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The following automobile platforms have been used by Mazda since the 1980s.
Naming scheme
The company's platforms form the 5th and 6th characters of the VIN on post-1981 vehicles. The first character is a letter representing the platform family, while the second is a sequential letter for the revision of the platform. For example, the Mazda N platform used by the Mazda Miata started at NA and was updated in 1998 to NB. The next generation is presumed to be NC.
Mazda generally starts car platforms at the letter "A", but van and truck variants often get different names, usually starting at "V".
Note that Ford does not use the platform name in the VIN. Since many Mazdas are built at Ford plants in the United States, these vehicles do not follow the above naming scheme. Instead, position four in the VIN specifies the vehicle's safety systems, and position five specifies the marque. The Mazda6 uses Ford's letter P with the model number 80 in positions six and seven. The Tribute uses U02 like the Ford Escape.
Old VINs
Prior to 1981, Mazda used a different VIN format and platform naming scheme. The platforms were given two characters, and the model a third, based on their name.
The following pre-1981 platforms are known:
The next digit of the VIN specified the engine:
Mazda platforms
Ford platforms
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