History
Mazda Carol 360
The Carol 360 marked Mazda's transition from three-wheeled vehicles to modern automobiles, competing directly with the Subaru 360 in Japan's booming kei car market. Its water-cooled two-stroke engine was mounted in front rather than the rear, providing better weight distribution and handling characteristics. The Carol's relatively conventional layout and solid construction quality helped establish Mazda's credibility in the passenger car market. This model paved the way for Mazda's development of larger vehicles and eventually the rotary engine program.