Mazda Miata @20
It was a simpler time. . . .a time of hope and faith in the future. . . blue jeans and white t-shirts were in. . .
A commercial for laundry detergent? A documentary on the 1950s? The last presidential campaign?
No, that was the iconic introductory commercial Mazda made for the Miata. Now well into its 20th year of production, one can reasonably argue that the Miata was something of a game-changer, one of those products that comes along and everybody smacks their head and says "Why didn't I think of that?" A small roadster in the British mold that actually, you know, worked? These days, if one wants a high performance 2-seat convertible there is nearly an embarrassment of riches available, from BMW to Saturn and everything in between. I think in the intervening years people have forgotten just how novel the Miata was and what kind of market it opened up. Unfortunately, the Miata has, in some quarters, gotten something of a bad image, entirely undeserved in my opinion. But its impact on the automotive landscape remains one of the great success stories of the 1980s. Suffice it to say that a time traveler from the early 1980s would be astonished at the plethora of high performance loads-o'-fun droptop roadsters available and how the rebirth of the British roadster owes its existence, arguably, to an at the time largely unknown Japanese manufacturer
The two-seat roadster was not exactly absent from American roadways prior to 1989. True British roadsters could be had, such as the Triumph TR6 (my personal favorite) or Stag, Fiat's X1/9 and Spider, the nearly ubiquitous MGs, the old standby Porsche 911, and that true American roadster, the Corvette. Nonetheless, these generally had three things in common: they were expensive, not terribly practical, and their reliability could only be found in the dictionary. To love these cars was to put up with them. But hey, if you were okay with occasionally being stranded by the side of the road because of electrical system gremlins, they were a kick to drive, not to mention putting a bit of the flair of the European romantic into one's demeanor. And, man, there's little to compare with flying down backroads with the top down under a sky so blue it almost hurts to look at it.
So up until 1989, owning one of these was not for the faint of heart (or wallet) and were mostly restricted to those old enough to afford their upkeep and with enough garage space available for a second car.
And then ... a roadster? From Mazda? From Japan??? Ah, now here was something new: a practical 2-seat convertible! Adults could fit comfortably in it! The ragtop didn't leak! You turned the key and it was a surprise if it didn't start!
The Miata started life as a concept born in Mazda's California design center by North Americans Bob Hall (formerly of Motor Trend magazine) and Mark Jordan. It was largely a ground-up design with few components shared with other Mazda models. The target design specifications were clear and simple: make it as compact and light as possible with room for two adults to sit comfortably, make it handle as tightly as possible, and have a responsive and reasonably stout powerplant. I guess the whole "reliable and functional" thing was just assumed. Several options were tried out, including a mid-engine design, but a fairly straightforward front-engine rear-drive design won out, and thus the Miata MX-5 was born.
The first models shared its DOHC 1.6-liter fuel-injected engine with the Mazda 323, minus the turbocharger and with a 5-speed gearbox standard (though one could, were one to have a somewhat heretical bent, order it with an automatic transmission). Double-wishbone independent suspension all around and four disc brakes on a 2,100-pound frame made it handle like a honeybee, and the ride was firm enough to know where the road was without being bone-shakingly rigid. Mazda sold more than 45,000 the first year and almost 100,000 the second and sales have stayed pretty much in the 30,000-50,000 ballpark since. And it didn't leak oil!
The styling was simple which some find attractive, others less so. I always thought it looked like a jellybean, though I can appreciate the origin and intent of the sparseness. It is distinctly unthreatening in its demeanor. This, probably more than anything, has given rise to the idea that it is a particularly effeminate car. I've heard that the softer curves of the Miata were specifically designed that way to appeal to women, but can't verify that.
Does it matter? Not to Miata enthusiasts, who will generally just roll their eyes as they smoke your big bruiser muscle car through the nearest set of S-curves.
Frankly, I never cared for Miatas myself, though I never felt the disdain that some direct toward it. As a matter of fact, I briefly considered considering one when my old Mustang was getting a bit long in the tooth. The styling never appealed to me and I would only have a two-seater as a second car anyway. But I have always appreciated what a bombshell it was when it was first introduced and the rash of just plain fun cars that descended from it.
