So Mazda will provide the basics for the next Alfa Romeo Spider! Is
this a good choice?
You betcha!
Let’s look at Mazda’s sports car design and production credentials.
With almost one million MX-5 roadsters on the world’s roads, it’s a fact that
this car is a winner - of hearts, minds and competition trophies. It’s DNA
began creation as a the ‘idea’ of a pure
sports car. This was no cheap hatchback, modified for use as a roadster -
it was specifically-designed for the job and the team which produced it, did so
with impressive integrity of purpose.
The popularity and commercial success of the car has of course
generated many ‘fathers’ of the concept - but, I turned to my good friend Bob
Hall for real facts.
In 1978 Bob Hall, then an automotive journalist with MOTOR TREND,
was on a private visit to Japan. Like many of us, whose automotive industry
careers started as auto magazine journalists, Bob had begun close friendships
with senior industry figures, in this case, the head of Mazda’s Product
Planning department, Kenichi Yamamoto. During the visit Yamamoto-san asked Bob what
sort of cars Mazda should look at building, to expand its model portfolio. Bob
suggested a very basic, wind-in-the-hair, low-cost sportscar like the iconic
British marques.
Bob Hall |
In 1980 Mazda hired Bob Hall for its Californian design centre, and
whilst working on some more mundane, but commercially vital models, Yamamoto, who by then was Chairman of Mazda,
reminded Hall about his sports car idea, and suggested he get serious about the
project (but, only as an after-hours job).
After a few back-of-an-envelope sketches, the first concept design was produced by Mark Jordan and Masao Yagi. Despite alternative ideas, thrown in by two other teams, it was the Jordan/Yagi design which became the NA Mazda MX 5. During the viewing of the model (below), the team removed the hardtop, and the leader of a competing team said: "Let's build this one!"
After a few back-of-an-envelope sketches, the first concept design was produced by Mark Jordan and Masao Yagi. Despite alternative ideas, thrown in by two other teams, it was the Jordan/Yagi design which became the NA Mazda MX 5. During the viewing of the model (below), the team removed the hardtop, and the leader of a competing team said: "Let's build this one!"
1982, on the morning of the original Jordan/Yagi NA MX-5 presentation |
The production engineering was led by Mazda’s highly-respected
product development chief Toshihiko Harai. The detailed chassis and suspension
work was done by Takao Kijima, who went on to develop the later NB and NC
versions.
1966 Lotus Elan |
I’ve spent many hours driving MX5’s in Australia and the USA, and it
is a great car, with real sports car blood in its veins. So, combining Mazda’s
excellent Skyactiv technology with Italian design and handling traits can only
mean that Alfa Romeo made a great choice when it was decided to team up with Mazda.
Thanks, Bob. I think you guys did a swell job!
Thanks, Bob. I think you guys did a swell job!