- 1,115
- Rivera
- Tsukishima-TDUDT
Mazda used the Luce (pronounced lu-che) name on its largest sedan in Japan from 1969 until 1990. It was exported as the RX-4 if installed with a rotary engine. The Luce nameplate was replaced by the Mazda Sentia name in 1991. The name "Luce" was taken from the Italian word for "light".
The R130 coupè was Mazda's only production front-wheel-drive vehicle fitted with a rotary engine, and sold on the Japanese domestic market. It was also the only Mazda fitted with a very rare 13A engine. Based on Mazda's RX-87 prototype, the R130 was a very good looking example of a Giugiaro designed coupe.
The twin-rotor 13A produced 126 hp at 6000rpm in the R130 and was driven through a four-speed transmission capable of 190kph top speed.
The hardtop coupe version of the Luce with a 655 cc x 2 new rotary engine, known as the Luce Rotary Coupe, was launched in October 1969. Mazda used the compactness of the new rotary engine-which delivered 126 hp maximum power and accelerated the car to 190 km/h maximum speed-for the first time here in a front-engine front-wheel drive format. In an age when new company employees straight from university earned around 30,000 yen a month, the Luce Rotary Coupe, costing from 1.45 to 1.75 million yen, was dubbed "Lord of the Road" and boasted a beautiful body and high speed drive. The car was shown not only at auto dealers but also 35 major department stores throughout Japan, and gained a reputation for its elegant form. With its distinctive personality, the Luce Rotary Coupe entered the luxury personal car market that was being formed at the time.
Specs:
The Sedan version of this car weighed 1050 Kg, the coupe is expected to weigh less than 1000.
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Here's another classic Mazda of the same decade:
I like this color 
