Meet Mazda’s Miata, the Best-Selling Two-Seat Convertible in History

If classic British sports-car marques like MG and Triumph had not met their demise in the early 1980s, their descendants might have resembled something like Mazda’s MX-5. Marketed as the Miata in the United States, and with a base price of $13,800, the tiny terror was eagerly embraced by enthusiasts who hadn’t been able to buy a new droptop in that price range for a decade. The MX-5 was unveiled at the 1989 Chicago Auto Show and made a big sensation in Mazda showrooms later that year. It has remained a sensation ever since.

Its design philosophy embraced the Japanese concept of Jinba ittai (“person and horse as one body”), effectively describing a quick, nimble two-seat convertible that seemingly reads its driver’s mind and responds to every command. Purists will want the first-generation cars (designated NA), which enjoyed a long production run from 1989 (as a 1990 model) through 1997, with 431,506 examples built.

Now in its fourth generation, the MX-5 has had more than a million examples sold since its introduction, and the model continues as the fourth-generation ND series (2015 to present), qualifying it as the best-selling two-seat convertible sports car in history.

The genesis of the MX-5 is interesting. A competition between Mazda design studios in Tokyo and Irvine, Calif., gave the nod to Bob Hall’s Southern California team. Hall, regarded as the “father of the Miata,” was involved in the initial strategy behind the MX-5, and hired Mark Jordan to head design and early planning. As for the production model, Tom Matano is generally credited with authoring that version.

It’s no secret that Miata’s design inspiration came directly from the Lotus Elan, one of the most alluring little roadsters ever made. “Little” is the operative word, as the Lotus in Mazda’s studio was 10 inches narrower and shorter—and 1,000 pounds lighter—than the final MX-5. Nonetheless, the Elan’s styling cues translated convincingly, with details such as pop-up headlamps, the front grille opening, tail lamps, door handles, and the center-console configuration all paying homage to the British original.

The Miata’s front-engine layout, with a five-speed manual transmission and rear-wheel drive, was a traditional formula that got everything right. Its 116 hp, 1.6-liter inline-four engine was bumped in displacement to 1.8 liters for the 1994 model year. At less than 2,300 pounds, the car offers a power-to-weight ratio and 50:50 front/rear weight balance that helps deliver delightful road-going entertainment.

The Miata’s sturdy steel unibody features an aluminum hood. Four-wheel independent double-wishbone suspension, anti-roll bars, and four-wheel disc brakes with 14-inch wheels were standard. Early entry-level models eschewed a radio and air conditioning, as well as power windows, power brakes, and power steering, but options and numerous limited editions were marketed throughout the NA’s production life.

The Miata’s neutral handling and controllable oversteer have made it a common competitor in autocross and club-racing events from the very beginning, and today, buyers can choose examples that range from stock to those with heavy power and performance modifications. In the December 2009 issue of Grassroots Motorsports, the editors named the MX-5 as the most important sports car built during the previous 25 years.

The Miata may offer the highest pleasure-per-dollar return of any car in our ongoing classic-car roundup. Finding one in good condition may cost you about $10,000, while an excellent example will be twice that amount, and a concours specimen will run about double the latter. Special editions can add 20 percent or more to the price, and cars from 1994 on—with the 1.8-liter engines—are the most usable in modern traffic, as every little bit of extra horsepower helps.

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Remember that the newest NA-series Miata is a 28-year-old car, and most examples will have high mileage and multiple owners, so garage queens are hard to come by. Rust, too, is an issue for cars that have resided in snow-belt regions or have seen wet conditions. Yet, all in all, there’s little downside. The cheap-and-cheerful Miata is a great place to park a little bit of coin to cash in on a lot of fun.

Click here for more photos of this 1990 Mazda Miata convertible in Photos.