Tony Haycock , 10 May 2011

The question for today – Remind me exactly WHY we drive this old crap?

And how did the question arise? Well, last week I was lucky enough to drive a very nicely restored MGA roadster. For the full story, see the next issue of Classic Driver, but suffice to say it was a far more pleasurable experience than I had anticipated! Anyway, today I tried, at the risk of having something throwing rocks through my front window, the modern equivalent. A 2006 Mazda MX5.

Owned by Henry Zelas of Christchurch, I first met Henry as a client at my day job at House of Travel. It didn’t take long to discover that Henry was first and foremost a motoring enthusiast, and back in the 1960’s successfully campaigned a Mini Cooper in saloon car racing in the South Island. Still keeping an active interest in all things motoring, Henry was keen to have me experience is current toy car. Despite approaching his 75^th year, he still drives in what can be best be described as an “enthusiastic” manner, and wasn’t shy in pointing out that I was not driving his car in an appropriately forceful manner a couple of times today.

So, what does the so-called traditional sports car enthusiast require in a suitable car? Rear wheel drive? A manual gearbox? A proper convertible hood? An engine which makes appropriately sporting noises? A maximum of two seats? Taught handling? Responsive steering? Here I present, in context of normal transport of it’s time, last week’s MGA. Or fast forward to today, the MX5.

But with a few differences. Firstly, you don’t have to be a contortion artist to gain ingress or egress to the Mazda. Once inside, the pedals are spaced for a normal person to operate. The 2 litre engine revs to 7000rpm, will do this all day happily without breaking, and will not drop oil from every orifice. Instead of four gears, it has six. Nicely spaced, and very conducive to making many more gearshifts than necessary. Just because I could! With proper wind up windows. And a hood which can be erected literally in seconds, does actually keep the water and wind out, and makes the car as habitable as a coupe. It steers exactly where you pointed, and sticks to the road like the proverbial to a blanket.

I have not tried the original incarnation of the MX5, but Henry has owned one, and feels that the earlier car is, for want of a better term, a more pure driving experience. Wishbone suspension front and rear, no power steering, and a 1600cc engine, this was a car which really needed to be DRIVEN to get the best out of it. The 2006 version is a bit softer, with a bigger engine, power assistance, decent stereo, electric windows, but the exterior look, to me is more aggressive than the original, and if you want to call it a hairdressers car, try it first, before you get your scissors out.

Now, I really love playing with old cars, but with this thought always in the back of my mind…”if this old crap was any good, why did my grandfather throw it away to buy a new one…?” I think we (even if we don’t want to admit it) drive our older cars for what they are not, as opposed to what they are.

Comments

1. Andrew Vile

   Great article Tony. We owned a 1991 and really enjoyed that car, am keen to drive the 2006 variation now!

2. Jon Borrette

   My wife and I have owned a 1990 Roadster Eunos for just over a year, its classic Red and a great car to drive. We really only use it for long trips. In town for us is a no no with all the SUV and bigger cars and vans visability is limited,diagonal parking and the super market parking pose all kinds of problems.

3. Alistair Kinniburgh

   Having been a passenger of Henrys' I can attest to his driving skill, "an appropriately forceful manner" is just the Gentlemanly comment that Henry would make, which I can interpret as: ( not being much of a gentleman) " balls out " but with exact precision, and still within the envelope" He could teach the younger fraternity a thing or two!