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.

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The second-generation Mazda MX5, known as make NB, was first previewed at the Tokyo Motor Show in 1997. With big shoes to fill, it came hot on the heels of the predecessor NA which first appeared in 1989. Showcasing new headlights and a smoother body design borrowed from the third generation FD RX7, it arrived to showrooms with great fanfare in 1999 and remained in the market until its replacement, the NC, appeared in 2005.

Powered by a 1.8-litre inline-four engine, the NB produced 140 horsepower with 119 lb-ft of torque. A five-speed manual transmission and a four-speed automatic gave buyers options in lifestyle. In Early 2000, Mazda introduced a Facelift to the NB model which provided us with a revised front end and interior. We all saw the introduction of the VVT motor making 152 Horsepower and 133 lb-ft of Torque and 6 speed Manual transmission, in 2004 Mazda decided to add a turbocharged variant of the NB to their lineup or better known as the SE. A slighter wider frame, stiffer chassis to improve handling and reduce body roll and revised suspension ensured a more balanced ride than the NA. Larger anti-roll bars, firmer springs and more responsive shock absorbers, 162 horsepower and 152 lb-ft from the turbocharged 1.8L completed a package of versatility and everyday enjoyment on the road.

Inside, the NB model featured improved ergonomics and more comfortable seats. The driving experience was supplemented by a CD player and optional air conditioning, power windows, and leather seats. A fixed glass rear window was available in the convertible top. Excluding the base model, NB’s come with a three-spoke Nardi-branded steering wheel. Convertible or fixed roof options were also made available, whether for around town or a big day at the track.

When one looks at the legacy of the Mazda lineup, few would have foreseen the powerful brap and hum of the signature rotary being overtaken by a small front mid-engine, rear wheel drive roadster that once appeared with pop up headlights, a later Mazdaspeed turbo variant and a potential electric next-generation model that has always promised to deliver the ‘joy of driving’. The direction of market demand, engine development and emerging societal choices are all part and parcel of a design team’s challenge that later becomes the considerations of a prospective owner.

One of those owners is MX5 owner Mystia, and this is her story.

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I swore to myself I would never buy another car from Gumtree. I promised myself this after the Lexus LS400; my first car, my beloved. I looked for months and months, because I thought, oh, Miata’s are cute, I like pop-ups, when I was stupid and young and didn’t know any better. I was 25.

Leeton is a small town situated in the Riverina region of New South Wales, west of Wagga Wagga and deep in the Murrumbidgee Irrigation Area. In Wiradjuri country and like the city of Canberra and neighboring township of Griffith, it was designed by Walter Burley Griffin in the early 20th century. It’s famously known as Australia’s rice capital.

It’s also home to a black NB hardtop. It suits Mystia’s aesthetic, looks pretty and in really good condition. For a total of $12 thousand dollars, it’s ticking all the right boxes despite high kilometres. The owner is honest, named Jarrod, and the pair are still friends through Instagram. She borrows her grandmother’s car, a Hyundai i30, to make the long journey from Wollongong on the state’s central south coast to embrace what could soon be the roadway escape she’s seeking.

The day Mystia looks at the car, Jarrod tells her to take the car for a whole day test drive. It’s September and she drives around the yellow gold of canola fields. Her partner at the time takes the wheel as she’s without a license. He gives his praise and a part payment changes hands. Two weeks later Mystia fully buys the car and she joins the Mazda family. This is an owner whose investment in machines is one of respect and love, as one would bestow a fellow human being. Like those before the NB, she solidifies a name to invest a personality in the little black car from Leeton – Smol.

Like the car, Mystia’s has had a fulfilling life. But it’s not been one without its challenges. Returning to the coast, she is not only staring down the barrel of a beautiful car awaiting the open road, but gaining her driver’s licence at a later stage in life with a less than desirable supporting environment.

When I learned to drive with the NB, I was messed up when I was getting my license. It was after I had to move back to the coast and I lost so much weight. I didn’t eat, I was completely nonfunctional. All I did was driving lessons with my Mum’s ex and that was it. I pretty much only stayed awake to do those and then went back to sleep. I didn’t do anything else for a really long time. I got so ill that my family basically didn’t let me keep learning in my car. Because they said I wouldn’t be able to get my license fast enough

She would commence her learning in an automatic Hyundai i30, dubbed the Insane 30. It’s an awful vehicle that doesn’t appeal to her taste at all. A learning instructor accuses her of damage already existing, she fails her learning tests twice and rage quits soon after. Like so many Australians facing their personal leaps and bounds, Mystia knows an escape is sitting under a car cover outside, beckoning its owner to come and embrace her journey back to self. Of all people, it’s her Grandma who jumps in the passenger seat and encourages her to get cracking on a self-taught journey to the tarmac.

