Mazda's Hofu plant builds its ten-millionth car

Wed, 28 Aug 2013

Ten million is a lot no matter which way you cut it, and no matter what you're talking about: Ten million dollars, ten million miles, ten million people... certainly ten million cars. And that's the milestone that Mazda's Hofu plant in Yamaguchi prefecture of Japan has just achieved.

The Hofu facility has been in operation since 1982, and was supplemented with a second plant on the same site ten years later. Hofu reached a million units built in 1986 and five million in 2002. But with production now at 482,100 units per year, it took less than twelve years to double that previous milestone.

The magic ten-millionth car was a new Mazda6 (known locally as the Atenza), which is built at Hofu Plant No. 2, while Hofu Plant No. 1 gears up for the new Mazda3 (aka Axela). Scroll down below for a related press release.

Mazda's Hofu Plant Builds Ten Millionth Car
2013/08/27

HIROSHIMA, Japan-Mazda Motor Corporation today announced that cumulative vehicle production at the Nishinoura district of Hofu Plant in Japan's Yamaguchi prefecture has reached ten million units. The milestone is achieved 30 years and eleven months after vehicle production commenced at Hofu Plant No. 1.

A ceremony was held at Hofu Plant No. 2 in celebration of the achievement. Attendees, including Masamichi Kogai, Mazda's Representative Director, President and CEO, and Nariaki Uchida, Executive Officer and General Manager of Hofu Plant, watched as the ten millionth vehicle, a Mazda6 (known as Atenza in Japan), came off the assembly line.

In his remarks at the ceremony, Masamichi Kogai said, "The production of ten million vehicles at Hofu Plant is a tremendous achievement, and we could not have done it without the support of our customers, our suppliers and other concerned parties, as well as that of the local community, the city of Hofu and Yamaguchi prefecture. On behalf of Mazda, allow me to express my deepest gratitude. We see this fantastic achievement not as a destination, but rather as a milestone on our road to further growth. Moving forward, we are committed to continue delivering fantastic products that delight our customers."

Full-scale production at Hofu plant started at what is today known as Hofu Plant No. 1 in September 1982. Hofu Plant No. 2 began operating in February 1992 with a volume and model mix flexible production line for vehicle bodies and modular assembly systems in the mixed-model assembly line. The two plants combined currently have an annual production capacity of 482,100 units. Currently, Hofu Plant No. 1 produces the all-new Mazda3 (Axela in Japan) which will be launched globally starting from North America this autumn. Hofu Plant No. 2 makes the Mazda6, which is enjoying strong sales around the globe.

History of Hofu Plant
Dec 1981: Operations begin at Nakanoseki district transmission plant.
Sep 1982: Full-scale vehicle production begins at Hofu Plant No. 1 (Nishinoura district).
Apr 1986: Vehicle production at Hofu Plant (Nishinoura) reaches one million units.
Feb 1992: Vehicle production begins at Hofu Plant No. 2 (Nishinoura).
Jan 2002: Vehicle production at Hofu Plant (Nishinoura district) reaches five million units.
Feb 2002: Production of first generation Mazda6/Atenza begins.
Jun 2003: Production of first generation Mazda3/Axela begins.
Aug 2007: Production of second generation Mazda6/Atenza begins.
Nov 2008: Production of second generation Mazda3/Axela begins.
Dec 2010: Transmission production at Hofu Plant (Nakanoseki district) reaches 30 million units.
Aug 2012: Production of third generation Mazda6/Atenza begins.
Jun 2013: Production of third generation Mazda3/Axela begins.
Aug 2013: Vehicle production at Hofu Plant (Nishinoura district) reaches 10 million units.

By Noah Joseph