Mazda didn’t invent the rotary engine. Felix Wankel did that in Germany in 1957. But no other automaker, individual, or concern, poured their heart, soul and mind into the rotary engine concept as did the Japanese company from Hiroshima.

Mazda bet heavily on the technology, but soon found the going tough.

Legend has it, that the 47 men who comprised the company’s Rotary Research Division toiled 24-7 over many months to overcome every obstacle in their way.

The number 47 has special significance in Japan. All countrymen know the story of the 47 Samurais in feudal Japan who revenged their dishonoured lord after years of hardship.

Mazda’s 47 Samurais also fought for honour, the engineering honour of their company and country.

In 1967, Mazda’s rotary engine got its first “serial production car” assignment — the Cosmo Sport.

Cosmo’s twin-rotar engine has two 491 cc chambers, and spins out 110 hp at 7,000 r.p.m. The low-volume two-seat, sports coupe was only produced for a couple of years, but looked fetching, and set the tone for Mazda’s seminal rotary-engine sports coupes: three generations of the RX-7, and then the RX-8.

In 2010, Mazda had to pull RX-8 from the European market after it failed to meet that jurisdiction’s emission standards. With another year of small and waning sales in 2011, the writing was on the wall for the RX-8’s departure from other markets — including North America, and now Japan.

Model-year 2012 will be the very last for the RX-8, and the only 2012 models to be had will be 1,000 “Spirit R” models built exclusively for the Japanese market.    

Mazda has had a rotary engine car in its Japanese lineup since that 1967 Cosmo. So that streak is done like dinner, kaputt, finis. (I would have liked to throw a Japanese phrase in there too, but my Japanese is limited to food court selections… teriyaki, udon noodles, sashimi, etc.).

Where Mazda goes with rotary technology is anybody’s guess. Mazda has always maintained that the rotary engine is particularly suited for hydrogen fuel, and has developed several hydrogen-rotary projects, including the RX-8 Hydrogen RE.

There are reports that Mazda has a new rotary engine in development, codenamed 16X, but the company is not saying very much about it.

For now the company based in Hiroshima seems very focused on SkyActive — a series of technologies for the internal combustion engine.

It’s always a little sad when good things come to an end. But stay strong my friends.

Better to cry for Argentina than the rotary… Because the betting money is on Mazda resurrecting the rotary engine at some point in the future, even possibly on some bright, sunny day.