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The seller of this 1990 Miata claims that it could be the lowest mileage example left in the world. After selling my own early low-mileage Miata, I can see the appeal. Personally, I enjoyed my 250k mile car more, but there is something special about being able to experience an as-new example of any 25+ year old car today. The seller claims that this one has only covered 300 miles since new and that the convertible top has never even been put up! They have listed the car here on eBay with a $13k starting bid and a reserve, so it would seem that they have high expectations. I would need more than the few photos provided before placing a bid for that kind of money, but I’m sure they will find a buyer eventually.
If the roof has never been up, I doubt it ever will be, I’m sure it’s shrunken & brittle..
My guess would be that the top never having been stretched out is no longer viable.
One of the cars on my top 10 list of 30-40 cars I’d like to have.
Right? I’d prefer to hear that the top has been UP the whole time and maybe put down once. At this point it’s dried and hardened with all of the panels folded; unfold it once and watch/hear it crack and crumble.
And, not to be a hater, but if you’re going to ask top dollar how about a few pictures? You mention a hard top but none is pictured? Low, low mileage but the speedometer photo was taken from where? Outside of the car? Seriously pal: try harder.
And spend a few extra pennies and do the supersize pics…..
Only took the original owner 300 miles to realize how silly he looked and felt in a Miata huh, probably happened to quite a few buyers. Have you seen a full grown man in one of these sticking out looking over the windshield, not that cool! Buy a Harley if you want some air in your hair! Small convertible cars with hardly any miles exist for a reason, not comfortable enough for daily use so they get shoved in the garage or barn!
Look silly in a Miata..?? Not nearly a silly as another leathered up Harley Ferguson rider posing down the road making noise and going slow. That’s not “cool”….it’s just ordinary….
Although I do own a nice Harley I wouldn’t call myself a serious rider, but my 1970 Camaro and my 1979 TransAm were both purchased for around 12000 each. I would not be caught dead driving a Miata period at any cost, especially considering that you paid muscle car money for it! Or Harley money for it! To each their own I guess
That’s why I call them Hardley Ablesons
I’m 6’2 and have used Miatas as daily drivers with no problem. They with another seat, trunk, AC, and a heater they make much more sense to me than any Harley.
I bought Jesse’s 225k Miata last year. Doesn’t leak, doesn’t puke oil, does everything right. Name one BMC that does all that and I’ll want a polygraph to prove it. Those who know me know I have a few cars in my collection. The Miata was my daily driver last summer. Never failed me once. Best part is it took me back 47 years every time I jumped in it without any heartache.
A “rare collectible”?
Not rare, not collectible.
A perfect low-mile Elan, which inspired this car?
Yes, rare and collectible, especially in this condition.
Just more hard sell…..
The most exciting response I can muster for a Miata is *yawn*. Had to be the worlds most boring two seat “sports car”
I had an MG Midget that was light years ahead of a Miata in the fun factor.
I would have to disagree with you about it being the world’s most boring sports car. I’ve owned 4 over the years and had a blast with each one. They were good daily drivers too.
I’m with Jesse. I’ve had an MG, I’ve loved MGs since the 1950s, but a Miata is everything an MG wishes it was. Does everything better, and lasts longer, all with less hassle.
To Jim …Yeah, so is my current MGB … Miatas feel like sterile chunks of plastic in comparison. Too much maintenance? Nonsense! At least it’s easy, do-able at home, and rewarding
Marco S…. If you don’t think a Miata is easy and do-able to work on at home then I doubt you have ever worked on one. They are a breeze to work on, parts are everywhere and not costly. The reward is lots of seat time with very little down time.
Mike L. – You’re right, but I’m about to find out how easy (or not) … been asked to replace conv. top and frt. brakes on a ’94 Miata, straightforward jobs on a MGB.
Then there’s the intangibles – I wonder if a Miata has ever emptied an entire store into the parking lot to gawk at it. Happened to me on a long voyage, twice, with my MGB GT :-). And it doesn’t leak anything, thanks to modern machine shop technology, sealants, and components.
To Marco S…. No my Miata has never emptied an entire store to be stared at. But lets be honest, any vintage British sports car on the road is going to get more attention than a Miata and I’m just fine with that. That’s not something that factors into any car I have owned.
I look forward to the comments as my group of car guys just had this conversation ourselves with a sub 300 Mile example (different make/model) .
Knowing the reserve is the only way to pass real judgement but as the bids continue to climb consider how many average mile units you buy for the same money, how many rebuilt engines or what performance improvements you could make.
Collectibility? Not likely but even if it went that route how long would you have to wait to see return on your investment?
Just drive it? Sure but how many miles before it becomes just another used Miata?
This is the critical sale in the life of this car… because low mileage isn’t worth enough of a premium (yet) to be more than a ‘just drive it’ for someone. That’s why there’s a huge difference in relative value of a low mileage 20 year old car and a low mileage 40 year old car.
The premium paid for low mileage now is either to save money (because you can’t buy a fixer upper and make it this nice for the premium) or a 20 year investment. That ‘premium investment’ portion is likely to beat the stock market, while the base value of the car (what any ‘average/nice’ one is worth without the premium) loses relative value as Washington continues to devalue the dollar by printing the hell out of it.
If you want people to bid on your car pictures and more pictures along with information really helps, ask yourself, what would you want to see and know about a car before paying any amount? Sure your always going to get dumb questions.
This car has been for sale for quite some time. It was put on Ebay a long time ago and didn’t sell then either. They made way too many of these car for this car to be worth this kind of money even if it had 0 miles. They made over a million Miatas. It’s not going to happen.
