It's a big hit, but possibly a good idea in the long run on Mazda's part to avoid a potential customer relations nightmare. The Japanese carmaker announced that they will scrap all 4,703 vehicles which were aboard the freighter "Cougar Ace".
Earlier this year, the vessel floundered at sea on account of a displaced ballast. It was towed to port and fixed, though some of the cargo on board was underwater. Other vehicles were held in place by their mounts, and may have been salvageable.
Mazda's initial intention was to have engineers inspect the vehicles and sell some through a used car program of sorts, but given the circumstances, they have decided to destroy all vehicles that the Cougar Ace carried.
Jeremy Barnes, a Mazda Spokesperson, said that the decision may have been a tough one. "We just couldn't take the risk of there being unforeseen issues down the road" he explained. "There were two camps of potential buyers. One was, 'Where can I get one cheap?' The others were worried they might get one by accident and weren't going to shop Mazda as a result."
The vehicles on board included the Mazda 3, 3 Sport, 5, RX8, MX5 and Mazdaspeed 6.
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| M.V. Cougar Ace (Photo: MaritimeDigital Archive Media Library) |
Mazda's initial intention was to have engineers inspect the vehicles and sell some through a used car program of sorts, but given the circumstances, they have decided to destroy all vehicles that the Cougar Ace carried.
Jeremy Barnes, a Mazda Spokesperson, said that the decision may have been a tough one. "We just couldn't take the risk of there being unforeseen issues down the road" he explained. "There were two camps of potential buyers. One was, 'Where can I get one cheap?' The others were worried they might get one by accident and weren't going to shop Mazda as a result."
The vehicles on board included the Mazda 3, 3 Sport, 5, RX8, MX5 and Mazdaspeed 6.