As mentioned in a previous news piece on Petrolicious, this year marks the 100th anniversary of Mazda, which began life in 1920 as Toyo Cork Kogyo, though its cars have always born the name ‘Mazda’ and the name was formally adopted in 1984. The brand’s early history was with three-wheeled vehicles before its first passenger car, the R360 Coupe, was finally unveiled in 1960. It’s that tiny vehicle that is the inspiration for a line of centenary special editions from the Japanese automaker.
While the whole lineup will be available in this trim, we’re particularly interested in the also tiny yet much more sporty MX-5. The most notable features of the 100th Anniversary Special Edition Series are the looks: each car will come in Snow Flake White Pearl Mica, while the MX-5 gets a special burgundy colored soft top, one that matches the floor mats, carpet, seats and stitching. All of the cars will also sport a modified Mazda logo that pays homage to the company’s early days, which will appear on headrests, hub caps and front fenders.
Unfortunately, there are no power upgrades, but who needs them when the MX-5 already boasts 181hp for its tiny frame? As well, the anniversary collection will only be available in Japan at first, and introduced in stages to world markets. It’s a nice way to say, ‘Happy birthday, Mazda!’
*Images courtesy of Mazda
