It’s been a while since we’ve explored the deepest recesses of the JDM, so I thought this week, we’d take a look at three or four big RWD Japanese 4-doors. But those will be “Big in Japan” saloons, i.e. just under the 2000cc size limit. We’ll kick things off with something of a rarity nowadays, the last generation Mazda Luce (a.k.a 929), albeit in “hardtop” form.
Why is it a rarity? Because, for starters, it’s the only one I’ve ever seen in this country in five years. Heck, when I spied that shape from a block away, I initially figured it was just another Crown of some description – there are still a lot of those about from the ‘80s and ‘90s. From the rear, it’s really not easy to tell this apart from the Toyota flagship.
I guess that was the yardstick by which executive saloons were measured in Japan at the time. In which case, well done Mazda for having stuck to the brief so diligently. Somewhat delusionally, this generation of Luce was nicknamed “Hiroshima Benz” by the Japanese press. I beg to differ: it’s a lot chunkier than the Luces that came before it, but it’s still a far cry from a Mercedes. It could have been worse – and indeed it was, just look at the Luce formal saloon.
Many countries got that sister model, i.e. the Mazda 929 pillared saloon/sedan (also known in Korea as the Kia Potentia, with a slightly larger grille), but far fewer were allowed to sample the unique delights of the hardtop, whose lower roofline does make the design a little less bland. But a lot more Crownesque.
Where the 1986-91 HC Luce had a slight advantage over its rivals (which would have included the aforementioned Crown, but also the Nissan Cedric/Gloria, the Mitsubishi Debonair and, at a push, the Honda Inspire) was its brand new V6 engine, Mazda’s first.
Overseas, that V6 was only available in its DOHC 3-litre variant, but in Japan, the usual size and displacement restrictions called for a smaller SOHC unit – 1997cc, which is what our feature car has. That small V6 produced 110hp in standard spec, but a 145hp turbo version was also on the options list. The 3-litre V6 was added to the JDM lineup a year after the car’s launch and provided a healthy 200hp, but at an equally healthy premium.
The V6 wasn’t the only motor available, though. Base level Luces could get a carburated 82hp 4-cyl., taxi grade Luces got the LPG 2-litre 4-cyl. (a painfully underpowered 64hp) and the highest trim cars, such as the top-of-the-line Royal Classic formal sedan shown above, could still get the 180hp turbocharged 1.3 litre Wankel – the final time a rotary engine would be available in an executive saloon. Only 4800 HC Luces were ordered with the Wankel, making them a rare sight even at the time.
Our feature car is a Limited – i.e. the mid-level trim. Which tells us nothing about what’s under the hood: those could be ordered with the 2-litre, the 3-litre or the bi-rotor. We can rule the last one out, as there are “V6” call-outs on the flanks of the car. And thanks to the license plate, which starts with the number 5, the 3-litre is out of the running as well. It’s a bizarrely-spec’ed car, what with the “sporty” low roof, the smallest engine and those dated (and entirely optional) chromed fender mirrors.
At least it’s not grey or black on the inside, but a warm and welcoming shade of brownish red. I don’t know how well these were built or whether the ergonomics were anything special, but from a purely aesthetic point of view, this Luce is a notch above the Crown it so desperately tries to emulate.
It made no difference, though. In the ebullient economy of mid-to-late-‘80s Japan, the must-have car for the well-heeled conservative salaryman was the Toyota – or, at a push, the Nissan Cedric. Neither the Mitsubishi Debonair nor the Mazda Luce were given much consideration: the former because of its FWD layout and odd proportions, and the latter… for some other reason, but I can’t honestly figure out which.
In December 1991, the Luce hardtop and the standard formal saloon left the range, though a trickle of the low-brow taxi version continued on until 1995. In total, Mazda sold just over 120k units of their flagship, which wasn’t too bad, except when you realize that Nissan sold twice as many Y31 Cedric/Glorias in a shorter time span (1987-91) and that Toyota sold twice as many Crowns in 1990 alone.
Mazda doubled down with the HD Sentia / ɛ̃fini MS-9, which was hardtop-only and, though it didn’t look it due to its swoopy styling, was larger than the HC Luce. It was the wrong car at the wrong time, and after a couple of generations, Mazda gave up their delusions of grandeur.
The HC Luce was a rather tame and bland end to a great nameplate, but then tame and bland was what sold well at the time, so it’s hard to blame Mazda for it. Maybe their clientele were expecting something with a bit of flair, a dash of quirkiness – like what the previous Luces had, essentially. Playing it safe can be a dangerous strategy.
Related posts:
Curbside Classic: 1986-1991 Mazda 929/Luce – Aren’t You Supposed To Dress For Success?, by William Stopford
Curbside Classic: 1990 Mazda 929S – It’s As Big As A Cadillac!, by PN
To be honest I would rather have any Japanese luxury car in preference to any Mercedes from the post-W124 era. There is a good reason why the horrific resale value on those Benzes is beyond belief.
Really nice looking car in my opinion, there’s just something about the styling of late 80s early 90s Japanese cars that appeals, and it works particularly well on saloon cars… Not that any manufacturer sold very many over here (UK) if they even attempted to sell them.