Miata Milestone Brings Back Memorable Moments

By Bill McLauchlan

Twenty five years ago, on this very day, the world was introduced to the all-new Mazda MX-5 Miata at the Chicago auto show. A few months later, it was named as one of the five “World’s Best Cars” by the car enthusiast magazine Road & Track and never looked back.

But in the interim between its initial unveiling and R & T’s accolade, it took me on a late February trip that even today conjures up warm, pleasant memories.

In writing about cars for over three decades I’ve traveled to and driven in some two dozen countries on three continents. But one that still stands out in my memory bank is the press launch of the Miata in sunny Hawaii.

Can you think of a nicer spot to sample the little two-seat convertible’s seductive charms? Top down, scouting Oahu from Honolulu to the spectacular surfing action on the North Shore’s Banzai Pipeline? Every mile a visual delight with a barrage of aromas from the local vegetation adding an olfactory bonus you never enjoy within the confines of a closed car.

920,000 sold, making the Miata a Guinness Book of World Records holder as "Best-Selling 2-Seat Sports Car."

The only downside, if you can call it that, came when local residents intruded every time we stopped for a photo shoot. People stared at it, peered into it and imagined themselves behind the wheel … and, invariably, grossly overestimated its price. Good times indeed!

The roadster proved so popular that within ten years of its introduction, on February 7, 1999, to be exact, Mazda’s 500,000th Miata rolled off the automaker’s Hiroshima production line.

Now, with the passage of twenty five years, the Miata (never mind that its official monicker is MX-5 Miata. To me it’ll always just be the Miata) has racked up 200 awards and sold more than 920,000 worldwide as of December 2013, making it the Guinness Book of World Records holder for “Best-Selling Two-Seater Sports Car.” Adding to these great achievements, more Miatas are road-raced on any given weekend than any other model of car.

The Miata’s success is that it has not strayed from its promise to deliver pure driving enjoyment (for drivers of all ages) at an affordable price. Its introduction in 1989 revived the two-seat roadster segment (created by but ultimately fumbled by Britain’s often unreliable Austin Healey, MG and Triumph brands), and it went on to be named to R & T’s “World’s Best” list and was 14-times one of Car and Driver magazine’s “10 Best” picks.

More power and revised styling for second-gen Miata 

When it went on sale in May 1989, the Miata featured a 1.6-litre four-cylinder engine with 116 horsepower driving through a five-speed manual transmission. One appealing feature was that its three-fold, easy-to-operate soft top was a one-hand, lightweight operation offering superior weather protection. Not a claim easily made by the old Brit sports cars.

Ten years later a second-generation Miata appeared as a 1999 model year offering. It came with a more powerful 1.8-litre engine developing 140 hp and some new styling up front that replaced the original design’s pop-up headlights with a faired-in design. It also got a heated glass rear window to replace the older model’s plastic one.

In 2005, the third generation (right) appeared with a new 16-valve, 2.0-litre powerplant producing 170 hp, coupled with either a five- or six-speed transmission – or 166 hp with the optional six-speed automatic. Every component on the car was either all-new or extensively revised (apart from the side-repeater turn signals on non-U.S models). Modern technologies like traction control and stability control also were added.

What’s down the road? Mazda is working on a new Miata replacement (sharing its platform with a similar Alfa Romeo model) that we should see fairly soon. The only question is, will the present-generation Miata hit the 1,000,000 sales mark before its replacement arrives? If it’s the latter, I can’t think of a better reason for a memorable return trip to the Big Island.