This Practically-New NA Mazda MX-5 Could Break The Market

There was a time when every single ‘cheap used sports cars’ list would include an NA Mazda MX-5. We don’t really need to tell you why – its legacy speaks for itself – but it feels like those days are well in the past. If you ignore that we, err, put the MX-5 on ours.

Not because we all woke up one morning and decided the NA wasn’t very good, quite the opposite actually. Such is its popularity, and notoriety for rotting leaving few good ones out there, a nice one now costs silly money. You’re looking at comfortably north of £10,000 for the very best ones out there.

Well, we think that has a very real threat of getting even sillier with this 1995 Mazda MX-5 currently up for auction.

This UK-market version of the NA has covered just 6313 miles since finding its way onto the road. In that time, it’s had five owners, but its first 25 years were with the first, suggesting it’s since been passed around by collectors in the hope of making a bit of money.

That’s given more weight when you see the gap between its most recent services. Its most recent recorded one was in April 2022 at 6,070 miles, and before that? July 1998, at 5,282 miles. Yes, it’s covered just under 1100 miles in almost 17 years.

No shock, it’s completely stock. It rides on its original 14-inch wheels, has its same factory Momo steering wheel and even the original Clarion cassette player. It’s also the engine and gearbox combination you want – the 1.8-litre paired up to a five-speed manual gearbox.

Given it’s been ‘carefully stored’ for its whole life, we suspect the usual rust gremlins won’t be a concern here. Its original paintwork and roof look almost immaculate, too.

At the time of writing, bidding on Collecting Cars sits at £4000 with six days to go. We suspect that’s going to at least triple, and could set a new benchmark for NA MX-5 values entirely. Keep an eye on this one.