Local assembly of cars in Sri Lanka has its roots dating back to the 1960s. Contrary to popular belief, the Upali Mazda and the Upali Fiat were not the first locally assembled vehicles. Our Editor-in-Chief has penned a short passage pertaining to the history of locally assembled vehicles, which you can read later in this article. However, the Upali Mazda and the Upali Fiat are arguably the most popular locally assembled ‘classic’ vehicles. That’s also due to the fact that the larger-than-life persona behind the vehicles is well remembered to this day, and his legacy lives on, long after his untimely demise.
I hadn’t really laid eyes on an Upali Mazda in any comprehensive sense, until I saw this car at the Sunday Run of April 2024. As its gold paintwork glistened in the sunshine, I entered into conversation with Mr. Chitralal Liyanasuriya, who had brought the vehicle for the run. Conversation ensued, numbers were exchanged, and a convenient time and date was scheduled. The conversation also yielded some interesting nuggets of information, but you’ll have to read on to discover what those are.
The UMC Mazda 1500 is based on the first generation of the Mazda Luce. It’s sharp lines still look stunning in 2024, as it purrs along by way of its 1.5-litre carburetted 4-cylinder engine. Drive goes to the rear wheels via a column-shifted 4-speed manual transmission. 6 Sri 9999 also has some creature comforts, in the shape of an aftermarket air conditioner and a Pioneer radio cassette head unit. As I photograph the interior, I note that the clock is still working, and perfectly keeping time, bang on the minute in sync with my smartphone.
Hopping into the rear seat reveals a plush and comfortable, leather-upholstered bench. There’s even a centre arm rest and an ashtray built into the rear of the front bench seat. Indeed, in an era when safety regulations weren’t as stringent, it’s perfectly ostensible that six or more people will have travelled within the airy cabin of a UMC Mazda 1500. Luggage wouldn’t be an issue either, as there’s a suitably spacious boot, only slightly marred by the presence of the spare tyre and wheel changing equipment.
During our initial chat at the Sunday Run, I learned that 6 Sri 9999 is rather special, as it has been one of Mr. Upali Wijewardene’s personal cars. Now owned by his nephew Mr. Dhammika Attygalle, the car is fastidiously kept in great condition by Mr. Liyanasuriya. In fact, as I met Mr. Liyanasuriya for our photoshoot, he was running his daily errands in the car – a true testament to the build quality, simplicity, and tenacity of the Upali Mazda 1500. There’s no question that this piece of Sri Lankan history is being preserved in the correct way – not thrust into a museum corner and left to rot, but lovingly cared for, and most importantly, given a chance to run.
Mazda 1500 Assembly in Sri Lanka
Upali Motor Company (UMC) was founded by Late Mr. Upali Wijewardene (of Kandos chocolate fame) who started the venture to assemble motor vehicles at their facility in Homagama in 1970. The facility had the factory, administration offices and a test track on site. Many contemporary writers state that Mr. Wijewardene was the pioneer of the motor industry in Sri Lanka. However, that is not accurate, as at least two other assembly ventures were present prior to that in Sri Lanka in the 1960’s. The first was the Skoda Octavia assembly venture in the early 1960’s and the other was the Mitsubishi Colt in the late 1960’s. Both these ventures were carried out by United Motors, which was a “Government Owned Business Undertaking” at the time.
UMC started their foray into motor vehicles with the assembly of the Mazda 1500. This was the Series 1 Mazda Luce 1500 which was first produced in Japan in 1966. The fully knocked down kits of these cars were imported from Japan, and the first few UMC Mazdas were sold at an introductory price of LKR 29,000. Subsequently the price was increased to LKR 39,500. The first UMC Mazda bearing the registration number 5 Sri 7512 was donated to the Chief Monk of the Kelaniya Buddhist Temple. The first sale of the product was to the founder of Tudawe Brothers, the late Mr. Lawrence Tudawe.
UMC is said to have assembled nearly 500 Mazda 1500’s at the Homagama plant. All UMC Mazdas were white in colour with red upholstery; except one of two cars kept by Mr. Wijewardene. The registration numbers of those two cars were 5 Sri 9115 and the car featured here; 6 Sri 9999 - which was said to have been “assembled using all Japanese original components” and unlike all other UMC Mazdas, was painted in gold. 6 Sri 9999 was usually kept at Upali Wijewardene's bungalow 'Sunnycroft' in Nuwara Eliya.
The UMC Mazda 1500’s were luxurious compared to other cars of the time. They were roomy, and due to their short waist-line, had large windows witch gave them an airy feel. The Late President J R Jayewardene and Late Prime Minister Dudley Senanayake, were among the initial owners of UMC Mazda cars.
