Mazda Familia (1980)

Build instructions

What you'll need: 200-250 gsm paper or cardstock, scissors or a craft knife, a ruler and glue stick.

• Print the PDF at actual size (100%, do not scale to fit page) on 200-250 gsm paper.
• Cut out each piece along the solid lines.
• Score the dashed lines with a ruler for precise folds.
• Glue the pieces in the numbered order on each sheet, working from the body outward to the details.
• Let each joint dry before moving on to the next piece.

About the Mazda Familia (1980)

The fifth-generation Familia, launched in 1980, was Mazda's first front-wheel-drive car and reached one million units produced in record time, earning Japan's Car of the Year for 1980-1981.

History and trivia

Mazda had used the Familia name since 1963, but the fifth generation, launched in 1980, marked the biggest technological leap in the line by becoming the first Familia with front-wheel drive, replacing the rear-wheel-drive layout of earlier generations. Outside Japan it was sold under different names depending on the market: GLC in the United States and 323 in Europe, a common Mazda practice at the time to tailor the car's image to each region. The platform was partly shared with Ford under the two companies' business alliance, and it served as the technical basis for models such as the Ford Laser sold across Asia and Oceania.

It was offered in three- and five-door hatchback, sedan and wagon body styles, and its light weight and mechanical reliability helped it pass the one-million-unit mark in an unusually short time for the era. That commercial success later encouraged Mazda to build sportier variants, such as the turbocharged all-wheel-drive 323 GTX, which competed in the World Rally Championship in the late 1980s, giving the model a competitive edge that contrasted with its origins as an affordable family car.