You do realize Mazda and Ford are just a co-op now right? Ford hasn't owned Mazda since the late 90s, which is why nothing is a re-badge anymore like was back in the day.

Depending on whop you ask or want to believe.... Ford still owns 13-27% of Mazda stock and has employees still on the Mazda Board, and AutoAlliance International is still a tangible entity. So it remains IMO an Ford inbreed brand

Why would GM want to involve itself in this?

Stock owned is all that matters when it comes to "who" owns the company. Nothing Mazda has produced since the early 00'* is an inbreed of Ford. They are a co-op, that'* it. Mainly just using SOME Ford engines, which is reducing every year.

Oh, you didn't know GM did this? Saab, Izuzu, Opel, Holden, Daewoo, etc. All "imports" owned by GM and a lot of those "imports" are sold here in the states with a "domestic" badge on it.

Ya, Ya.... I think it had alot to killing Pontiac. Everybody wants to copy what sells. Except they forgot Chevy/Pontiac owners bought GM because they didn't want the import alternatives. So what do they do?.... Copy the imports or just shamelessly rebadge them.

Yep yep. Once I got over here I've seen so many rebadged cars it'* scary.

Some interesting tidbits on Ford and Mazda:

Ford Fusion is built on a Mazda designed platform (Mazda 6)

Mazda 3 is built on a Ford designed platform (Ford Focus Europe)

They still do have connections, but to the best of my knowledge Ford sold most its Mazda shares in 2009.

Mazda still has a assembly plant outside of Detroit, they went UAW, unlike most other imported autos with US plants.

Finally, the Mazda 3 is a great little car, but is not that fuel efficient for its size/ performance. The Bonneville SSEi on a size/performance basis is much more fuel effective.