Really sad to hear of the passing of Kenichi Yamamoto, the real inventor of the Mazda Rotary Engine, RIP at 95.
Kenichi Yamamoto oversaw all the development of the Wankel then licence from NSU to make it their own at Toyo Kogyo...
Plus gave the green light to build the MX-5/Miata back in the mid 1980's..

Anyway...

https://jalopnik.com/if-you-love-int...oto-1821589729

 

I was a big fan of his from my childhood. I always hoped to meet him and I often asked various other important Japanese Mazda people if he might someday attend Seven Stock but he had an ailing wife that he took care of in more recent years (last decade?) and could not travel.

He will be missed.

Paul.

 

Maybe the most important employee in the history of the company, incredible guy.

 

I have his book, "rotary engine", aka the rotary bible. Yamamoto was a brilliant man. Even more amazing to have an engineer of his caliber reach president of the company.

Current presidents and CEOs could do alot to learn from him. It's wonderful when the engineers are in charge and not the bean counters.

 

A moment of slience for this hero.

Without him, prolly most of us couldnt have the chance to drive a delightful 9k-10k redline car.

May u rest in peace.

 

Wow, this is sad. Hard to talk about the history of Mazda rotary without talking about him.

May you rest in peace.