Steve began his Mazda journey early in life with a bright red 1974 RX2 sedan as his first car. It had a 13B engine built by legendary Mazda mechanic Jon Waterhouse of Reliance Automotive and was an addictive little rocket-ship. It was from here that a lifelong passion for rotaries would lead him to obtaining what is considered the great-grandfather of Mazda rotaries; the Cosmo Sport.
My very first car was a RX2 Capella, four door. I was 17 years old. The engine had been recently replaced with a 13B extend port – built by Jon Waterhouse at the time. It was an incredible little car; and it’s a bit of a bug, once you’ve driven a rotary it stays with you forever. I’ve been fortunate enough later on in life to be able to reacquire some rotors, but the Cosmo is pretty special given how rare it is and the world-wide appeal of the model
Mazda chose the name Cosmo as a reflection of the international cultural fascination with the space race, showcasing the rotary engine as forward-thinking with a focus on future developments and technology. This model, a 1971 Series 2 (L10B), spent many years in the ownership of a private collector in Japan before being shipped to New Zealand. Its global appeal would result in a private collector from the UK then sourcing the car and ultimately, in early 2021, the Cosmo finally arrived on Australian soil.
After a thorough inspection and tune by Reliance Automotive, the only major work required was the replacement of the original 52-year-old fuel pump, with an exact replacement sourced and installed. An aftermarket stereo system was installed sometime in the 1980’s and so too an aftermarket steering wheel added for ease of driving.
It wasn’t running a hundred percent when it came over, so it spent about two months with Jon Waterhouse. We added reproduction stickers on the engine bay, but the only thing it needed was a good tune. The carburetor, for example, is hand made. The whole car is handmade. Once he went through it, it was a dream to drive
Mazda produced the Cosmo in very limited numbers with only 833 Series 2’s ever built. Every Cosmo was handmade by Mazda technicians instead of on a production line as per other Mazda’s at the time. The Series 2 Cosmo’s were also more powerful than the Series 1 that they replaced, and in their day could execute a brisk quarter mile time of 15.8 seconds – incidentally quicker than a 350 GTS Monaro of the same era.
It’s an original 10A engine. The Cosmo’s only came out with the original 10A, similar to the R100’s. The castings on the original 10A for the Cosmo’s are completely different to all the other Mazda’s
Steve believes rare cars like the Cosmo should be drivable museum pieces, such as those seen in Japan and Germany. Drawing the attention of several members of the public during this story alone, the Cosmo both intrigues and captures the minds of anyone fortunate enough to see it. He believes these vehicles are works of art in their own right, and that they need to be driven, shared and enjoyed by all.
I think they’ll always be a place for these old cars. With research on synthetic fuels, I don’t think internal combustion engines are dead by any means; Porsche is investing heavily into that technology, so I think they’ll have a place in history. Cars will be something that you can always look at and appreciate. It’s another form of art, whether it’s a painting, a nice building, or a rolling piece of automotive art, the public continue to appreciate it
Update (2024) – Unfortunately Steve went on to sell the Cosmo to a collector in Melbourne, Victoria. As he conveyed to us at the time;
Strangely enough it was for sale late last year and I did take it off the market. But I have one collector in Melbourne who is very keen on picking it up, so it may be moving on to a new home. Why would I sell this beauty – simply because I’m 6”2 and I struggle to get into it and actually drive it. These cars need to be driven
The MazdACT Story team are most grateful to have been afforded the opportunity to spend time with the Cosmo Sport, a moment in motoring circles not likely to ever occur again in the nation’s capital or elsewhere in Australia. Like all good art, one only truly appreciates such craftsmanship when it’s gone.
(Steve also offers a big thank you to Jon Waterhouse at Reliance Automotive for his infinite knowledge and mastery on all things Rotary)
Photographed at the Australian National University by Photographer Sal Witchalls at Snaps By Sal Photography feat Steve and the 1971 Series II Mazda Cosmo. Words and arrangement by Justin Bush for MazdACT Stories, August 2023 with an updated revision exclusive to StreetScene, December 2024.
Any reuse of images must be credited with watermark to Snaps By Sal Photography.
For more great content, please support the creators at
Snaps By Sal Photography