After some trial and error and a few boosts to the confidence metre, Mystia finally gains her licence and records her first drive via dashcam. What was there the whole time, through days of darkness and glimpses of something more, is finally alive in a 1.8-litre inline-four engine blasting across rolling hills of dairy greens and through ancient forests.

Jamberoo Road on the Illawarra Escarpment becomes the first drive for Mystia as she races from her house up to her grandfather’s residence. A personal favourite, a sunny day and the tight twists and turns high above the coastline delivers a reprieve from the shadows of mental health and struggles of alcohol addiction. It inspires a new meaning to her life’s journey; a reason to get out of bed, to be drenched in coastal rains during storms in the pursuit of protecting Smol from the elements. Her NB MX5 delivers a reason to care about something when Mystia, for a time, doesn’t care about herself.

It doesn’t matter what it is for you. It could be knitting. It doesn’t matter – as long as you’ve got something to care about. When you can’t care about yourself, even though everyone says you have to, sometimes you just can’t. There’s nothing wrong with living for your car. When you need it, it’s a crutch. At least it’s working. That really helps

Smol is running a stock engine with Magnaflow exhaust. It exudes a tone that Mystia adores and identifies to her car immediately. Lowered on stock rims, there’s little to speak of in the way of mods beyond the usual repair and repaint of a loved and cherished car. Her favourite addition is her floor mats, displaying the text ‘Roadster’ and believed to be from an NA. Though in poor condition, they’re super plush.

An interior dome light modification has enlivened the cabin in a bright purple LED. Added gauges, painted brake calipers in thundering midnight purple and pink reflectors at the front bumper corners capture a blushing look perfectly suited to a Miata. Lamin-X, a film applied using a hair dryer, turns the fog lights yellow and assists a set of bright LED’s that has reduced the amount of early blows bestowed to the car by other drivers.

While oil changes and passion keep the car in a state of function, some work lies ahead for Smol. The synchro’s require a review, so too her valve lash and a disobedient roof liner that hopelessly falls on passengers with little to no warning (though, she notes, sticky tape is doing a good job).

There’s nothing like having a car that you trust and rely on, that you learn to drive in. And then suddenly, hey, you’re on the Hume Highway and suddenly you can’t go into gear anymore. And that’s it. And then the first time that happens, you lose trust in the car and you start to doubt yourself. You question every shift.

A set of additional NB8C wheels are also desired. But perhaps the biggest change is the wish to move on from the heat inducing black paint finish to a lavender frost metallic, which in Mystia’s eyes is the prettiest colour around. As she notes, she always disliked girly colours but to look at it reminds her of happy memories. Not only memories, but a place tens of thousands kilometres away in California called Tokyo Cream. An ice cream store, she always visited at sunset when the light was at its best. The purple reminds her of an ice cream flavour they stocked called purple rain.

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Speaking of memories, Mystia cites a time when, on her return to Jamberoo, she became stuck behind a far slower driver that incurred an overtake. Seeing the maneuverer, a Porsche behind her performed the same move and kept up with her all the way to the township. Unsure of the outcome, the driver took the opportunity when stopped beside her to commend Mystia on her driving and acknowledge how great it was to see a young female driver really being at one with the MX5.

To Mystia, Mazda means fun. In a life of ups and downs, fun is a feeling she now treasures in the way of a community, one that could be in the United States, Europe or even Thailand. In all these places exist a dedicated group of Mazda enthusiasts who apply their own input and flavour to create communities that bring together people from a broad cross section of society. While she adores Smol, she is full of praise for the ND which she says is a dream car that is accessible and full of agility for different owners and groups.

I love that it brings people together no matter where you are. That you can get help from Mazda no matter where you are. Wherever you are, it’s easy to work on, it’s easy to get parts. It doesn’t matter. Half my parts come from the UK. They come from here and there. No matter where you go, everyone’s got different parts. Everyone’s got different everything, but it’s all for one car.

And that car is one that during 2023 sold a total of 653 vehicles, up 31.9 percent from the prior year in the Australian market. In 2024 that figure rose again 23.6 percent in the same period. It’s a car that refuses to die and always remains stylish, reinventing itself time and again for new audiences and enticing old owners to consider a renewal or a second in the garage. But for all the words on the street of electrification and futurism, the heartbeat that is the NB, itself derived from the soul that is the NA, will always be hard to beat.

Especially when the Mystia’s of the world are out there carving up the mountain roads, escaping not only the city but the past and reinventing themselves to be the person they’ve always desired, and succeeding at every turn – one gear change at a time.

Photographed at Red Hill Lookout, Manuka Arcade and the Kingston Foreshore by Anthony Barnes of We Love Our Cars Photography featuring Mystia’ 2001 Mazda NB8C MX-5. Article and video hosted by Kevin Ha at StreetScene. Words, research and assembly by Justin Bush for MazdACT Stories, November 2024.

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