Mazda Appoints Vice Presidents

6 October 1998

    IRVINE, Calif., Oct. 5 -- Richard N. Beattie, president and
CEO of Mazda North American Operations (MNAO), today announced that effective
October 1, 1998, Takaharu "Koby" Kobayakawa will be vice president of product
planning and design, and Gordon Dickie will become vice president of
engineering, manufacturing and supply.
    Dickie succeeds Yutaka Hirose, who was named Mazda joint programs director
for Mazda Motor Corporation, MNAO's parent company.  Both Kobayakawa, who
works at Mazda's R&D Center in Irvine, Calif., and Dickie, who will be based
in Flat Rock, Mich., will report directly to Beattie.
    "We've made a tremendous turnaround at Mazda in the last year and a half,
and I'm expecting Koby and Gordon, in their new roles, will help us continue
this trend," said Beattie."
    Previously, Kobayakawa was MNAO's director of basic design and product
technology, and vice president of Mazda Research and Development of North
America, Inc.  In 1963, Kobayakawa began his career at Mazda Motor Corporation
as a member of the original rotary engine development team.
    Often considered the "father of the third-generation RX-7," Kobayakawa was
RX-7 program manager from 1986-1992.  His accomplishments include inventing
Mazda's patented Windblocker, now featured on the 1999 Mazda Miata, and
overseeing Mazda's victory in the 1991 24 Hours of Le Mans.  Mazda remains the
only Japanese manufacturer to ever win the world's most prestigious sports car
event.  Kobayakawa also served as manager of international public relations,
design division general manager, and corporate communications general manager.
Kobayakawa received his BS in applied physics from Gakushuin University in
Tokyo.
    Dickie joined Mazda in 1993 as the national warranty manager.  In January
1996, he was promoted to director of customer service and parts operations,
responsible for service and parts publications, warranty, customer assistance,
and fixed operations training.
    Dickie has a wealth of wholesale and retail automotive experience.  Before
joining Mazda, he worked for Volvo Cars of North America as a Regional Sales
Manager and Volvo Canada, Ltd. as a Zone Manager.  Dickie has worked as a
dealership General Manager, Parts and Service Director, and Master Technician.
He received his engineering degree from Springburn College of Engineering in
Scotland.
    Jeff Beuck succeeds Dickie as director of customer service and parts
operations.  Beuck first joined Mazda in 1971, where he held several key parts
and service positions in the western region's northwest office.  In 1995, he
was named western region service and parts manager.  Most recently, Beuck was
MNAO's manager of customer satisfaction.
    Mazda North American Operations is responsible for the research and
development, sales and marketing, and customer parts and service support of
Mazda vehicles in the United States.  Headquartered in Irvine, Calif., MNAO
has approximately 800 dealerships nationwide and is owned by Mazda Motor
Corporation, Hiroshima, Japan.