If nothing else, the revelation of Electrogenic’s battery swap has made us all think about the Mk1 Mazda MX-5 again. For a car famous (around here, at least) as The Answer to Everything, the original seems to have been in very short supply of late. Probably no surprise, really, given even the youngest are now more than 25 years old. But if they aren’t at one extreme of overly preened perfection, they often now look beyond economical repair. Nice old MX-5s seem conspicuous now by their absence.
Happens with so much of course. Cars that were popular when new depreciate, eventually to the bottom of the bargain bucket, and inevitably end up not being cared for properly. Then there’s rust to think of, too. As numbers dwindle, so interest and values increase again, and money is invested in making the cars better than new. Because now the old cars are worth spending the cash on. Happened with 205s, 911s, MG Bs - all the usual restomod suspects. And nobody can deny how good some modified MX-5s are.
All of which makes this NA a real find. It’s borderline extraordinary, in fact. More than 35 years after launch you’d very gladly take a one-owner example, or a low mileage one, or a rust-free one; all are very desirable attributes for the little Mazda. This one boasts all three: the seller bought it new from Runcorn Mazda in 1991 (!), it’s covered fewer than 30,000 miles since, and the digital MOT history - so back to 2006 - doesn’t feature a single advisory. Not one.
It’s a truly spectacular example. Unmodified, too, which makes it even rarer, complete with the original Clarion tape player, the sunflower alloys and optional Mazda hardtop. This would have been a notable MX-5 15 years ago, let alone with so many having fallen by the wayside in recent times. And it looks just as good as might be hoped for given such low mileage and diligent care, a step back in time in the most wonderful way.
As has been said more than once in recent years, the MX-5 has now assumed the role of the classic British sports car it always aimed to evoke when new. In the early '90s the old MGs, Healeys, Jensens and Lotuses were the small, light, 30-year-old roadsters that represented a simpler, easier, more fun time in automotive. Now the first MX-5 is 30-odd years old, with nothing much more for entertainment than a revvy 1.6, perfect manual gearbox and rear-wheel drive. It’s exactly the same sort of appeal that made people cherish the classics (and still love the current MX-5, actually), albeit with more dependability.
This one is surely too good to be thinking about much drastic modification, but then that’s been the appeal of an MX-5 for so long - it can be pretty much whatever kind of sports car you want it to be. We’d be inclined to enjoy it exactly as its first owner has: with good care, sparing use and a whole lot of love. A classic for summer Sundays, complete with pop-up lights. Opportunities like this don’t come up very often, as anyone who’s scoured the internet for donor MX-5s over recent years will attest to. Bidding starts on Wednesday…
1 / 4
