Mazda Announces FY2002

Mazda has announced the following plan for FY2002 campus recruitment for engineering/administrative positions. In accordance with the Millennium Plan(*), a total of 140 engineering/administrative personnel will be recruited, which is an increase over the 2001 plan.

Mazda Announces FY2002

The number of female employees will be increased for engineering positions. Mazda will assign a female recruitment officer to promote recruitment activities for female engineers. We will also continue all year round job-category-based recruiting to hire highly skilled and potential students for administrative positions from both Japanese and overseas universities.

Information on the recruitment plan will be available over the Internet from March 22, 2001.

		FY2002 Recruitment Plan	FY2001 Prospective Employees
University, Graduate school, Technical, Junior and Vocational college	Engineering	120	103
	Administrative	20	15
	Total	140	118
High School	Production (Mazda Junior College)	(Undecided)	45
	Production (General)	(Undecided)	155
	Total	(Undecided)	200

-In addition to the above plan, approximately 30 medical staff (22 in spring 2001) will be employed.

* = The Mid-Term Plan, which was announced November 2000.

Ford Motor Company Almussafes, Spain

*
Address: Poligono Industrial de Almussafes
46440 ALMUSSAFES, Valencia, Spain
* Ford Factory Spain, opened in 1976, is in Almussafes, Valencia;20 kilometres from the city of Valencia.
* It is a full-fledged factory, with a surface of 2,734,620 sqm, including 574,000 sqm of office space.
*
Approx. 7,100 employees work at the plant, in two shifts (Approx. 2,600 employees work at supplier park).
* Body & Assembly Plant:

- Current production capacity is 450,000 vehicles/year (shared between Ford Focus and Ford Ka)
- 2000 production: 343,794 units (Ka 146,680 / Focus 197,114)
- 2000 exports: 287,052 units
- Employment (1999): Hourly paid 5,000 / Salaried 600, total 5,600
* There are two Engine Plants:

- Since 1989 the average annual production is 540,000 units; more than 70% are exported to plants at Cologne and Saarlouis, Germany and to Brazil.
1) Valencia Engine #1 : opened in 1976
- 2001 model year product: 1.3 litre Endura-E
- 2000 production: 275,781 units
- 2000 exports: 131,745 units
- Employment (1999): Hourly paid 1,000 / Salaried 100, total 1,100
2) Valencia Engine #2 : opened 1995
- 2001 model year product: 1.25 and 1.4 litre ZETEC-SE
- 2000 production: 170,786 units
- 2000 exports: 165,309 units
- Employment (1999): Hourly paid 380 / Salaried 20, total 400

* Supplier Park: Suppliers are located adjacent to the Ford site in Almussafes. Currently, there are 38 suppliers operating there since the launch of the Ford Ka in 1996; six suppliers have facilities under construction; and, another 11 plan to locate there.

- The actual surface is 660,000 sqm, and there is a plan to double the size of the complex to more than 1.3 million sqm in 2002.
* ISO 14001 Certification

Ford Motor Company Valencia Vehicle Operations Plant

Mazda Motor Corporation has selected Ford Motor Company's Valencia Vehicle Operations Plant in Almussafes, Spain, to produce its small B-class car for the European market. Production is expected to begin in early 2003.

Ford Motor Company Valencia

The decision will give Mazda initial production capacity of 40,000 units annually for the European market and will help Mazda address its vulnerability to fluctuations in currency exchange rates. Almost all of Mazda's production for Europe is currently produced in Japan.

At the same time as today's Mazda announcement, Ford announced plans to build its next-generation Fiesta model at the plant. The facility, based in the city of Almussafes, 20 kilometres from Valencia, currently produces the popular and successful Ford Focus and Ka models. The Almussafes plant will become the second source for Fiesta, which will also be built at Ford's Cologne Assembly Plant.

"We selected Valencia, in part, because the plant and its employees have demonstrated their ability to produce two totally different vehicles on the same site, efficiently and with consistently high quality," said Mazda Motor Corporation President, Mark Fields. "That combination of flexibility and quality makes Valencia ideal to handle these vehicle programmes."

"This decision is a win-win for both Mazda and Ford," Fields added. "It gives us a cost-efficient European production base, and it makes us less vulnerable to currency fluctuations. It also enables Ford to enhance the use of its facilities by accommodating Mazda products."

Fields left the door open to the possibility of similar cooperative ventures in the future.

"Our partnership with Ford Motor Company gives both sides many strategic options, including building Mazda cars and trucks at Ford facilities - and producing Ford cars and trucks in Mazda facilities," Fields said. "We will continue to pursue this where it makes business sense to do so without reducing our ability to deliver on customer expectations for each of our unique brands."

Fields also announced the appointment of Mazda Director Akira Marumoto in charge of European Research and Development and Production Operations. Among other things, Marumoto will oversee preparations for the start-up of 2003 Mazda production at the plant and will be responsible for ensuring Mazda's strict quality levels. Marumoto, 43, previously had been Mazda's Director, Product Quality Division in Hiroshima.

An adjoining supplier park to the Ford site in Almussafes will support the production of the Mazda model and will offer modular production capability and modern supply systems. Ford employs 7,100 its Valencia Vehicle Operations Plant. The total site, including the supplier park, employs more than 9,700.

New KU Special version Scrum Truck

Mazda Motor Corporation is introducing a new KU Special version of the Scrum micromini truck today at Mazda Autozam dealerships throughout Japan.

Mazda Scrum Truck KU Special

The Mazda KU Special features air conditioning, power steering and other special equipment to enhance ride comfort and working efficiency. . Also, the package features upgraded interior with new fabric seat upholstery.

With these attractive additions, all KU Special models offer affordable prices, like the two-wheel-drive, five-speed manual transmission model for 650,000 yen.

Mazda expects to sell 150 units of KU Special monthly in Japan.

Main Features of KU Special

- Air conditioning, power steering, front wipers with intermittent operation function and cigarette lighter
- Upgraded interior with fabric seat upholstery and molded-type door trim
- Optional safety package including driver-and passenger-side SRS airbag system, four-wheel ABS, front seatbelts with pretensioners and passenger-side seatbelt with force-limiter function