Mazda 323 / Familia Service Manual

The Mazda 323 (called the Familia in Japan) was a subcompact car made by Mazda in Japan between 1976 and 2003. In the USA it was originally known as the GLC, then the 323, then finally from 1990 on as the Protegé. In South Africa it was known as the Etude. The Ford Focus-based Mazda 3 replaced this series of platforms for 2004, though Mazda still contributed much to the project.

323s were built in Hiroshima, Japan, although they were also assembled in Taiwan, Malaysia, South Africa, Colombia and New Zealand.



In North America the 323/Protegé was always more expensive than its entry-level competitors such as the Toyota Corolla and Honda Civic, partly due to its manufacturing in Japan, and therefore is not as ubiquitous. A perennial favorite of US car magazines, the model is well regarded for its spirited handling. It was also the first small Japanese car to cross over to the EPA "compact" class in 1990 when the 4-door started going by the name Protegé.

It formed the basis of the Ford Laser and Meteor in Asia, Australia and other markets, (known as the Mercury Tracer in the United States) and from 1991, the Ford Escort in North America.

The first Mazda 323 was a rear wheel drive model. It was known in the United States as the Mazda GLC (which stood for 'Great Little Car') and was a version of the fourth-generation Japan-market Mazda Familia.



Still later, a five-speed manual gearbox was introduced as an alternative to the original four-speed manual gearbox, and at the same time the original 7 in (17.8 cm) round sealed beam headlights were replaced with square sealed beam units on all models except the van, together with a general styling and mechanical upgrade. A three-speed automatic gearbox was also available throughout the model run.

Production of the van variant only continued after 1980 (still with round headlights), as there was no front wheel drive replacement.


The 1980 323 featured a 1.5 L engine, and was front wheel drive. It was available as a hatchback and sedan. The 1980 Carol/323 was the first front-engine, front-wheel drive vehicle from Mazda since the rare R130. A wagon version, which was simply a facelifted version of the previous rear-drive model, was also sold. The 323 was Wheels magazine's Car of the Year for 1980.


The 1985 323 again featured a 1.5 L engine. It was available as a hatchback, sedan and wagon . The Ford Laser version of this model also formed the basis of the Mercury Tracer.

The model remained in production in South Africa until 2003, as an entry level model, also being sold as the Ford Tonic, and was briefly sold in the UK as the Sao Penza. A locally designed pick-up called the Hustler was also produced, and sold as the Ford Bantam.

This generation was sold through the 1989 model year in the USA. The station wagon continued in many markets and was not cancelled until 1995.

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