Who's for 'Renown' colours...?
Shed of the week takes a turn down odd ball avenue this week with a diminutive Japanese coupe from a golden era of the genre.
Back when this pebble-like creation was conceived, Japan’s car manufacturers cranked out coupes like Armin Schwarz does power slides - and all before the days of mass component sharing and platform strategies. Some were unforgettable (Honda NSX); some where class defining (Toyota MR2) and some should simply be erased from a car enthusiast’s memory (Nissan 100NX). Either way, much of our second-hand car culture would collapse if they’d never existed.
Mazda were true masters of ‘sporting metal overload’ and liked to combine it with a penchant for technical diversity - despite their minnow status amongst the Japanese manufacturers – which just about remains to this day. They persevered with rotary power for the fearsome and thirsty RX-7, and gorged themselves on ‘The Bedtime Book of British Roadsters’ before knocking out the landmark MX-5.
Not a lot of go, but a great soundtrack
They also conjured up the MX-6 (a large, FWD V6-powered mainstream coupe) and the Xedos 6 and 9 (a kind of primitive Lexus-style attack on the ‘executive’ market). Even the regular 323F hatchback had ‘pop up’ lights. And the model that replaced that one was bonkers too.
But at some point they decided what they really needed was a small, front-wheel drive coupe, complete with its own miniature V6 engine of just 1800cc. ‘Shed’ respects a stubborn attitude against convention – and at all costs.
In 1991 Mazda even won Le Mans outright with the quad rotor 787B Group C car, but the strain of producing so many different models was just one more mile on the road to ruin, and eventually into the rescue dingy of Ford.
All of which leaves this tidy MX-3 as an interesting footnote in history, and somewhat cut off in character terms from the current Mazda range. ‘Shed’ has always been a fan of sweet and small V6 motors, and the little 1800cc unit certainly has both of those attributes. Predictably, what it doesn’t have is torque; or rear-wheel drive, sadly.
Plenty of hard plastics in here...
Still, it’s only a grand, has a wonderfully period Japanese interior (if you like that sort of thing), isn’t an import model and looks like little else. In fact, it really isn't like anything else, a fact that one day, may well be recognised. Enjoy the noise, and stay away from rice pudding skins…
Advert: My mx3 is a UK car registered 27/11/92. Tax till end Sept 07 MOT till 9th Feb o8. Stamped service history upto 96518 - now on 105500 miles on the clock.
Totally standard except a Sebring Exhaust with de-cat - sounds nice like a bike when it’s going thru the revs. Decent tyres all round, new plugs Bosch super 4's just been fitted. pas. abs. e/w. e/s/r. c/l. e/h/m. abs. Excellent mpg and surprisingly cheap to insure.... because it’s a UK car. Driver’s seat has a few snags & the back 2 little seats have a bit stitching come away. Back hatch rusted where the Mazda sign is. Usual stone chips, but its expected as it’s not a new car. Polishes up really nice. Any inspections welcome on this car Genuine reason for Sale. £1,000