1997 Mazda MX-5 Miata

1997 Mazda Miata MX-5 Convertible The first generation Miatas were such an incredible success that despite four generations, the spirit of the original has been maintained in the current iteration. Taking inspiration from the Lotus Elan and a history of British sports car configuration, the 1989 Miata hit a nerve in the United States that created a phenomenon not seen since the VW Beetle. Fun, practical, and priced right, the first generation Miatas were the most popular of the four generations, selling nearly 229,000 units between 1989 and 1997. For consignment, a 1997 Mazda Miata MX-5 with a title verified 8,174 actual miles. This final year first gen car has been well preserved in stock configuration and comes to you with the window sticker. If a clean first gen Miata has been on your wish list, your ship just came in! Exterior Sure, everyone loves the red poster car from the first gen, but take a look at this two stage Brilliant Black paint enhanced by a gold side pinstripe that complements the anodized gold brightwork of the car, some which shows a touch of patina. The 14-inch wheels look great and carry fresh 185/60R15's with a late 2024 date code and while there's some light hazing to the plastic rear window, the black canvas top is in nice shape. This is the design that changed the automotive world in the late 80's and spurred numerous companies to create a direct competitor. Imperfections on this low mileage car include a few blemishes on the hood, door, rear bumper cover and some typical chin scrapes. Interior Like the British sports cars that inspired the Miata, the door panels are simple and pragmatic, dressed in black plastic and housing a leather map pocket. The seats here are black cloth and tall and in good shape. Miatas offer a simple yet driver focused cockpit that supplies the pilot with only essential information via a basic gauge cluster behind a black steering wheel, the center stack reserved for climate controls and the stock AM/FM/CD radio. In the center console, the shifter is embedded in a plastic base and a tidy storage bin follows and serves as an armrest. Low pile black carpet covers the floor and not unexpectedly, it's in great shape. The trunk is clean and finished in gray flannel panels covering, surprisingly roomy and certainly usable as a grocery getter. It's also home to a covered spare tire. Drivetrain Under the hood, we find the clean 1.8 liter DOHC inline 4 cylinder engine producing 133 horsepower mated to a 4-speed automatic transmission sending the power to the rear wheels and 4.10 gears, because that's what true sportscars do! The bay presents cleanly, free of grease or errant fluids. Undercarriage As expected for a car with this low mileage, utterly clean underneath with minimal surface rust and dry conditions. A single exhaust travels down the center tunnel then makes a sharp turn before entering the original muffler, then another quick turn to exist in the sculpted valance via a chrome tip. Independent suspension on front and back consists of coil springs and power disc brakes are at each corner. Drive-Ability These cars are fun because they instantly feel like adult toys, and not the kind you're thinking of! These are akin to being 6 years old and getting a battery powered car. That's the feeling Miata's evoke and why they've been so successful. There's nothing notably wrong with this car, it does everything well and all functional items work as expected. While Classic Auto Mall represents that these functions were working at the time of our test drive, we cannot guarantee these functions will be working at the time of your purchase. There are plenty of first gens still on the road, but how many have this kind of mileage and can claim this kind of condition? This is a unique opportunity to purchase a like new Miata from the 90's. Use it daily or reserve it for shows, even Radwood. You don't need a ton of room to store it nor a bunch of gas to keep i