Mazda R360 Coupe Original Generation Automatic

The automatic R360 Coupe

The automatic was the factory torque-converter transmission variant of the original Mazda R360 Coupe generation. Built in Japan by Toyo Kogyo, the Hiroshima-based company subsequently known as Mazda, the R360 marked the manufacturer’s entry into passenger cars. The automatic belonged to the same compact coupe design as the manual. Lane Motor Museum, Mazda’s historical account.

Mazda dates the nationwide Japanese launch to 28 May 1960. Its introductory prices were ¥320,000 for the automatic and ¥300,000 for the manual. These are Japanese launch prices and a calendar date, not specifications for an overseas model year. Mazda’s launch history.

Transmission and variant identity

Mazda’s Japanese virtual museum explicitly documents a torque-converter automatic alongside the manual transmission. It presents this choice as part of the company’s ambition to make personal motoring accessible to more people. Mazda Virtual Museum.

The specialist R360 specification reference distinguishes KRBC, with a two-speed torque-converter automatic, from KRBB, with a four-speed manual. These identifiers describe transmission versions; they should not be treated as separate generations or engine families. R360 specification reference.

Engine, body and chassis

The R360 used a rear-mounted, air-cooled 356 cc four-stroke V-twin. Its small rear seat makes 2+2 a useful description of the accommodation. These were characteristics of the underlying R360 design shared by the transmission variants. Octane’s model history.

Mazda describes rear-wheel drive, a two-door coupe body and styling by industrial designer Jiro Kosugi. The rear-mounted powertrain allowed a low bonnet, while the cabin prioritised the front occupants. Mazda Virtual Museum.

Lightweight monocoque construction, a light-alloy bonnet and independent suspension using rubber torsion springs formed part of the model’s engineering approach. Mazda’s general history discusses these features across the R360 range; it does not provide a separate automatic weight or performance specification. Mazda’s engineering retrospective.

Production chronology and scope

The automatic was available at the R360’s 1960 introduction. Mazda’s virtual museum also identifies a photograph of an automatic driving compartment as 1961. Its account places winding side windows and the introduction of Deluxe trim in February 1961. Deluxe is a trim designation, distinct from the automatic transmission classification. Mazda Virtual Museum.

Octane places the end of mainstream R360 production in 1966, with special-order availability continuing until 1969. Those are model-line chronology boundaries: that account does not establish an automatic-specific final assembly date or uninterrupted automatic production through 1969. Octane’s production history.

This record concerns the documented Japanese offering. An export-market automatic specification or automatic-only production total is not established by the cited evidence.

Historical significance

The automatic extended the R360’s appeal beyond its low purchase price by offering a torque-converter alternative within Mazda’s first passenger-car range. Its significance lies in bringing that transmission choice to a small, economical car at the beginning of Mazda’s passenger-car expansion. Mazda’s retrospective.

See the R360 Coupe model record for the wider nameplate history.

Sources

• Mazda Virtual Museum — R360 Coupe: automatic option, body design and early changes.
• Mazda — R360 Coupe: nationwide launch, introductory prices and engineering.
• Mazda R360 Coupé — Specification: KRBB manual and KRBC automatic identification.
• Matthew Hayward, Octane — R360 engine, accommodation and production chronology.
• Lane Motor Museum — Mazda R360, 1964: manufacturer and Japanese origin.

Browse related records

Search Record type All typesengine (1)

1 records

• Mazda R360 Coupe Original Generation Automatic 356 cc Air-Cooled Twin

  The R360 Coupe Automatic paired Mazda’s 356 cc air-cooled four-stroke V-twin with a torque-converter transmission. This record covers that application without assuming a separate automatic-specific engine output.

  Engine