Yamamoto, “Father of Rotary Engine” dies at 95

December 26, 2017

Tokyo- Former Mazda Motor Corp. President Kenichi Yamamoto, honorary adviser to the company and known as "the father of the rotary engine," died of old age at a care facility in Kanagawa Prefecture on Wednesday. He was 95.

After joining Toyo Kogyo Co., the predecessor of Mazda, in 1946, Yamamoto was picked as chef of the company's rotary engine research division in 1963 and led the development of what was seen at the time as the engine of dreams. He became president in 1984 and had served as chairman for five years since December 1987.

In the 1960s, major automakers in the world raced to develop a compact high-power engine with a rotary combustion mechanism. But only Mazda succeeded in commercializing such an engine by overcoming various technical difficulties.

In 1967, Mazda launched the Cosmo Sports, the first-ever vehicle with a rotary engine. Jiji Press