Japan · April 1975 Japanese-market launch specification

Mazda Roadpacer AP

A big Australian-built luxury body reached Japan and came home from Mazda with a small, smooth rotary engine under its long bonnet.

luxury sedan

Exact 1975 RA13S Roadpacer AP early four-door museum car. The Japanese-market identity comes from the factual sources, not from the photo alone.

Front three-quarter exterior · Photo shows Exact 1975 RA13S Roadpacer AP early four-door museum car. The Japanese-market identity comes from the factual sources, not from the photo alone..
1975 Mazda Roadpacer AP RA13S museum car · 先従隗始 · CC0 1.0

Auction-based estimated value

Research pending

A matching completed auction sale has not been verified for this exact year, body, trim, engine, transmission and market.

Joyride shows this gap instead of substituting an asking price, unsold bid or mismatched special vehicle.

A place in vehicle history

More than a set of wheels.

Mazda launched the Roadpacer AP in April 1975. Holden supplied Premier bodies from Australia without their usual engines, and Mazda installed its 13B rotary and an automatic gearbox for Japanese buyers. The heavy body and modest rotary torque were an awkward match. This is not an Australian-market Mazda: Australian sources say it was sold in Japan, with a few examples returning to Australia later.

Look a little closer.

Its Holden-built body travelled from Australia to Japan without an engine, then Mazda gave it a rotary heart and Japanese luxury equipment.

Photos show an example of the model or generation. The pictured vehicle’s year, equipment, or modifications can differ from the specification described here.

An Australian shell, a Japanese flagship

Holden supplied the large right-hand-drive Premier shell, while Mazda supplied the rotary powertrain installation and Japanese luxury equipment. That makes Australian-built accurate but Australian-market Mazda inaccurate.

Source: Repco Garage — When Mazda came calling to Holden ↗

Why smooth power was not enough

Horsepower describes how quickly work can be done; torque is the twisting force available to start moving a heavy car. The 13B was smooth, but its modest torque had to move a 1,575 kg sedan through only three forward ratios.

Source: Repco Garage — When Mazda came calling to Holden ↗

Where these facts come from

Selected facts checked for this edition. Some source pages link to broader model families. Last reviewed October 4, 2026.

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