Car Review

First-generation Mazda MX-5 may be old, but it sure is full of fire

If you're keen on getting into classic cars, this little Japanese roadster is definitely worth a look

22 November 2020 - 00:00 By thomas falkiner
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The first-generation Mazda MX-5 is a perfect example of a slow car that's fun to drive fast.
The first-generation Mazda MX-5 is a perfect example of a slow car that's fun to drive fast.
Image: Stuart Grant

Classic cars don't need pedigree to be cool. Nor do they need to come stuck to some fancy German or Italian crest. This fact was again driven home (no pun intended) to me recently when a good friend let me share his 1991 Mazda MX-5 on a classic car rally that wound its way across some of Mpumalanga's best driving roads.

Said friend is generous with his toys and I got a chance to buckle in behind the steering wheel of this little Japanese roadster from the town of Sabie, where our convoy speared off in the direction of the Bergvliet Pass. And right out of the blocks I was taken by its joyous, willing nature.

Fitted with an 86kW 1.6-litre engine, the first-generation MX-5 is no fireball, but this just means that you can drive it at 11/10ths all the time - without worrying about conceding a massive speeding fine.

Fortunately, what this 29-year-old Mazda lacks down the straights it more than makes up for through the corners, where the combination of modern rubber and an aftermarket coilover suspension system allowed us to cling remarkably close to the flaming tailpipes of hotrod Porsche 911s, Mini Coopers and Alfa Romeo Giulias.

It's a hardy thing too. In less than 48 hours we racked up over 1,200km in temperatures as high as 40°C. Some cars lost coolant, burnt through oil and cooked their brakes, but the Mazda shrugged off the abuse without as much as a whimper. Well, no, that's not entirely true: the air-conditioning stopped working on Saturday morning - but this just made the first pre-dinner beer taste that much sweeter.

So what's the point of all this? Well, if you're looking at getting into classic cars, the first-generation Mazda MX-5 is definitely worth a look right now. It's enduring in a slow-car-fast kind of way, cheap to buy and run, and surprisingly robust despite its unfortunate "hairdresser" stigma.

Best of all, it has flip-up headlights and tons of aftermarket parts support on the Internet. So ignore those disparaging badge-snob scoffs and pull the trigger - you'll be more than happy you did. 


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