The R360 was Mazda's first real car - a two-door, two-seat coupe. Introduced in 1960, it featured a short 69 inch (1753 mm) wheelbase and weighed just 838 lb (380 kg). It was powered by a rear-mounted air-cooled 356cc V-twin engine putting out about 16 hp (12 kW) and 16 lb.ft (22 Nm) of torque. The car was capable of about 52 mph (84 km/h). It had a 4-speed manual or two-speed automatic transmission. The suspension, front and rear, was rubber "springs" and torsion bars.

Within a few years of introducting the R360, Mazda had captured much of the lightweight (keicar) market in Japan. It was augmented by the Mazda P360 "Carol" 2+2 in 1962, as well as a convertible version in 1964. Production of the R360 lasted for a six years.

B360 Pickup

The B360 was a pickup truck bodystyle based on parts of the R360 coupe. It used the same 356 cc engine, but mounted it in front with rear wheel drive. Like most pickups, it used a rigid rear axle and leaf spring suspension. The engine was replaced with the Carol's 358 cc I4 in 1964, and the B360 was replaced by the Mazda E360 in 1967.

A larger B600 pickup was introduced for the export market. It used a 577 cc version of the V-twin.