The earliest examples of a signature model are typically sought-out by collectors. The reason for this is the early cars tend to become scarcer through natural attrition or the market simply not recognizing them as special until years later. The Mazda MX-5 Miata has always been seen as a desirable enthusiast vehicle and had a strong back-stop in the form of people who weren’t necessarily hardcore gearheads but loved them all the same. This MX-5 Miata is a recent garage find that has been listed here on Facebook Marketplace with an asking price of $4,500.
While erroneously listed as a “30th Anniversary Edition” (those didn’t come out until fairly recently), this Miata still looks sharp with its period-correct ARE aftermarket wheels which do an admirable job of replicating the BBS alloys that came on select M-Edition cars. The NA Miata is considered by many to be the purest expression of the original design, a dirt-simple car with crank windows, a rev-happy engine, slick-shifting manual, and pop-up headlights. As a 1990 model, it’s worth looking at the VIN to see how early it is in the production run.
The seller has performed some modest clean-up, and the bodywork is decent for a car that has been living in a barn in Connecticut. The listing notes the presence of rust in the spare tire well and on the “passenger rear”, but I’m not exactly sure what the latter is referring to. In 1990, the Miata came with the bread-and-butter 1.6-liter DOHC inline-four producing 116 b.h.p. and 100 lb.-ft. of torque. It’s amazing in retrospect to see how light and simple the original Miata was, and saddens me to think we won’t see a company manufacture a car like this again for U.S. sale.
Yes, I know they still make the Miata, but like everything else, it’s heavier and more complicated than the original. Similar to light-duty pickup trucks, it’s difficult to find vehicles that capture the bare essentials of a model segment like roadsters or pickup trucks. The NA Miata is a terrific opportunity to step back in time without losing much in the way of modern driving dynamics. The rust in the trunk is minor at best, and this is a barn find you can easily freshen up mechanically and begin to enjoy while addressing the bodywork along the way.
This looks like a decent place to start a fun build. Loving our NA8 95 Merlot!
There are so many available in nice shape with low miles, this is a hard sell.
Really having a hard time seeing that rust but my eyes aren’t what they used to be. If this were any closer is give it a look.
Still don’t understand why people leave the windows down on stored cars.
I had a 2003 Subaru WRX (non STi) with 225 HP, and my buddy had a Miata like this one. So we swapped keys for a little test drive.
Like so many other sports convertibles, the Mazda is cute, sits low, and has a drop top, but you had to beg it to move. At least Mazda saved the entire category for years.
That ride was all I needed. I never jonesed again for the Miata.
You are missing the point of the Miata. Amazing handling on a curvy road on a sunny day with the wind in your hair.
A recreation of the British roadster from years earlier… with all the charm but none of the fussiness…
Barn find Miata… I must be getting old…
I’m not big on cars of this era, especially import cars.most of the people I worked with in the 90’s considered these cars to be for girls or fellows a little light in their loafers. Not that they’re a bad car, I just don’t know. I only buy Fords, with the exception of my 64 Buick Riviera. I worked for Ford dealers for many years so I got in the habit of buying Fords. Not that they’re a bad car, I’ve had good Fords since the 60’s. Miata? Okay if that’s what you want go for it.
God Bless America
If you can fit in one, try one. You will not be dissapointed.
118k miles stated…
I remember when these first came out. At the new car show, I went to sit in one. I’m 6’2 and 235lbs. The steering wheel was just about poking me in the chest. I owned a Triumph Spitfire and had more than enough room in that little thing. So I asked the salesman where the tilt wheel control was. He informed me there wasn’t one. No sale.
I love Miatas! I have had 9 over the years and one of them in my garage (02 Vivid Yellow 238 made) I love so much I have bought it twice! I also have a 94 M Edition that is getting ready to turn 50,000 miles. No disrespect to the Ford lover on here, but I owned (notice past tense) a 23 Maverick that was nothing but problems and was so cheezily put together that you were afraid to touch anything in the cabin because it felt like it would break. It got replaced by an 17 Civic Si that gets better mileage than the Maverick hybrid did.
I’m not sure who has a Miata and lets it become a barn find. I don’t work and have no place to go and all my cars get close to 10,000 miles a year on them.
The new Miata only weights about 300 lbs more than the original with a lot more HP.