Sao Penza
Encyclopedia
The Sao Penza was a car
sold in the United Kingdom
between 1991 and 1993 by Automotive Holdings, a subsidiary of Mazda Cars Ltd, the official UK importer. It was simply a rebadged
version of the Mazda 323, imported from South Africa
, where the 1985 model was still assembled by Samcor
(now Ford Motor Company
of South Africa). Both four-door saloon and five-door hatchback versions were available, with fairly basic specifications.
It went on sale in the United Kingdom in July 1991, retailing at £7,700 - at least £1,000 cheaper than most of the popular similar sized cars on sale at the time. Price cuts in January 1992 brought the cost of some of the range below £7,000 - cheaper than many versions of smaller cars like the Ford Fiesta
. However, its low prices were not enough to attract strong sales and it was withdrawn from sale in 1993. Just over 1,000 were sold, and as of 2011 just four are still registered - one of them licenced, the remaining three SORN.
The car used the 1324 cc Mazda B3 four-cylinder engine. Max power was 65 hp at 5,500 rpm, providing a top speed of 150 km/h (93 mph).
Automobile
An automobile, autocar, motor car or car is a wheeled motor vehicle used for transporting passengers, which also carries its own engine or motor...
sold in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
between 1991 and 1993 by Automotive Holdings, a subsidiary of Mazda Cars Ltd, the official UK importer. It was simply a rebadged
Badge engineering
Badge engineering is an ironic term that describes the rebadging of one product as another...
version of the Mazda 323, imported from South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
, where the 1985 model was still assembled by Samcor
Samcor
The South African Motor Corporation, known more commonly as Samcor, was a South African car manufacturer created in 1985 through the merger of Ford's South African subsidiary and Anglo-American Motor Corporation, which produced Mazdas for the local market...
(now Ford Motor Company
Ford Motor Company
Ford Motor Company is an American multinational automaker based in Dearborn, Michigan, a suburb of Detroit. The automaker was founded by Henry Ford and incorporated on June 16, 1903. In addition to the Ford and Lincoln brands, Ford also owns a small stake in Mazda in Japan and Aston Martin in the UK...
of South Africa). Both four-door saloon and five-door hatchback versions were available, with fairly basic specifications.
It went on sale in the United Kingdom in July 1991, retailing at £7,700 - at least £1,000 cheaper than most of the popular similar sized cars on sale at the time. Price cuts in January 1992 brought the cost of some of the range below £7,000 - cheaper than many versions of smaller cars like the Ford Fiesta
Ford Fiesta
The Ford Fiesta is a front wheel drive supermini/subcompact manufactured and marketed by Ford Motor Company and built in Europe, Brazil, Argentina, Mexico, Venezuela, China, India, Thailand and South Africa...
. However, its low prices were not enough to attract strong sales and it was withdrawn from sale in 1993. Just over 1,000 were sold, and as of 2011 just four are still registered - one of them licenced, the remaining three SORN.
The car used the 1324 cc Mazda B3 four-cylinder engine. Max power was 65 hp at 5,500 rpm, providing a top speed of 150 km/h (93 mph).