Let’s not even try to argue it: the Mazda MX-5 Miata is the very heart of the cheap sports car market and it single-handedly resurrected the roadster from near-irrelevance. Its place in the hearts of the motoring community is well known and we’d be doing a disservice to convertibles if we didn’t feature it and its origin story in Convertible Week.
It has become almost a running joke in the auto community: “The answer is always Miata”. The ‘little roadster that could’ has been going on since 1989. And even now, nearly thirty years after its release, it hasn’t lost sight of its original purpose: simple, pure, open-top driving pleasure. The strange bit of all of this is that it’s surprising it even got built at all.
1980’s Japan was a Japan at its prime, everything they did was technologically advanced, successful, desirable and amazing. The Walkman was strapped to most every teenager that could afford one. The Nintendo entertainment system provided kids with entertainment in their homes. Everyone was sure that Japan was taking over the world and that nothing short of a complete economic collapse would stop it. This was also the case in the automotive world, where Japan was perfecting the most technologically advanced vehicles on the planet like the Honda Prelude with four-wheel steering, twin-turbocharged Nissan sports cars, not to mention the Toyota rally monsters and the Honda engines that seemed to be almost a requirement to win a Formula 1 championship. In the midst of all this it’s remarkable that such a simple idea was the one that stuck around the longest. Maybe it’s because it’s such a romantic concept. It would explain why the unreliable 2-seater roadster stuck around so long and it took the Golf GTI to kill it off.
Naturally, the process of actually conceiving the thing was as long and complex as the end result was supposed to be simple. In the image you see above, you can see a proposal for a mid-engine vehicle. Toyota was releasing something very similar to that in those days so that would’ve been a response instead of a new product.
The benchmarking must’ve also been quite something… Do the taillights of the car in the background look Triumph-y to you?
And what’s this? I think we’ve met before.
So, what did we get in 1989 when it was released? Perfection. Comparing it to the 1970s MGB, it had a shorter wheelbase and, because it wasn’t fitted with large rubber bumpers, it was shorter as well. It was wider and lower too and about 200 pounds lighter, which meant that its 115 HP was capable of getting it to 60 in under 10 seconds. That is more than can be said that for any MGB that isn’t fitted with a V8. The base model was really and truly basic, although with steel wheels, crank windows and no power steering it could be called the “Enthusiast’s Pack” Why would you even need air conditioning when you can just put the top down and have all the headroom and fresh air you want? You can drive faster if you want more wind anyway!
The public adored it, the reviewers did nothing but sing praises for it, and the consumers responded with their hearts and, more importantly, their wallets to the point that supply and markups became a problem in those early months. Not one to rest on its laurels, Mazda kept a steady stream of special editions and improvements, including a limited-slip differential and a more powerful 1.8-liter engine. It remained in production until 1997, with more than 215,000 sales on the U.S alone. It was not a volume seller but, for a small roadster, those were some fantastic sales numbers.
And of course, the other great thing that happens when the public loves your product is that you have a large amount of aftermarket support for it. Decide that being lovely to drive is very nice but what you really want is to go extremely fast on a straight line? There’s more than a few blog posts to do that, although you can do smaller things to make your Miata truly yours, like the extremely lovely gauges you see above, custom HVAC panels, custom everything. Your imagination and budget are truly the limit. Want to go racing? No problem, Miata Spec is right there too.
Another fantastic thing that it has created is an unbelievable following; you only need to look at the gathering that happened in Laguna Seca to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the MX-5, more than a thousand cars showed up to celebrate it. I can’t see through dimensions but I’d guess that it wouldn’t be nearly as popular if it had been mid-engined.
Through three generations they haven’t gone away from the fact that the Miata is as successful as it is because of how much of a winning formula it was when it was sketched in a blackboard a couple of decades ago. A reasonable amount of equipment, a small naturally-aspirated engine with a manual gearbox (because really, an automatic Miata? Not unless it has paddles), rear-wheel drive. Nothing more nothing less.
And now there’s a new one coming around, which promises to be the best version yet, but that’s a story for another day.
Yep ;
My Son bought one and made it into his track car , added a puffer and other bits & bobs , -VERY- fun to drive ! .
