Way back in 1983 some clever people at Mazda were working on a few concepts, one stood out more than most- it was called LWS or lightweight sports car. The LWS concept was chosen for further development and was given to two teams to work on, one in Tokyo and the other in the US. The US team won the battle and unveiled a front engined, rear wheel drive car in 1985, and soon after the first prototype was tested on Californian roads.
At the time the development team would not have known that they were in the process of developing one of the most iconic cars ever, and a PHers favourite. The LWS was to become the MX-5 or Eunos roadster and was launched in 1989 at the Chicago Motor Show.
The car was instantly compared with the 60's Lotus Elan by the worlds motoring press- a great achievement in anyone's book- with easy to read rear wheel drive handling, chuckable chassis and great steering. Early cars had just enough power, but not too much, meaning you had to work the car to get the most from it and with classically small dimensions it felt as if you were a part of the car rather than being just the driver.
My first MX-5 experience was with a red 1991 J reg car back in 1994, I'll always remember it as it gave me my first taste of oversteer, and an insight into driving enjoyment that has stayed with me ever since. Most recently I took a 350Z to Bedford Autodrome for a track day, and later in the session I swapped with a mate for a few laps in his 2.0 '06 plate MX-5. It was a finer track experience than the Z, and gave a real sense of achievement as you kept up with faster cars by working harder on cornering and braking. Fantastic stuff, and if you haven't driven one yet- make sure you do. Soon.
Auto Trader has thrown up this rather cheap example of a 1989 1.6 Eunos. It's only done 60,000 miles, has air con, CD player and is in great condition according to the seller. They have listed it as a diesel which is worrying but we'll put that down the sellers' error...we hope. Seems a shame to call it a shed, but at £999 it certainly costs shed money.
Advert says: 60,000 miles, Silver. 5 Speed Manual. Air Con, CD Radio, V reliable. Lovely condition inside and out. Lady Owner.Baby forces sale. Great fun car. £999. ovno
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