I own an ’01. they are a lot of fun to drive, better than any old british sports car that I owned in the 60-80’s. But their value IMHO, is to drive and enjoy them. They made to many to try to sit one on the shelf and claim it’s rare 25 years later.
I have a 99 miata it’s is one of the best cars I have owned.
mgb, 924, 71 cuda, 63 dart, 69 fb mustang, 69 amx.
I think if you havn’t driven one you can’t know how great they are.
I was surprised at hoe percise the steering and suspension is.
Plenty of power , even min fith geer on the highway.
This is the only fun car I have now and I plan to drive the wheels off it.
as to the car forsale I would not buy it , rather look for a clean cheap high miles car and judt drive it.
My computer wouldn’t let me edit, sorry about the typos
Lol, forgiven
Boy, they boosted Mazda at the right time
Decent all around, all average looks, HP, performance, materials, reliability, yet Suburbies felt sexy in them, So they sold! Home run for Mazda
Like 911, ingrained as a fun cR option
Don’t pay more than eightK
Me?
1991s trans am superior
Or that Big Bonnevilke
Not the lowest mileage example.
I know of one with less than 100 miles. Also bought as an “investment”. The owner did waaay better investing in real estate. This is exactly why you should have a diversified portfolio, ha!
It’s nice, but it’s still a Miata. With the volume they made, I doubt they will be a collectible, but someone in 1965 probably said the same thing about the Mustang…
Only very special Mustangs are collectible.
Coveted yes but ‘collectibility’ is reserved for the rarest.
There might be special edition Miatas I suppose (?)
I have a 10 AE Miata in my fleet of oddball collectibles. Bought it with 6000 miles 6 years ago. It has the Bilstein sport suspension. I added some chassis bracing, a roll bar, 9.8 pound wheels with 205 series BStone RE11A tires. Most importantly it has Lotus Elise Probax seats. The funnest car I have yet driven. And I have driven a Harley.
Six years later, one coil pack and a few oil changes and a new factory top. Get in and go. I’d think a low mile car that has seen some exercise would be preferable. Have a blast and take it from 3-5k up to 30K in a few years. For the Miata haters, I’d like them to get a ride in Flying Miata LS3 version wide open (Which I have) you won’t be the same after.
I’m a long time British car owner and scoffed at them when they first arrived. I bought a 92 in 05, and it quickly became my all time favorite car. I sold it to finance a Jaguar breakdown – big surprise. Most people I see in any small convertible or on a Harley today are old, wearing baseball caps or visors, branded of course, with said vehicles logo.
I doubt the top is beyond saving. Being down it has avoided a lot of sun, ozone, and other environmental degradation, especially if the cover was in place. One caution though. The buyer should wait until July or August before putting it up. Pick mid afternoon and raise it gently but don’t latch it right away. Just let it “rest/stretch” in that position (unfolded and unlatched) for an hour or so and then latch it. I’ll bet it will be fine
I had a 2004, with Bilstein suspension, 6 speed and other goodies as part of a handling package. Incredibly fun car. I’m 6’3″ and I drove it 1300 miles to Florida in one stretch. The secret was to take my shoes off. I could stretch my legs out completely by putting my stocking feet behind the pedals. Along with some earplugs and cranking up the stereo I was very comfortable.
I think a few too many BAT trolls are over here “hating” :-( I worked for MANA (Mazda Automobiles North America) during the introduction of the MX5 (Miata). 1st year run you could only get them in Red, Blue, or White, followed later by Silver and a SE in British Racing Green. YES they don’t seem like much of a car, small, low power, perhaps a little “feminine” even. But once you drive one you’ll change your mind, and if you’ve ever raced one (on a track) you’ll be sold for life. I raced a showroom stock 1.6 Miata and it was a blast, even raced it in a hill-climb against 1000+hp cars and it held it’s own, while only putting about 65hp the rear wheels (altitude is not your friend without boost) Steve Millen driving his GTR even suggested I might be the board leader if we ran downhill ;-)……I have a 99 in my stable now, actually I gave it to my 78yo father who loves it and drives it constantly, while his 62 Herald is awaiting a full restoration (resto-mod as it will get a Miata drivetrain)…….A MIATA is a true sports car, not a muscle car, not a GT, it’s a cheap, tossable, top-down, economical, FUN car, probably the most fun car in the world at any price. If you have a small space in your garage or carport, buy one and use it as a beater, you’ll end up in love with it. As to collectability, they made a million of them, but I think they made VW made 21,529,464 air-cooled beetles, and the early ones catch quite penny……
THIS is the prime reason I read BF.
Sure, the cars are great, and some even appear here that I have never heard of before.
But it is the discussions which can be really fun and enlightening.
As for this car, and Miatas in general, I am becoming more interested in having one as the years tick by. One of my friends has one that he bought new a decade ago, and has driven it daily since.
Amazingly, it would give even this car a challenge for which is the cleanest! I Michigan, no less!
This guy’s sell price is probably close to the BIN price. So, why spend that much when a new one is $25K. This is not a collectible car, it is meant to be driven and enjoyed.
I’m like a lot of folks here: I’ve owned many performance cars, and a Miata will be my next.
I hate the Miata hate. These cars are dreams to drive. If some idiot wants to brand it a “chick car”, so be it. I’d be enjoying myself why he’s busy hating.
Well said Jim !!!
The ebay site now says it sold for $21,500 ! So someone was certainly more impressed than most of you guys ;-) Its value will go up but it will take more years than most of us have. Just from the fact that it’s in top shape and has to be one of the first, it just might find it’s way into a car museum one day soon. I’d be worried some of the seals and bushes may fail prematurely though and if the car was not blocked, all the wheel bearings (and perhaps even the tires?), will likely need changing after 25 years on the same spot! But being out of the sun was good though.