Until he added the puffer it had working AC ~ very nice on hot Desert drives with the top down .
-Nate
Oh great, they’re going to make it all angry now…
I’ve not seen one in person (obviously), but I really do not like the looks of the new Miata from the photos I’ve seen.
Ditto, Chris
Not a fan of the new Miata design either. It looks like it should be sporting BMW emblems, instead of Mazda.
Looks too much like a Z3 and Z4. Now, those scream secretary’s car.
I’m in Latvia today, mine is in the garage…
…….going home tomorrow….. 🙂
That Laguna Seca photo is brilliant!
I was on my second Fiat 124 Spyder, a 2.0 from 1979, when the Miata debuted in ’89, so I gave the new car a lot of thought at the time. My girlfriend back then liked this new Japanese competitor a lot — which, as a Fiat owner, felt to me like something approaching infidelity. I pointed out that if we traded in the Spyder on a Miata — which I’m sure she wouldn’t have had a problem with — we’d be giving up the gorgeous tan-and-light-wood cockpit for a whole lot of black plastic. She then countered that with the Mazda we’d be getting a car that actually starts when you turn the key in the morning. But the decision was mine, not hers; so we kept the Fiat. In fact, I kept the Fiat longer than I kept her.
Now here’s an MX-5 that I could get excited about: one that’s had a Corvette LS3 shoehorned into it.
it’s funny that you bring up the fiat spyder. i remember when my father was on his second, also a ’79 spyder 2000. his first, a ’74 had turned into a pile of rust by then. after having driven a rental for several weeks, his fiat “specialist” mechanic told him that it was ready for pickup. when he got there the mechanic said, oh by the way, one of your cylinders has low compression. my dad said that he would look into that problem later and drove directly from the mechanic to a saab dealer where he traded it in on a brand new 900 sedan.
when my turn comes to buy a “fun” car, i am going straight to the mazda dealer.
Awesome article! I remember when the Mazda MX-5 Miata first debuted here in the USA. I thought it was an awesome vehicle for those who want a roadster but have had it with the poor quality of British roadsters that were produced up to that point.
Mazda has endeared themselves to “car guys” again and again. Great company
wasnt that one condsidered to be the epitome of a girl’s car?
Girl’s car? Who cares, real men aren’t about image! And yes, I read that Automobile magazine article about the gay Miata club in Alaska, but, once again, who cares? A cool car is a cool car.
Girl’s car?
I see more women drive Jeeps, than drive Miatas, just saying…
Twin cam, flip up lights, Lotus Élan inspired styling and RWD… What’s not to love?
“Girl’s car? Who cares, real men aren’t about image!”
Just so .
-Nate
Interesting read regarding it´s chick car reputation:
http://www.businessinsider.com/how-mazda-ruined-the-miata-by-making-it-not-a-chick-car-2014-9
Perhaps the #1 complaint lodged against the Miata by people who overlook or underestimate them. As it happens, though, everyone I know who has owned a Miata (and there have been several) have all been male. It’s a small, agile, elemental roadster, RWD and manual (I guess autos were available but why??) What’s not to like? If anyone insults the masculinity of the car, invite them to drive it. And then proceed to have a laughing fit when the guy doing the insulting can’t drive a stick.
My girlfriend had a 94 model that was well loaded black with a red pinstripe down the side and was extremely fun to drive, her dad installed a new cd player and felt box speakers in the back and let me tell ya we had a blast in that car
I owned a 91, it was the most fun car I’ve ever owned. I don’t care for the 2nd generation’s looks but the 1st and 3rd are cars I would definitely own.
You can sill find pristine G1 Miatas for pretty reasonable prices.
Wife and I bought a brand 91 to be her car. First car we bought together. Great car, great times. Got a custom rack that attached underneath so we could carry bikes and skis. Six hours, San Diego to Mammoth Mt. up 395, top down, the Dead blasting….
Same rack carried home #1 sons fancy old school Swedish stroller -it was a funny sight. (He came home in the Mustang though, which soon morphed into a Cherokee…) Once daughter came we got a van too but couldn’t bear to sell the Miata, which became my dd.
