17 replies to this topic

[r3k1355]

So I was given a load of bs then.
It did seem like a bit of a 'story'.
But the MX5 has been a fantastic product over so many years. Has any sports car outsold it I wonder.

 

A bit, but the original idea was to make a kinda spiritual successor to British sports cars like the Midget, and there was a little involvement from British firms so you can understand if someone got confused about it.

 

I don't believe anything from Europe or Japan has outsold the MX5 (if you consider sales for the entire series).

Maybe some American cars have, the Corvette springs to mind.

 

Those are very different cars though so it's not a great comparison

[Twincam]

Highly doubt it Cooperman, however I'd like to know of the catagory just includes two door convertibles.

The later ones had the ford durateq engines as seen in the fiesta ST.

[EasterBern]

The MX5 was an idea by an American Journalist, Bob Hall. He had been asked by Mazda in the early 80s what they should be building to sell in America. He said a small open top sports car in the TR7/MGB style. He showed them a 60s Lotus Elan. Mazda weren't sure but eventually employed Hall to help create this car, and the rest is history. With over 1,000,000 made it's easily the best selling sports car ever. There were around 540,000 (IIRC) MGBs made, which is still a lot.

 

I had an MX5 mk2 which I paid very little for and was a great car. I only bought it because I couldn't drive my MGB at the time and wanted something fun and cheap. I decided I liked it so much that I'd buy a decent one and bought a MK3. That was an awful car, which I sold and replaced with a Lotus Elan (m100)!