The look or formula hasn't really changed all that much in the ensuing years, a testament to the timelessness of the basic design. Nowadays we take it for granted that we could, if we wanted to, go out and buy a reliable, good-handling, fun-to-drive two-seat convertible that won't be in the shop as much as it's on the road. And for that we have Mazda to thank for the Miata. It may not have the visual flair of a Stag, but you can tear up twisty mountain roads to your heart's content and not have to worry about being stranded up there, all for a reasonable price in both dollars and headaches. Happy 20th, Miata!
The first photo is a Japanese version sold there as the Eunos Roadster. The second (MGB) is from Jalopnik.com
Here is the original commercial for the Miata, referenced above. To me, this ranks up there as one of the classic commercials ever devised, perfectly capturing the essential idea behind the product and placing it squarely within its target American market:
--Anthony Cagle
[Updated post]
3rd Miata now on November 18, 2009 at 04:04 PM
I owned a '90, and '92, and still have my '94, all purchased new from a Mazda dealer.
I agree the ad is classic, but if it came out in '91, how can if be "the original"?
Just askin'
Anthony Cagle on November 18, 2009 at 04:44 PM
Y'know, I thought that was the introductory one (it's the first one I remember seeing anyway) and found a few places referencing it as such, but this one lists it as 1991, with the "2 years running" thing on it. OTOH, I haven't found any earlier ones so perhaps this was the first one or nobody remembers any earlier ones.
Norm DuPont on November 18, 2009 at 05:48 PM
In 1989 when the Miata was first announced, I was so taken by the design, I went to all the local Mazda dealers and gave them a $500 deposit. So I had one of the first Miata's around. People would follow me into a gas stations to see the car. It was unbelieveable the attention that car got. Everyone should have this experience once in their life.
Viva Miata..
PS. Someone mentioned in a earler post that they wanted a BRG 1990 Miata. Not possible. The first year they only came Red, White, and Blue...
scotte on November 18, 2009 at 06:54 PM
I was working at NASA Ames in October 1989 when a co-worker showed up one day with a brand new red Miata. I was smitten. I bugged him and bugged him until he finally let me drive it. We took off around the airfield aprons and I did everything I could to break that thing loose and never managed to (the co-worker was turning green--and never let me touch it again!). I had to have one.
The 1990s were already sold out in California, so I called my dad in Kansas and told him to go to the local Mazda dealer and buy the first one he saw. I flew to Kansas a few days later to pick up a blue 1990 Miata. I still have it (only 43,000 miles!) and it is still more fun to drive than any other car I've ever driven.
I've driven a lot of different vehicles, including Corvettes, Mustangs, Firebirds, 911s, Chargers, Lotuses, even a Porsche 964 twin-turbo Camel GT racer and nothing even comes close to the fun I have when I drive my Miata. As a teenager, I raced go-karts and loved the way they handled. A Miata is as close to a go-kart as you can legally drive on the street.
The Miata not only re-introduced the roadster, but also introduced a whole new design style that is now common. When it was introduced, most cars were angular and somewhat boxy in their styling. The compound curves of the original Miata were unique in their day. As others have commented, it got a LOT of attention when it was first introduced.
The shifter is short and crisp. A simple flick of the wrist sends it into the next gear. The handling is phenomenal. The original is slightly under-powered, but it still has the sweeetest growl as it winds up. I've loved my Miata for over 20 years and I will never part with it. Mazda got the roadster right in every way.
scotte on November 18, 2009 at 06:57 PM
As far as Miata commercials go, that WAS the first Miata commercial. I remember when it came out. The original Miata was so popular that Mazda did not have to advertise it and didn't for the first two years.
scotte on November 18, 2009 at 07:29 PM
I've seen other small-block V-8s stuffed in a Miata. While an interesting concept, I've always thought that was a little over the top. I wanted a Miata with a rotary engine and have always wondered why Mazda didn't build one. They seemed to be made for each other. The torque and acceleration would be outrageous! My father used to re-build MGs (where I fell in love with the roadster concept) and I've long wanted to put a RX-8 engine in a Miata. It would fit without any bump in the front hood and would be a true stealth rice rocket!
...m... on November 18, 2009 at 08:20 PM
...i remember hearing a progenitor to that commercial on the radio back in '89; brilliant work...
...wonderful, timeless car, too...
Fly4zip on November 18, 2009 at 09:24 PM
I bought a white Miata in 1992, as soon as I could afford it. I absolutely loved that car. It got totalled two years ago in a police chase by a big 1985 Buick. I came out without a scratch. I cried when my Miata was towed off, never to be seen again. I got a nice check from the insurance company, and went right out and bought another one. A brand-new 2007 Grand Touring Copper Red MX-5. These are the best, most reliable cars I have ever owned. Everytime I drive up to get it washed, the guy always says the same thing, "Nice car".
