Mazda's automotive history dates back to 1931 when the company formerly known as Tokyo Cork Kogyo Co. produced its first self-powered vehicle, an auto-rickshaw that was essentially a tricycle ...

The 260 D's significance isn't that it was the very first diesel powered vehicle, but rather that it was the first diesel-powered passenger car produced at scale and marketed to everyday drivers.

Mazda's automotive history dates back to 1931 when the company formerly known as Tokyo Cork Kogyo Co. produced its first self-powered vehicle, an auto-rickshaw that was essentially a tricycle.