The Mazda-Go (Japanese: マツダ号) is a three-wheeled open "

truck A truck or lorry is a motor vehicle designed to transport cargo, carry specialized payloads, or perform other utilitarian work. Trucks vary greatly in size, power, and configuration, but the vast majority feature body-on-frame constructi ...

" that was first produced in 1931 and resembled a

motorcycle A motorcycle (motorbike, bike, or trike (if three-wheeled)) is a two or three-wheeled motor vehicle steered by a handlebar. Motorcycle design varies greatly to suit a range of different purposes: long-distance travel, commuting, cruising ...

with an open wagon or truck bed. It entered the market on 3 October 1931. It was the first vehicle manufactured by

Mazda , commonly referred to as simply Mazda, is a Japanese multinational automotive manufacturer headquartered in Fuchū, Hiroshima, Japan. In 2015, Mazda produced 1.5 million vehicles for global sales, the majority of which (nearly one m ...

and has been considered to be the first

auto rickshaw An auto rickshaw is a motorized version of the pulled rickshaw or cycle rickshaw. Most have three wheels and do not tilt. They are known by many terms in various countries including auto, auto rickshaw, baby taxi, mototaxi, pigeon, jonnybee, bajaj ...

built, although

Daihatsu , commonly known as Daihatsu, is a Japanese automobile manufacturer and one of the oldest surviving Japanese internal combustion engine manufacturers. The company's headquarters are located in Ikeda, Osaka Prefecture. Historically, Daihatsu was ...

's HB appeared in the same year. The original model's type name was DA, with the "Mazda-Go" brand name being used to sell it and subsequent generations. After a July 1931 agreement, the Mazda-Go was sold by the Mitsubishi Zaibatsu in Japan and later on in export markets as well. Mitsubishi retained the distribution rights in Japan until August 1936, and for export sales until December 1937. Development had begun in 1929, a year after Mazda's first trial production of motorcycles. The Mazda-Go was steered with handlebars and powered with an air-cooled one-cylinder engine/transmission combination unit. Notable refinements included a rear differential and the addition of a reverse gear. The in-house developed engine displaced 482 cc and produced , powering the rear wheels through a three-speed transmission. Over the years, it would be produced in different variants and spawned other similar designs such as the Hopestar and

Daihatsu Midget The Daihatsu Midget is a single-seater mini-truck, later a microvan/kei truck made by Japanese automaker Daihatsu. Several distinct vehicles have borne the Midget name over the years, but all have had in common a single or two-seat utilitarian ...

. A more powerful version called the DB soon appeared, and a number of other Mazda-Go iterations like the DC and the heavier KC types. The last version to appear before

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...

was the 1938 GA-type, which re-entered production in December 1945 as Mazda's first post-war product. The GA has a 669 cc sidevalve single-cylinder engine producing and a cargo load of while it itself weighed in at . The Mazda-Go range was replaced in the post-war era by an entire range of three-wheeled Mazda trucks, including the K360 and the Mazda T-2000 (ja).

References

{{Mazda vehicles Mazda-Go Mazda-Go First car made by manufacturer Three-wheeled motor vehicles