Yehudit on November 18, 2009 at 09:47 PM
When I lived in Austin my old Honda Civic died and I rented a used Miata from Rent-A-Wreck for about 3 months. Then I bought another old Civic for cash for much less than a Miata would cost. But I loved driving it. I cant remember how much it cost to rent but it was a lot cheaper than leasing. I also rented one at the San Jose airport several times when i went out to the Bay area and drove all over the coast with it, and down to Big Sur.
Nathan of Brainfertilizer Fame on November 19, 2009 at 04:57 AM
@Mark
You just hit 2/3 the Nathan of Brainfertilizer Fame Trifecta: fun Mazda, collectible pre-WWII bolt action battle rifle...the 3rd being Jon Kammerer guitars.
SullyAg on November 19, 2009 at 09:27 AM
I owned a 1990 Miata. Figured I'd earned it, after two MGs and an Austin Healey. For a few years, taking vacation meant driving my Miata cross-country. Drove that car all over the nation, including one 100 mph blast across Montana after the state repealed its speed limit, back when many people in that part of the world had never even seen a Miata. (I have photos of the speedometer pegging.) That kind of mileage would have destroyed any of my British cars, yet the Miata took it in stride. Yeah, I suppose you could call it a chick car -- it sure was a chick magnet, that's for sure. ;-)
kenny heggem on November 19, 2009 at 04:03 PM
Would love a 93 1st generation body style Miata with no power windows or steering, no AC is fine too. 1.8 liter, stock steelies...yup...my kind of car indeed.
In blue. Please.
Tommy's Dad on November 20, 2009 at 09:07 PM
I had the pleasure of driving both an 03 and an 06 Miata during my very brief career as a car salesman for a Mazda/Subaru dealership. The 03 was nice but a little crowded for my long legged/short armed self, but the 06, which was the first year of the current generation was PERFECT. Comfortable even for someone with my peculiar dimensions, compact without being crowded, and absolutely a blast to drive. The only cars we had that were even close to being as fun to drive were the WRX and STI, and those mostly for the raw acceleration and the (to me, anyways) novelty of turbo boost. But for fun in the twisties, that Miata was about the most fun you could possibly have.
J on November 22, 2009 at 12:06 PM
I test drove a first-gen Miata once, and I'll be honest - even though I found it quite a blast to drive, I realized I could never own one because 1) It's too impractical for my tastes, and 2) I'm 5'8" and I still couldn't fit comfortably. After the drive, I got back into my boxy Volvo wagon and continue to drive it to this day. Now there's a car that has some serious cargo space!
Aaron on December 03, 2009 at 02:48 PM
My wife and my first new car was a 1996 black and tan Miata. We bought it as a third car just to drive for fun. 13 years and three kids later, it's still in the garage. It has a total of 22k miles on it. 5k from a single trip out west we took the year we bought it. In 2009, we've put a total of 500 miles on it. A Miata is not a family car, but someday the kids will be gone and I'm sure it'll be chugging along just like it did when we bought it.
Peter on December 18, 2009 at 10:27 AM
I just got a Special Edition (BRG)Mazda Miata. I had no idea it was a special edition until I brought it home and saw the numbered badge on the dashboard. It is an awesome car. I do not care if people think it's a chick's car. They must drive it first then judge it.
...m... on December 26, 2009 at 10:53 PM
...well, after about a year and a half of deliberation, we finally found the right car and bought an NC MX-5 this morning - very, very, nice, and it looks like anything but a 'chick car'...
http://britishspeed.com/forum/showthread.php?t=1477
Mark E Mark on September 06, 2010 at 03:25 PM
I've owned two Miatas, back to back. I totalled the first one and immediately started the search for another one to replace it. There was NO QUESTION about getting a different car. Nothing is as simple and pure (first generation), nothing I've owned was as reliable, and nothing since has been as much fun per dollar. I sold my last Miata with 175k miles and it still ran great. I ran a few track days per year with no special modifications needed. I never had an unexpected repair and it never left me stranded. When I sold it it still ran very strong. You can drive an old Miata to Mars at full throttle the whole way and it won't break down.
Other than the size it was the most practical car I've owned. Regardless of size it was the most fun car I've owned.