The Mazda MX-5, the world’s most popular roadster, set a new record 21 years and 10 months after the first massed-produced models began rolling off the Japanese manufacturer’s production line. Total production of the Mazda Motor Corporation’s iconic sports car passed 900,000 units on February 4, 2011, with mass production of the first-generation MX-5 having started in April 1989. The MX-5 was inspired by the lightweight and fun-to-drive sports cars of the 1960s and 1970s which offered nimble handling and open-air motoring. In the 1980s, Mazda wanted to recapture the free-spirited nature of those sports cars and so it developed the MX-5. The model was introduced to the world in February 1989 and was, as Mazda puts it, ‘a reminder that driving could still be fun despite ever-stricter safety and quality standards’. In early 2011, the Mazda MX-5 was the longest-running model in the car maker’s global line-up and had received a host of ‘best sports car’ awards during its distinguished career. The Mazda MX-5 was certified by Guinness World Records as the world’s best-selling two-seater sports car when production reached 531,890 units in May 2000. The record has been updated as further production milestones have been reached. Since its launch, the Mazda MX-5, which has many fans around the world, has undergone two complete redesigns and a series of upgrades. And Mazda plans to keep refining and evolving the roadster with particular regard to its environmental and safety capabilities. As the car’s 900,000th model was celebrated, Jeremy Thomson, the managing director of Mazda UK, said: ‘Over 20 years, the MX-5 has maintained its position as an affordable, lightweight sports car that is responsive and rewarding to drive, while also proving itself to be “recession proof”. We sold 10 per cent more MX-5s last year (2010) than we did in 2009 and owners enjoy remarkably high residual values. The introduction of the third-generation models meant that the MX-5 became much more than a “sunny weekend” car and the Roadster Coupe, featuring the electric folding roof, now accounts for the majority of sales as buyers look to use their Mazda sports car all-year round.’ In early 2011, the Mazda MX-5 continued to be the most popular roadster in the UK, the regular 10-strong range for 2011 being priced from £17,975 to £23,205. And the Mazda MX-5 is likely to be around for a long time to come as Mazda has set its sights on reaching the next production milestone of 1,000,000 models. Category:Home › Other • Pomegranates: A newly discovered superfood • Where did the joke why did the chicken cross the road come from and why is it funny? • Can mothers diagnosed with bipolar disorder make good parents? • Spiritual evolution of human consciousness • Tips for getting a college basketball scholarship • Living with Pseudotumor cerebri (PTC) • Caring for the caregiver • Technologys impact on society
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