Our Christmas card that year, which I’ll attach if I can find it, was our wheels: the Miata, the Cherokee, and the aforementioned Emaljunga stroller with the Coronado bridge in the background. Good times…
One of my sons owns a ’92 that he’s owned since 2000 and kept in excellent shape. They are an icon, no doubt about it.
Its a roadster not a convertible, wrong week, Convertibles are open air versions of mainstream sedans or in some cases coupes unless I’m mistaken MX5s in either Mazda or Eunos badging have never been available as a sedan, yes the do come in slushmatic to detract from the driving experience of whats an actual sports car not a sporty version of a standard sedan.
Listen to yourself…
Does the top go completely down?
Yes it does.
Still a convertible. Roadster is another word for convertible, last I checked.
Check again.
For what? Don’t have to.
Take your own advice, even Wikipedia shows a Miata on it’s “convertible” definition page.
Roadster , Droptop, Cabriolet, and Convertible are all the same meaning for a car with a removable, foldable, or collapsible top.
Why are you posting your counter rant? You trying to steal Gerardo’s fine articles spotlight? If you poll the world’s opinion if what kind of car the MX-5 Miata is,… Well, guess what… 99% will say CONVERTIBLE.
Have a nice day. You could’ve had more class, and not throw in a quip that has nothing to do with this fine car’s attributes.
And this is what we typically call a ……
Roadster, in the strictest definition, implies side curtains rather then roll-up windows.
Haven’t we already had this discussion in the intro thread for this week? If you want to be pedantic about it, you might have a case, except for that whole side curtain thing. But in modern usage, roadster, convertible, and cabriolet are interchangeable.
Bryce; First off, the MX5 IS a convertible.
Second: If you had read my opening intro to Convertible Week, I specifically said “anything that has a top that can be opened or removed” . Got it? You’re getting a bit tedious…
Really, really enjoyed this. This shape maybe retro, but it’s a great interpretation and matched it’s looks in capability. Found this pic recently
25 years already… Guess we’ll start seeing Miatas at Hershey and other classic car shows…
Unusually for a sports car, the Miata may have saved Mazda. I only heard this story once, so who knows if it’s true. But it makes sense.
The Miata was originally engineered to go on sale for around $10k. When it was taken to customer clinics, people were asked how much they thought it would cost, and how much they’d pay for one. The answers regularly exceeded $15k.
Mazda then decided rather late to price the Miata at $13,800 to start. Most would sell with a fair number of options in the $17,000 range.
With the car originally designed to sell for about $10k for a base model, the first generation Miata was extremely profitable for Mazda, which was a good thing, because overinvestment in other products, including an aborted luxury marque in the US (Amati), led to Mazda suffering financial near-collapse.
Ford stepped in with a larger equity stake and a cash infusion, but profits from the Miata did a lot to keep the lights on in the lean years of the mid-1990s.
The first cars in the UK in 1990 were £15,000.00 or thereabouts.
Currently, a MK 3 is around £20,000, with more power!
The MX5 was just under $30k on debut in 1989, and is one of the few cars on the market that has has serious inflation in price as it now costs $47k!
By comparison the Toyota GT86 starts at $30k, and I have seen reports that the new model MX5 will be $33k or so.
Like others:
Don’t understand why so many call this a “chick’s car”….when you never see a woman driving one.
I’m told that at 6 foot 4 and 235 pounds I can barely squeeze into a Miata, at least the 1st and 2nd gen models. A friend that is my size had a 2nd gen Miata and received a lot of grief from his co-workers over the contortions he had to go through getting into and out of his car.
If I had the money, I think I’d rather have a lightly used Honda S2000 or BMW Z4 instead of a Miata, though.
Yeah, that’s something that I find funny as well. They are “chick cars” but go to an autox event and that’s half the cars there. It doesn’t bother me. I like it and that’s what matters.
I’m used to it though. I have caught grief for driving VWs. My aircooled Beetles are chick cars as well but you rarely see women driving them. My Buses are still regarded as me being a hippie despite that hippies can’t afford them anymore, haha.
As a member of the cult for the last six months, I must say that I really love my Miata. The car puts me in a good mood every time.
