Mazda’s Restoration Service Breathes New Life Into Mk1 MX-5s

Anyone who has fully restored their vehicles know just how time-consuming the experience can be – not to mention expensive.

However, owners of the original Mazda MX-5 wanting to bring their cars to their former glory can now turn to the company’s restoration service.

Currently available only in Japan, the program was born out of request from MX-5 owners and was officially launched last December. It takes the old roadsters and returns them to their owners in perfect visual and mechanical condition, thus helping to keep as many of them as possible on the road.

Also Read: 2019 Mazda MX-5 Is Here From $25,730 With Punchier Engine And Other Upgrades

“We have been attending fan meetings for years and listening to our customers”, said Nobuhiro Yamamoto, former MX-5 Program Manager and current Roadster Ambassador. “Our motto was to build ‘a car that makes everybody happy’. And this was the defining characteristic of the Mk1 roadster when it was born in 1989. We are so proud that to this day, people still seem happier having it in their lives, treating it almost like a member of the family.”

When the car arrives at Mazda’s facility in Hiroshima, a team of experts proceeds to strip it down completely. The body of the car is taken back to bare metal and then repainted by hand, while components of the chassis are either refurbished or replaced, depending on their condition.

At the same time, they re-trim the interior and rebuild the engine. After final assembly, Yamamoto himself drives each completed car “to ensure it meets Mazda’s expecting standards”.

Refurbishing a car takes approximately two months, and Mazda has already completed its first restoration. Given that the MX-5 is the most popular roadster of all time, we guess many more are on their way.