Mazda Miata owners gather in Japan for 20th anniversary celebration
Mazda MX-5 Miata 20th Anniversary Meet - Click above for high-res image gallery
Mazda celebrated the 20th anniversary of its MX-5 Miata this year at the Chicago Auto Show by bringing out various concepts and special edition models to display on the show floor. But that handful of cars was nothing compared to the event put on by Mazda last weekend that brought out 2,600 owners and 1,600 cars to celebrate the best selling roadster of all time at the Miyoshi Proving Ground in western Japan.
The day's festivities included introductions for the various clubs, an MX-5 quiz, and a 20th anniversary car that all of the attendees could sign. Bringing the event to a close was a massive parade around the track that has to have broken some sort of record. You can read the brief press release after the jump or check out the high-res gallery courtesy of Mazda below.
Gallery: Mazda MX-5 20th Anniversary Meet
[Source: Mazda]
PRESS RELEASE:
HIROSHIMA, Japan-To celebrate the 20th Anniversary of the Mazda Roadster (known overseas as the Mazda MX-5), Mazda Motor Corporation hosted a special commemorative event on September 20, 2009, at its Miyoshi Proving Ground in western Japan.
First launched in 1989, Mazda's two-seat lightweight open-top sports car is celebrating its 20th birthday this year. To commemorate the milestone, over 1,600 Roadsters and their owners made their way to the car's birthplace at the Miyoshi Proving Ground.
When the proving ground gates opened at 6:30 a.m., the arriving Roadsters were welcomed home by attending staff. Approximately 2,600 owners and fans had journeyed from all over Japan and overseas to join in the celebration. The event was officially launched with a toast from a 20-year old Roadster owner, who had been born the same year as the iconic vehicle was launched.
During the event, members of the development team and MX-5 owners from abroad delivered congratulatory speeches; Roadster owners' clubs from every region of Japan were introduced; and guests were invited to take part in a Roadster quiz. To bring the celebration to a close, Mazda's director and senior managing executive officer in charge of vehicle development, Seita Kanai, stood up to address the crowd. His cry of, "The Roadster is forever!" was greeted by thunderous applause from the spectators.
To end with a Zoom-Zoom flourish, all 1,600 Roadsters formed up to parade around the track before leaving the Miyoshi Proving Ground with a fond farewell from the Mazda staff.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
Luis 4:07PM (9/30/2009)
Cool image of all the Miatas!
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Paul 6:10PM (9/30/2009)
Best car ever made. Tall talk, yes, but nobody's ever made such a fun, cheap, race-able and efficient car as the Miata.
And, for anyone who thinks they aren't fast enough, even the Ferrari guys at the Autocross club will tip their hats to the speed it carries through a corner. For those who know how to drive, it's among the most rewarding cars ever made.
Mike P. 6:11PM (9/30/2009)
Plus, I've never seen a large number of Japanese people look quite that big (...in relation to the cars).
lvdalca 7:50PM (9/30/2009)
And I just thought that was taken on the 405
BigMcLargeHuge 4:12PM (9/30/2009)
That could make a challenging jig-saw puzzle.
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Randy 4:20PM (9/30/2009)
Are saying they all look the same?
......the cars that is?
p.s. light humor, no ill will intended
tcc3 4:25PM (9/30/2009)
You mean high power to weight ratio humor...
DCragtop 4:15PM (9/30/2009)
cute
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MikeofLA 4:16PM (9/30/2009)
Picture 4, Yellow car up in the top left... it's a Miata but it has 350Z headlights... who does that?!
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StickShift 5:38PM (9/30/2009)
The Japanese. They're crazy.
I wonder how many of the NB coupes made were there. I'd love to see a bunch of them lined up...so I could steal one and potentially have no one notice.
Ray 4:17PM (9/30/2009)
Where's Waldo?
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Franz 4:18PM (9/30/2009)
That's a lot of Miatas.
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MachinaDC5 4:19PM (9/30/2009)
Fun fact: there is a combined total of almost 40 horsepower in that image!
Sorry, had to do it. :D Mad respekk 4 Miatas, but this will get to 1/2 star in no time anyway I'm sure.
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rxallan 4:20PM (9/30/2009)
^^ haha
Those guys fit nicely in their cars, I on the other hand struggle to fit.
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Photo Phil 11:41PM (9/30/2009)
no kidding... 6'8" just wont fit...
Mike Se7en 4:23PM (9/30/2009)
I got my go around in an NB this morning, top down of course.
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pgarez 4:27PM (9/30/2009)
all of those hair dressers in one place at the same time, wash and cut please lol !
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surfwax95 5:17PM (9/30/2009)
I own three Miatas and I assure you, I'm not a hairdresser. I'm actually a web designer…
I'll wave to you when I'm passing you in the twisties! :)
pgarez 5:26PM (9/30/2009)
Surfwax, it was just a joke, one that I just couldn't resist. No offense intended. I own a CX7 and am ready to trade my Audi A4 for a Speed3 ( in black to minimize the effect of that grin ), so no need to sell me on how good Mazda's are. The Miata is an icon.
BigTeebo 10:04PM (9/30/2009)
I thought the hairdresser stigma was reserved for Triumph Spitfires. Funny, since I'm bald, not a hairdresser, and have a '79.