), only two full-size, rear-wheel-drive Japanese luxury sedans were sold new in the United States. One is Toyota Cresidawhile the other is Mazda929. Of course, everyone knows about Cressida, but the 929 has almost completely faded from our automotive memories. However, the scrap yard never forgets, that’s why today gem dump was one of those 929s, recently found in a wreck in Northern California.
929 is the export version of Mazda Luceand four-door sedan versions were available in the United States for models from 1988 to 1995 (sadly, The four-door hardtop Luce was not brought to our shores). Its replacement here is Mazda Millenia front-wheel drive with advanced technologywhich never sold very well.
When Honda created his premium brand Acura As for overseas sales, Nissan and Toyota have grown for a few years after they Infiniti And Lexus brand. Seeing its Japanese rivals raking in dollars, pounds and Deutschmarks, Mazda building a high-end export brand named Amati. The 929 (and later the Millenia) was sold as Amatis here.
Afterward Japanese asset price bubble appeared in 1991, and Japan fell into a decade of economic stagnation. The small car company from Hiroshima had to abandoned his ambitious plans for Amati, and the 929 is still a Mazda. North America has long considered Mazda as a manufacturer cheap savings box And Weird Wankel Engine Mutantand so the bragging rights of a Mazda-branded luxury sedan remain low.
That’s a shame, because the 929 is both luxurious and powerful. The engine is a 3.0-liter V6 with SOHC or DOHC design, rear-wheel drive.
In theory, you could buy a 929 here with a five-speed manual transmission; Let us know if you ever see one. This car has a four-speed automatic.
The 929 S has a DOHC engine and 190 hp. That’s the same as the horsepower rating of the Cressida ’90’s inline-six, although its 191 pound-feet of torque beats the six-pound-feet Cressida.
The 1990 Infiniti Q45 and Lexus LS 400 had powerful V8s that beat the 929 S (with 278 and 250 hp, respectively), but these cars were much more expensive than their Mazda rivals. The MSRP on the 1990 929 S was $24,800, or about $58,756 in 2023 dollars. Meanwhile, a new Q45 costs $38,000 ($90,030 today) while the new LS 400 is $36,000 ($85,291). The 1990 Toyota Cressida costs $21,498 ($50,933 after inflation).
The 929 is 700 pounds lighter than those giant cars, so it’s a lot quicker in the red light race.
This car is here because it was hit hard at the age of 33. In 1995 or even 2000, the damage was worth fixing.
Just a total of 177,057 miles.
Maybe the 929 will get the Amati badge, but we’ll never know.
James Garner is a spokesperson for 929.
In its homeland, this car is Luce “Big Individual”.
