A Mazda logo is seen at a showroom of a dealership in Merignac, near Bordeaux, France on April 8 2019. Picture: REUTERS/REGIS DUVIGNAU
For Mazda, restarting local production with help from Toyota’s deep local knowledge and reputation for reliability is the game-changer it hopes will jump-start sales in the world’s second-biggest market. As competition heats up in the industry — not least from prospective new entrants such as Apple and Sony — Toyota has taken minority stakes in Mazda, as well as small-car maker Suzuki and all-wheel-drive specialist Subaru in recent years.
The Huntsville, Alabama, factory, which opened last year and is designed to add electric vehicles in future, contains many firsts for Mazda. Mazda Toyota Manufacturing tows components from on-site suppliers on linked-up tractors, saving time on loading and unloading from trucks.