When I first spotted this red MX3 from down the block, I thought it must be an optical illusion; that there was a mound of dirt in front of it, not under it. I was wrong.
It’s solidly stuck there, high centered. So did it happen going forwards or backing up? Either way, I’m guessing this might have happened a bit late at night, with some degree of impairment involved. Self driving cars will eliminate that! Maybe the driver was used to driving a Jeep or such. Well, this MX3 is about as unsuitable for taking on rough terrain as it gets.
Looks like this incident happened a while back. This car looks a bit worse than last time I shot it and wrote up a CC on it. It’s just about the only one of its kind still around. These were unusual in having a very small displacement V6; 1.8L! My write up on it asks (and answers) the question if it was the smallest displacement production V6 ever.
It looks a bit unhappy in that position. At least nobody is going to steal it.
Oops! Looks like it’s a lawn decoration now.
Nice… whatEVER that is hanging from the front
window of the house!! lmao…
The shiny thing in the window looks like an emergency blanket that has been pressed into service as a window shade. Definitely a low-rent alternative to actual curtains. I suppose it was chosen for its sun-reflecting properties, which would also make it a low-rent alternative to air conditioning.
I’ve seen a MX-3 recently in that same faded red, but it was parked properly behind the local Target store, and not on an exposed tree root. One odd thing about these cars is the old-fashioned Mazda badge on the hood. It’s a circle inside of a circle, and to my eyes it looks like a Chariots of the Gods astronaut head.
We had an exceptionally hot summer and that’s a south-facing window. But the heat ended a while back….
Why not leave it up? All ready for next summer!
“It’s a circle inside of a circle”
I perceive it as a stylized rotary engine.
It may be a reference to Ahura Mazda, the god of light in Persian Mythology.
General Electric used to use the trade name “Mazda” to market their light bulbs, and I believe there may have been a “Mazda Lamp” that used oil to generate light.
Interesting. It does look a bit like an oil lamp.
Could also be that the window is old and lets heat out during the chilly months. My folks and I would wrap the in wall AC unit in an emergency blanket during the Winter since the seal was not so good.
Really, really big moles? I see the beginnings of a Curbside Science Fiction piece here . . .
HA! Think alcohol might have been involved?
Indeed, the lyrics to the song “My Own Worst Enemy” by Lit come to mind here:
“Please tell me why my car is in the front yard,
And I’m sleeping with my clothes on
I came in through the window last night
And you’re gone, gone”
Yeah, my money is on it being an alcohol related tragedy.
BTW, Paul… I’ve always been curious about the “smallest V6 ever” – Thanks for the info… Off to read that CC from 2012 now. ~ Rick
Thumbs-up for that lyrical reference. Good call! gotta love Cake! (And yeah, most likely an A.R.I.*)
* Alcohol Related Incident
Clearly it was intentional as the weight of the car resting on the underbody prevents flat spots on the tires.
This falls under a preventative maintenance program and is completely necessary.
Theoretically better than sitting on cinder blocks. Do have to wonder how long it will be before the wheels/tires are gone, though. Anyone else notice the tow-hooks in front?
I always got these confused with the similar, ovoid Nissan NX2000 of the same vintage.
Looks like the car, and the dirt, was washed up there after a serious flood.
This brings back some not so fond memories of drunks parking their cars here and there and the next day wondering what the hell happened .
-Nate
Never noticed before, but the silhouette is similar to a 924/944.
you are right, never noticed that before either. Mazda would have been pretty happy for potential buyers to make that mental connection…
Funny you should say this, but in the early 90’s Mazda had a designer named Ginger Ostle, who had previously worked at Porsche. Don’t know if he penned the MX3, but he certainly did the Lantis/323F model.
Could get interesting if the tree stump sends up suckers and lifts the car. Like the old Crosley-on-a-pole trick. Looks like it should stay properly balanced.
Some markets got a similar Mazda, but with 2 more doors and hidden headlights….if I remember correctly.
It almost looks like the idea was to drive onto this mound and stop with the front wheels on the mound so that it would facilitate working on the underside of the engine.
These were “here and gone” on the U.S. market so fast that most “gearheads” only ever saw these on the pages of car mags.
It seemed kind of pointless to offer these with a 1.6 liter 4 cylinder and a slightly larger 1.8 V6. These have appeared on some websites with bigger (2.5 liter) V6s.
90% of these I have run across had automatic transmissions.
323F is the one you’re thinking of with the 4 doors and pop-up lamps.
For some reason, I never liked these while they were in production, and I still don’t. The styling just doesn’t work for me–too 90’s blobby, plus a little hunchbacked. And a bit of a “fish face” up front. And even the V6 models weren’t particularly sporty, whereas a Nissan NX2000 could hustle decently enough.
Better than a Paseo or a Scoupe though.
The Japanese market had a bunch of small sixes and V-6s, designed to keep them in the cheaper tax class — it was really not about performance, but about smoothness and prestige. A lot of them went away after the road tax structure changed in 1989, so that Mazda went that route later is a little odd.
My understanding is that it uses the same block, and is bolt-in interchangeable with the 2.5L V-6 from the contemporary Ford Probe.
Just goes to show that there’s a knucklehead born every minute.
Don’t know anything about the car, though I’ve seen lots of them over the years, but they never appealed to me.
Well the tabs are from last year so perhaps it broke down before being high centered.
Maybe the car is being held for “collateral”.
Meh. It’s too bad, but every one of the mx3 models ( and old neons) are now owned by crack smoking deadbeats who drive around with a hoody one, flat rim hat and tats up the wazoo, with white rim sunnies. Oh, and the tin foil heat blanket? Methinks it always a ” I grow weed ” tipoff. Paul, I hope it’s not one of your rentals!
Fruitbats! I pray for the future, as these folks sure aren’t going to build a better future for themselves and the country!
Ok, maybe a bit harsh, but…
Darren ;
One : Oregon is truly a different place , this may be nothing .
Two : I’m old , Conservative and cranky yet I’m not too worried about the Young ‘Uns ~ My Son is a staunch blue Collar guy like me, works his @$$ off , pays his taxes and plays hard ,Family Man etc.
Most of his peers are too , almost all of them are College Grads with six figure jobs , all are less than 40 years old .
take heart .
-Nate
Thanks Nate!
I feel so much better now!
Cheers
Darren
makes me think of an old farmer near where I grew up. he had a 67 belair sedan that gave him lots of trouble. when it died driving up the lane to the farmhouse in 1973 (I remember cause he replaced it with a 73 dodge dart) he left it where it quit and started driving AROUND it!
by the time he died in the 1990’s, the driveway had become so well worn around that spot the new owners had to regrade it to bring it back in line.
I think it is all part of the “after the hurricane” or “post apocalypse” theme they have going on as I spy some boarded up windows or a door as well.