Japan Used Mazda Luce for Sale

The Mazda Luce is an executive car that was produced by the Japanese automaker Mazda Motor Corporation from 1966 until 1991. As Mazda's largest sedan, it was widely exported as the Mazda 929 from 1973 to 1991. Later generations were installed with luxury items and interiors as the Mazda Luce became the flagship offering. In 1991, the Luce was replaced by the Sentia, which was also exported under the 929 nameplate. The model name "luce" was taken from the Italian word for "light".

The production started in July 1966, had a higher roofline but retained the BMW-esque look. It was a front-engine, rear-wheel-drive four-door sedan, and featured a square 1490 cc 1500 SOHC engine, producing 78 PS (57 kW) at 5500 rpm and 114.6 N⋅m (84.5 lb⋅ft). The 1500 SS version with twin carburettors was manufactured in June 1967, producing 86 PS (63 kW) at 5500 rpm and 117.8 N⋅m (86.9 lb⋅ft) at 5500 rpm. A stroked 1.8-litre (1796 cc) 1800 engine was added in December, 1968. The Luce 1800, produced 104 PS (76 kW) at 5500 rpm and 152 N⋅m (112 lb⋅ft) at 2500 rpm. The bonnet on this Luce has a slight bump in the middle with an air inlet on the leading edge.  An estate (station wagon) was also added in 1967, with the same engine as the sedan (SUAV). It was also available with a three-speed automatic transmission, unlike most commercial vehicles at the time.

A rotary-powered Luce appeared in 1969 as the R130. It was produced from October 1969 to 1972. It used a 1.3-liter 13A engine, which produced 126 hp (94 kW) and 172 N⋅m (127 lb⋅ft). Quarter-mile (400 meters) performance was 16.9 seconds. This Luce R130 was styled as a front-wheel-drive two-door coupé with front disc brakes, which was similar to the NSU Ro 80. This model, Mazda's only front-wheel-drive rotary, is now a collector's item and very rare as less than 1,000 were built.

Mazda Motord released a second generation LA2 series Luce in November 1972-a rotary powered model that would be later exported as the Mazda RX-4. The conventionally-engined Luce sedan (LA2VS) would not arrive to the Japanese market until April 1973, after starting production in March. It was available as a hardtop (coupe), "formal sedan", "custom sedan", and as a station wagon which was also sold as a van in the domestic market of Japan. The original hardtop coupe received a longer, more aggressive front design, which was also installed on the custom sedan. The van/wagon and the formal sedan received a somewhat shorter front end. For the facelifted LA3 model from 1976, only one front design was used--one with a more square design.

The Japanese Luce Rotary sold as the Mazda RX-4 in most export markets. It was a larger car than its rotary-powered contemporaries, the Capella-based RX-2 and Grand Familia-based RX-3. It used the Luce chassis, replacing the R130 in October 1972, and was produced through October 1977. Mazda marketed the RX-4 as being sporty and luxurious "personal luxury car" with the RX-4 having the best of both worlds. This gave Mazda a well needed boost in the popularity of the Wankel engine unique to Mazda. The rotary-engined variants offered an advantage in Japan with regards to the annual road tax bill in that Japanese drivers paid less than the in-line engine equivalents, while receiving more performance from the rotary engine.

The Luce Legato (introduced as the LA4 series in October 1977) was a large and luxurious sedan, still powered by Mazda's piston or rotary engines. It was also available as a four-door pillarless hardtop that looked like a huge, square coupe, and also a wagon, which had more of a utilitarian role than the saloons. 

The next generation of Luce was built on the HB platform. Production started in October 1981. The Luce and Cosmo both offered rotary, gasoline-powered piston-engines, and also a 2.2-liter diesel engine. An LPG-powered 2.0-liter version of the Luce sedan was also built for the Japanese market until December 1995 for taxi and other fleet usage. A 2.0 or 2.2 litre engine was available paired to a 5 speed manual gearbox. It was a large front-engine rear-wheel drive sedan or hardtop sedan. The Luce was built on the new HB platform as shared with the Cosmo. This version was introduced as the 929 in 1982 in most export markets and produced until 1986. The Luces and Cosmos received several differing front end treatments. No station wagon variant was issued on the Mazda's HB platform; the previous LA4 remained in production as a wagon with a new front end (it was essentially the same as the LA4 from the A-pillar backwards).

The 1986 Luce was large and luxurious on the HC platform, now with the 13B turbo engine as one of many engine options. It was offered with Mazda's first V6 engine, called the Mazda J engine which came as a 2.0-liter, a 2.0-liter turbo, and a 3.0-liter for top level model at its introduction in 1986.