Matsuda, Kohei

▪ 2003

      Japanese corporate executive (b. Jan. 28, 1922, Hiroshima, Japan—d. July 10, 2002, Tokyo, Japan), served as president (1970–77) and chairman (1977–80) of the Mazda Motor Corp. and from 1970 owned and managed the Hiroshima Toyo Carp professional baseball team. His grandfather, Jujiro Matsuda, founded Mazda (then known as Toyo Kogyo), and his father, Tsuneji Matsuda, was the company's president until his death in 1970. Matsuda began his career as a trainee in Cincinnati, Ohio, and in 1961 became Mazda's vice president. In 1967 Matsuda helped Mazda introduce the Cosmo 110S, which had a rotary engine that was less fuel-efficient than other models. The oil crisis of the 1970s led to major losses for Mazda, and in 1977 Matsuda was forced to relinquish his presidency. Matsuda never gave up control of the Carp and dedicated much of his energy to revitalizing baseball in Japan.

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