Miata - Everything You Need to Know | Up To Speed

The Mazda Miata: A Legendary Sports Car Born from a Passionate Pursuit

In 1962, Americans watched Sean Connery cruise through the countryside in a Sunbeam Alpine 2, a car so tiny he couldn't drive it with both elbows inside the vehicle. This sparked a love affair with an idea - a fun-to-drive, low-to-the-ground machine that was both free and exhilarating. However, America's love for muscle cars had already taken over the market, leaving little room for elegant and simple roadsters.

One problem was that Great Britain used up all its good metal fighting Nazis during World War II, leading to the scarcity of quality roadster models. The British also suffered from crazy wiring issues since they were assembled in Shropshire barns by a group of individuals who looked uncannily like the narrator. In 1976, Bob Hall, a Motor Trend contributor specializing in Japanese cars, met with the R&D department at Mazda to discuss his vision for future projects. Kenichi Yamamoto and Ikigai, department heads at Mazda, asked him what he would like to see Mazda produce in the future.

Hall immediately started waxing nostalgic about the death of the great British roadster, citing its elegance, simplicity, and allure as reasons why it was so desirable. However, when he presented his idea to Kouhei Matsuda, the head of Mazda at the time, he scoffed at the notion - "a Japanese company building a British roadster? Inconceivable!" It wasn't until Hall found himself in charge of product planning for Mazda USA in 1991 that Yamamoto was in a position to approve new projects. They discussed the idea of developing a light-weight roadster once more, this time with a handshake, and Bob Hall began working on bringing it to life.

To create a British-inspired roadster for American and Japanese drivers, Hall needed to find a designer with American automotive pedigree. He soon discovered Mark Jordan, who was basically the Michael Jordan of car stuff at the time. In 1981, Jordan, a family legacy at General Motors, was in charge of the most successful arm of GM in Europe, Opel. The idea of resurrecting the roadster was all the convincing he needed.

Jordan and Hall helmed the initial stages of concept and design, pushing for a light-weight sports concept that would appeal to both American and Japanese drivers. Their efforts paid off when Mazda approved the Offline 55 Project, a new system of development where Mazda would pit their North American design team against their team in Tokyo. The project aimed to change the way Mazda brought new concepts to the streets and expand their clout in international markets.

Hall brought on Tony Montana as chief designer for Mazda North American operations. Together, they put together plans for a small sports car heavily influenced by the Lotus Elan. They called it the Duo 101, with the name "duo" reflecting its availability in both soft and hard top configurations. In 1984, Jordan and Hall took all their drawings to Tokyo to be judged by the Tokyo team.

The Tokyo team brought two competing plans: a front engine, front wheel drive car and a mid engine, rear wheel drive layout. Yamamoto was impressed by both teams and wanted to take the competition one step further. He had both teams create clay models, with the American team emerging victorious. The winning theme that would guide Mazda through the MX5's development and future redesigns was Jinbai Attai, which originated from Japanese martial arts of horse-mounted archery.

Jinbai attai dictated that the car be as small and compact as possible, as comfortable as possible, and maintain a front engine, rear-wheel drive layout for perfect 50-50 weight distribution. Under these tenets, the Mazda MX5 was unveiled at the 1989 Chicago Auto Show to great interest. Dealers found themselves with multi-page waiting lists of hairdressers clamoring to get their hands on the new car.

As reviews came rolling in, interest mounted almost exponentially. The combination of style, handling, and affordability made the Miata an instant hit among enthusiasts. With its unique design, agile performance, and affordable price tag, the Mazda MX5 had finally arrived to fulfill Hall's vision - a fun-to-drive, low-to-the-ground machine that was both free and exhilarating.