The
Mazda Bongo is a van manufactured by
Mazdais a Japanese automotive manufacturer based in Hiroshima, Japan.During 2007, Mazda produced almost 1.3 million vehicles for global sales...
of Japan. Since 1978, it has been exported as the
Mazda E-Series and as the
Ford Econovan.
Mazda introduced its small van, the Bongo, in 1966. It featured a 782cc water-cooled 4-stroke engine driving the rear wheels. The rear engined Bongo was produced in two versions, the F800 and the F1000 between 1968 - 1978.
The
Mazda Bongo is a van manufactured by
Mazdais a Japanese automotive manufacturer based in Hiroshima, Japan.During 2007, Mazda produced almost 1.3 million vehicles for global sales...
of Japan. Since 1978, it has been exported as the
Mazda E-Series and as the
Ford Econovan.
1966
Mazda introduced its small van, the Bongo, in 1966. It featured a 782cc water-cooled 4-stroke engine driving the rear wheels. The rear engined Bongo was produced in two versions, the F800 and the F1000 between 1968 - 1978. This model retained the same body shape for its 10 year production life, the later models fitted with inertia-reel seat belts, and separate front parking indicator lights. The rear engine Bongos had a full chassis (using the same mazda 1000 engine as other variants mounted to a 4 speed transaxle at the rear) and were very strong and due to the low gearing, able to carry half a ton. Due to rust and poor maintenance, the rear engined Bongos are now few and far between. Exact numbers are not known, but a worldwide register
http://www.bongovan.com is currently being constructed to track all remaining examples.
The 1000 pickup and Bongo chassis are different, with common front suspension and brake components.
1978
The next Bongo van appeared in 1978. It was a
mid-engineIn automotive design, a RMR or Rear Mid-engine, Rear-wheel drive layout is one in which the rear wheels are driven by an engine placed just in front of them, behind the passenger compartment. In contrast to the rear-engined RR layout, the center of mass of the engine is in front of the rear axle...
rear wheel drive vehicle.
FordThe Ford Motor Company is an American multinational corporation based in Dearborn, Michigan, a suburb of Detroit. The automaker was founded by Henry Ford and incorporated on June 16, 1903. In addition to the Ford, Lincoln, and Mercury brands, Ford also owns Volvo Cars of Sweden, and a small stake...
sold this version of the van as the
Ford Econovan, while Mazda sold it for export as the
E1300,
E1400, and
E1600, depending on engine size.
Engines:
- 1978 1.3 L TC, 60 hp (44 kW)
- 1978-1982 1.6 L NA, 80 hp (59 kW)
- 1979-1980 1.4 L UC, 70 hp (52 kW)
1984
The Bongo was redesigned for 1984 with new engines. A new long-
wheelbaseIn both road and rail vehicles, the wheelbase is the distance between the centers of the front and rear wheels.- Road :In automobiles, the wheelbase is the horizontal distance between the center of the front wheel, and the center of the rear wheel...
version known as the Bongo Brawny was introduced.
Engines:
- 1984-1985 1.4 L UC
- 1983-1988 1.8 L F8
- 1983-1988 2.0 L RF Diesel
A diesel engine is an internal combustion engine that uses the heat of compression to initiate ignition to burn the fuel, which is injected into the combustion chamber during the final stage of compression...
- 1983-1988 2.2 L S2 Diesel
A diesel engine is an internal combustion engine that uses the heat of compression to initiate ignition to burn the fuel, which is injected into the combustion chamber during the final stage of compression...
1989
The SS platform Bongo lasted from 1989 until 1998. This van was also sold by Nissan as the
VanetteThe Nissan Vanette is a van produced by the Japanese automaker Nissan Motors since 1978. The van has also been sold as the Nissan Sunny-Vanette or Nissan Van. There was formerly a separate model sold in Europe under the same name, however it was unrelated based on the Nissan Serena...
.
1995
The SG platform
Bongo Friendee was introduced in 1995.
FordThe Ford Motor Company is an American multinational corporation based in Dearborn, Michigan, a suburb of Detroit. The automaker was founded by Henry Ford and incorporated on June 16, 1903. In addition to the Ford, Lincoln, and Mercury brands, Ford also owns Volvo Cars of Sweden, and a small stake...
began selling the Friendee in the Japanese home market as the
Ford FredaThe Ford Freda is a rebadged 8-seater Mazda Bongo Friendee MPV, introduced to the Japanese home market in 1995. It is styled, literally, like a box, purely for space efficiency and for conservative Japanese tastes....
