1989 Mazda Luce Pictures

Mazda used the Luce (pronounced lu-che) name on its largest sedans in Japan from 1969 until 1990. These vehicles were exported under a variety of names, including RX-4, 929, and Cosmo. The Luce nameplate was replaced by the Mazda Sentia name in 1991. The name "Luce" was taken from the Italian word for "light".

Following an agreement signed with Bertone in April, 1962, the 1965 Luce 1500 show car was a beautiful sedan designed by Giorgetto Giugiaro of Italy. It was low and sharp, looking more like a contemporary BMW Bavaria than any of its smaller Mazda brothers.

The production version had a higher roofline but retained the BMW look. It was a front-engine, rear wheel drive 4-door sedan, and featured a square 1.5L (1490cc) 1500 SOHC engine, producing 78hp (58,1kW)5500rpm and 84,5lb ft. It sold poorly at 695,000 yen (US$1,930) and a stroked 1.8L (1796cc) 1800 engine was added for 1968. This new model, the Luce 1800, produced 104hp(74,5kW) 5500rpm and 112 lb ft 2500rpm. An estate station wagon was also added.

R130

A rotary-powered Luce appeared the following year. The Luce R130 was produced from October, 1969 to 1972. It used a 1.3L 13A engine, which produced 126hp (94kW) and 127ft·lbf (172N·m). Quarter-mile (400 m) performance was 16.9 seconds. Interestingly, this model was front wheel drive.