You are looking at a first generation Mazda6, sold in Canada from 2004 through 2008, and while it looks like a fairly generic four door sedan, it was actually a very unusual car.
But we need some context before I say why it was so unusual.
But we need some context before I say why it was so unusual.
This is the 1990 Pontiac 6000, which you could buy as a coupe, sedan, and wagon. The wagon was mine btw - super cool car. This array of configurations was not unusual - I'm quite certain you could buy all of the GM A Body cars this way. Oldsmobile Ciera, Chevrolet Celebrity, Buick Century, and Pontiac 6000 - all of them came in all three body styles.
And not just that, but most of them had smaller and larger cars in the same three configurations as well. Chevrolet for instance had the smaller Cavalier and larger Caprice. Oh and also the Corsica in between the Cavalier and Celebrity. And the Beretta as a coupe of the Corsica. So with the Corvette, that's six cars in a total of 11 configurations.
I forgot the Camaro! Seven cars in 12 configurations.
And that's just one division. You had nearly the same coverage by Pontiac, Oldsmobile, and Buick. Plus a few more from Cadillac. That's well over 50 configurations.
Do you know how many cars Chevrolet makes now? Five.
Do you know how many cars GM as a whole makes now? Nine.
And not just that, but most of them had smaller and larger cars in the same three configurations as well. Chevrolet for instance had the smaller Cavalier and larger Caprice. Oh and also the Corsica in between the Cavalier and Celebrity. And the Beretta as a coupe of the Corsica. So with the Corvette, that's six cars in a total of 11 configurations.
I forgot the Camaro! Seven cars in 12 configurations.
And that's just one division. You had nearly the same coverage by Pontiac, Oldsmobile, and Buick. Plus a few more from Cadillac. That's well over 50 configurations.
Do you know how many cars Chevrolet makes now? Five.
Do you know how many cars GM as a whole makes now? Nine.
Not sure that all that is necessarily relevant to our Mazda6 here, but it does show two things; the auto industry was VERY different 30 years ago. And GM used to have MASSIVE market share.
So, the Mazda6. I saw one on the road the other day, and the another for sale later that day, and it reminded me that it came in a set of configurations that was VERY rare throughout time, and certainly in the early 2000s.
As you see, it came in a four door sedan and wagon, and the blue one is a four door hatchback. Not a rare setup for a Golf or Civic, but in a large car like a Taurus or an Accord? You just didn't see it.
Chevrolet offered the Malibu MAXX in a 'five door' configuration, but there was no wagon. There was a Taurus wagon, a Sable wagon, an Accord wagon - wait! No there was not. There was an Accord coupe, but no wagon. Honda was already getting ready for the SUV takeover I guess.
No, there was only one other car with this combination;
So, the Mazda6. I saw one on the road the other day, and the another for sale later that day, and it reminded me that it came in a set of configurations that was VERY rare throughout time, and certainly in the early 2000s.
As you see, it came in a four door sedan and wagon, and the blue one is a four door hatchback. Not a rare setup for a Golf or Civic, but in a large car like a Taurus or an Accord? You just didn't see it.
Chevrolet offered the Malibu MAXX in a 'five door' configuration, but there was no wagon. There was a Taurus wagon, a Sable wagon, an Accord wagon - wait! No there was not. There was an Accord coupe, but no wagon. Honda was already getting ready for the SUV takeover I guess.
No, there was only one other car with this combination;
Saab offered the 9-3 as a sedan, a five door, and a wagon, because of course they did, they're Saab. Saab always offered a 5 door, going back to the 900 and the 99. Even in the bigger 9000.
The wagon though was the most recent of the styles. Not sure why it is that they didn't make wagons earlier given how their brethren Volvo just LOVED wagons, but, I don't know - Sweden I guess. And also, it wasn't called a wagon, it was the SportCombi.
Anyway, so there you go, some amazing trivia for you.
By the way, if anyone is looking to give away their Saab 9-3 SportCombi Turbo X, I am available.
The wagon though was the most recent of the styles. Not sure why it is that they didn't make wagons earlier given how their brethren Volvo just LOVED wagons, but, I don't know - Sweden I guess. And also, it wasn't called a wagon, it was the SportCombi.
Anyway, so there you go, some amazing trivia for you.
By the way, if anyone is looking to give away their Saab 9-3 SportCombi Turbo X, I am available.
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