On February 4th, the 900,000th Mazda MX-5 rolled off an assembly line in Hiroshima. While it’s a significant milestone for the roadster, that car also marked a world record for production of two-seat sports cars.
Of course, so has every other MX-5 built since May of 2000, when Mazda first broke the record with their 531,890th car. The folks at Mazda must have Guinness on speed dial, as they’ve updated the record first at 700,000 cars and then when production passed 800,000. They’re currently in the process of ratifying the new record, and prepping for the millionth MX-5.
Since production of the first-generation Miata began in 1989, the bulk of MX-5s and Miatas — nearly a half million — have been sold in North America, with 274,081 going to Europe and 165,013 staying in Japan. Regardless of geography, it’s the most raced car in the world.
The Miata and MX-5 are famously based on the mounted archery principle of Jinba Ittai, where horse and rider act as one. In other words, though it’s not going to break any 0-60 records, the MX-5 is sure fun to drive.
“Its enduring success is due to the strong support it enjoys from MX-5 fans around the world,” said MX-5 Program Manager Nobohiro Yamamoto — the guy sitting in the German-spec 2.0L MX-5 soft-top shown above. “Going forward, I will strive to keep the MX-5’s spirit alive while evolving it into a car that will be loved by even more people.”
Based on his feelings for the MX-5, Yamamoto, who has been with Mazda for 38 years, seems like the kind of exec we’d like to see at more car companies.
“Whenever I attend fan club events, I meet people who treasure their MX-5 like their own partner,” he said. “I feel truly grateful that the MX-5 creates this kind of personal connection. We have always considered the MX-5 to be more than a simple car, and we believe it will bring happiness to everyone who owns one and rides in one.”
We’d be happy to join him for a few laps around the Suzuka Circuit. And after, the Sapporos are on us.
Photo: Mazda
The MX-5 made its global debut at the 1989 Chicago Auto Show and has since received several facelifts, seen many limited and special edition versions, been named “Car of the Year” multiple times around the world and topped countless “Best Sports Car” lists. But its soul has always remained that of a pure sports car, dynamically engineered and tuned to produce driver happiness, whether on a short trip from point A to point B or on extensive S-curve searches. The Zoom-Zoom driving experience evoked by the MX-5 is not lost on consumers, and has always been within their reach with the roadster’s affordable pricing.
The first-generation MX-5 Miata (1990-1997 model years) was equipped with a 1.6-liter, inline four-cylinder engine that produced 116 horsepower and 100 lb-ft of torque. A removable hardtop was optional and initial color choices were red, white and blue. The starting price was $14,000, and early production of the affordable, grin-inducing roadster could not meet the enthusiastic demand of consumers. A redesigned second-generation model was unveiled at the Tokyo Motor Show in 1997 (model years 1999-2005 – there was no 1998 model-year car) and the third generation model was introduced at the Geneva International Motor Show in 2005 (model years 2006-present).