In 1920, Mr Jujiro Matsuda started a small cork manufacturing company in Hiroshima, Japan that was called the Toyo Cork Kogyo Co., Ltd. It took several years for this company to produce a three wheel truck and another three decades to produce the first car that was called the Mazda R360. The name was derived from the highest Zoroastrian God of reason who granted wisdom and united man, nature and the other gods.

Young in the industry, the company produced several models in the sixties including the Mazda’s first rotary engine vehicle, the Mazda Cosmo Sports 110S. It did not take long for Mazda to create the subcompact car, the Mazda GLC in 1976. It replaced the 818/Mizer with most parts shared with the Mazda RX-3. The GLC or “great little car” was built entirely at Japan and was exported to the United States. It was based on Indeed the GLC stood up with it name by carrying engines from 1.0 L PC, that was rated at 45 hp with 51 ft-lb or 69 Nm of torque, the 1.3 L TC, up to its largest engine of 1.4 L UC that only produced 70 hp.

When the GLC was introduced in the United States, it was only offered with one engine but offers a variety of trims to choose from: five-door four-seat hatch, three-door four-seat hatch, five-door four-seat station wagon, three-door four-seat station wagon, and the three-door two-seat van with an extended roof profile.

The second-and the last generation of American GLC was seen in 1981 and was only offered with the 2 barrel 1.5 L and lasted through 1985, after which it was replaced by the next-generation Mazda 323. Althought the Mazda GLC was shortlived, it paved the way for the 323 upon its entry to the market.