Mazda Succeeds by Staying True to its Brand

Wahington DC July 24, 2008; The AIADA newsletter reported that Jim O'Sullivan, Mazda's top U.S. executive, recalls a time when auto dealers suggested the company make a large full-size pickup. They wanted something like the then-top-selling F-150 – call it the M-150.

Good thing he didn't listen. "We couldn't go there with Mazda because it didn't fit the brand," O'Sullivan told Automotive News. Mazda stuck to cars, and now O'Sullivan says it may be on its way to flat sales for the year in a market when nearly everyone else will be down. Through the first half of 2008, Mazda sales are at 153,141 units. That's up 0.3 percent from the first six months in 2007, a year in which it was the only automaker to post a double-digit sales increase.

O'Sullivan said the Mazda6 will be a good indicator of how big the automaker can get in North America.

Mazda hopes to reach 100,000 units of the Mazda6 in North America, up from 57,575. O'Sullivan said Mazda's 675 U.S. dealers have whittled inventory of the Mazda6 to prepare for the redesigned version's launch. He added: "We really don't have a lot of cars out there right now, so our numbers are going to be off a bit for the month of July."