.
Petrol Engines:
- 2.0 L RS-V I4
The inline-four engine or straight-four engine is a four-cylinder internal combustion engine with all four cylinders mounted in a straight line, or plane along the crankcase. The single bank of cylinders may be oriented in either a vertical or an inclined plane with all the pistons driving a...
- 2.5 L RF-V V6
Diesel Engines:
- 2.5 L turbodiesel (the same engine is found in the Ford Ranger
Ford Ranger is a name used on two distinct compact pickup truck lines by the Ford Motor Company and by a marketing arrangement with Mazda.* A Ford-designed compact pickup truck, which is sold and manufactured in North America as well as Brazil, Chile, Argentina and South Africa. It is also...
Pickup in the UK)
The Mazda Bongo Friendee van SGL, is an eight seater MPV. Some have had Mazda factory fitted kitchens installed within their car, but many others are imported and converted to camper vans in the UK. All of them have fold down seats downstairs to make a double bed, and on many models there is also an "Auto Free Top" elevating roof which 2 more people can sleep in. Flat-top versions are also available.
Launched in 1995, they are usually (but not exclusively) available in automatic transmissions, and come in 2WD (SGL3) and 4WD (SGL5) versions. 2.5 turbo diesels are common in Japan, although there is a 2.5 V6 petrol version available.
Later (post-1999) models have a revised bodystyle and have different engines, although the 2.5 turbodiesel continues unchanged.
Air conditioningAn air conditioner is a home appliance, system, or mechanism designed to dehumidify and extract heat from an area, or provide heat to an area. The cooling is done using a simple refrigeration cycle...
, climate control and electronic blinds are fitted as standard.
1999
An updated Bongo was released in June, 1998 as a 1999 model. At the same time,
Mitsubishi Motorsis the fifth largest automaker in Japan and the fifteenth largest in the world by global unit sales. It is part of the Mitsubishi keiretsu, formerly the biggest industrial group in Japan, and was formed in 1970 from the automotive division of Mitsubishi Heavy Industries.Throughout its history it...
began reselling the Bongo. This was branded the
Mazda Access in some markets.
Engines:
- 1.8 L F8 SOHC I4
The inline-four engine or straight-four engine is a four-cylinder internal combustion engine with all four cylinders mounted in a straight line, or plane along the crankcase. The single bank of cylinders may be oriented in either a vertical or an inclined plane with all the pistons driving a...
- 2.0 L FE SOHC I4
The inline-four engine or straight-four engine is a four-cylinder internal combustion engine with all four cylinders mounted in a straight line, or plane along the crankcase. The single bank of cylinders may be oriented in either a vertical or an inclined plane with all the pistons driving a...
- 2.0 L RF Diesel
A diesel engine is an internal combustion engine that uses the heat of compression to initiate ignition to burn the fuel, which is injected into the combustion chamber during the final stage of compression...
I4The inline-four engine or straight-four engine is a four-cylinder internal combustion engine with all four cylinders mounted in a straight line, or plane along the crankcase. The single bank of cylinders may be oriented in either a vertical or an inclined plane with all the pistons driving a...
Trivia
- A first generation Mazda Bongo was used in the movie Mad Max
Mad Max, the first movie of the Mad Max franchise, is a 1979 Australian dystopian action film directed by George Miller and written by Miller and Byron Kennedy. The film, starring the then-little-known Mel Gibson, was released internationally in 1980. Its narrative based around the traditional...
— it was the personal vehicle of director George MillerGeorge Miller is an Academy-Award winning Australian filmmaker, screenwriter, producer, and medical doctor. He is probably most well known for his work on the Mad Max movies, but has been involved in a wide range of projects, including the Oscar-winning Happy Feet.Miller is the older brother of...
, who sacrificed his van to a crash scene to keep the budget low.
- The Bongo's submodel Brawny and Friendee (and badge engineered Ford Freda
The Ford Freda is a rebadged 8-seater Mazda Bongo Friendee MPV, introduced to the Japanese home market in 1995. It is styled, literally, like a box, purely for space efficiency and for conservative Japanese tastes....
) are commonly mentioned in websites as a joke concerning car model names.
External links