This is one of the very few examples of the last 50 years where the car has stayed on mission. I have read some very nice things about the newest version.
Whenever I see a Miata, I recall the guy back in college who had a tired white Lotus Elite. I remember thinking how cool he looked, even though he seemed to wear a perpetual scowl behind the wheel, born of attempts to keep it running, and his girlfriend, who looked wonderful in it, also sported a scowl. The Miata seemed to channel this delicate sportster. But when I first saw the Mazda on a magazine cover, I thought, “nice but not exciting.” It grew on me in 3D, though. If its look lacked pizzaz, it had the playful charm of a pup that wants to play fetch until it drops.
The first Miata’s face was refreshingly devoid of aggression. Step by step, its eyes have narrowed, and its teeth have been bared, as if it has had to learn some hard lessons. That has probably been unavoidable as the bot generation has come of age. The new one is good looking, but it is the next step toward getting “”all angry”, as Ed says. Something gained, something lost.
Delightful little cars. Perhaps too little for my comfort level (I currently drive a Crown Vic) but I’m sure I’d get used to it! While all other things being equal I might rather have an S2000, the Miata is undoubtedly the best bargain for a sporty roadster there is, may it continue to be so.
The Miata is my next car. I want something fun for a change.
That would make Grumpy Cat happy! 🙂
I’d really like one as well, but that’ll have to wait to after I can no longer do motorcycles..
I don’t do motorcycles right now, not while I’m in Vancouver. Too much unexpected rain to truly enjoy one without wondering if you’re going to be riding home soaking wet.
For me, the single worst thing anout any Miata is that I’m 6’3″.
I once had a Miata-driving roommate and even in the passenger seat, it was fun but a bit too cramped to live with on a daily basis. Too bad, as it’s an ideal summer fun car.
I recently deviated from my VW norm and bought a 92 Miata as a daily driver. I was looking for a tdi or GTI but they kept falling through. I’d driven a friend’s 1990 a few weeks before and really liked it. I saw this 92 and the owner returned my messages so I went to look at it and drive it home. While my aircooled VWs are still my heart and soul, I’m liking this Miata as a daily beater. It puts a smile on my face every day.
Wow, another one. Welcome to the cult, er, club. 🙂
I’ve driven a couple and they’re a riot. I just wish I actually fit in one well enough to make it a daily driver.
I have to admit, it took me a long long time to warm up to the Miata. As a kid I just plain didn’t understand the appeal or ubiquity(they were all over the place, even in Chicago’s climate), which I think can be rationalized by the fact that handling and efficiency are pretty much aspects of the automotive experience only people who’ve actually driven experience, not something a 6 year old kid playing with a 1:18 scale Ferrari F40 and Porsche 959 has much concept or care of. From my perspective at that age, I didn’t consider the Miata a sports car, I considered it in the same vein, albeit a step up, as the Geo Metro convertible featured today- a cute cheap convertible. Plus the demographics who owned the originals back then didn’t exactly seem the types who carve up the corners on weekends. They were 95% hair dresser mobiles in the day, and it seems like only within the last 10-15 years I’ve actually been seeing them roll bar equipped, lowered, and on minilites, turned autocross beasts like the feature car. I still remember the first time I experienced modded Miata as a teenager, I thought it was a joke, I think I said “who puts a rollbar in this thing? you going to flip it on the way to get your nails done?”, but it was that car that revealed to me the underlying competence these cars had, and ever since I’ve been a convert.
Strangely, I never felt the front end on every subsequent update got more aggressive than the first generation, on the contrary. I think the first gen had the most gruff no nonsense look of the bunch, including the 2015. What always looked soft and cute(too cute) on the first gen was the rounded rear end with the big oval taillights. I understand the latter was a sort of tribute to the original Elan but I wish it was more of a kammback like it as well. As it was it just had too much of a cute ladybug profile, which being in the bodycolor everything, flush bumper, jellybean era it wasn’t broken up by anything to make it work either. To this day I find the rear end the sore spot on the Miata stylistically, although the first generation looks better as it’s aged. I think the 2015 looks far far worse out back.