Man behind Mazda's rotary engine passed away

A brief moment of silence, ladies and gentlemen, for the passing of another one of automotive legends. Car enthusiasts may not know about him but he was responsible for introducing the rotary engine to Mazda but more than that, he is the man who kept Mazda afloat in the aftermath of the Second World War.

Kenichi Yamamoto passed away at the age of 95, according to reports a few days ago. Yamamoto worked at Toyo Kogyo, one of the companies that survived in the wake of the Second World War, to support his family following the tragic bombing of Hiroshima that destroyed his home and lost a part of his family. Since then, he worked hard until he became in charge to produce a new engine for a three-wheeled truck that will sold under the Mazda brand in 1960.

Yamamoto got involved with a collaboration with Germany's NSU to produce a rotary engine that persuaded Japan's Ministry of International Trade and Industry that they are a proper carmaker rather than being a domestic vehicle producer. Following the success of the rotary engine, Yamamoto climbed through the ranks until he became the president of the whole car company from 1985 to 1992.

It's a sad day for rotary engine enthusiasts, even though 2017 is meant to be the year of the rotary engine, but despite his passing, his legacy will not go in vain as well as the rotary engine that sparked life to the Hiroshima-based car company and pretty soon, the rotary engine will be revived in unexpected ways.

URL: https://www.motorauthority.com/news/1114475_father-of-mazdas-rotary-engine-has-passed-away