At $22,500, Is This 1990 Mazda MX-5 Miata The Answer To Our Prayers?

While it's a basic, steel wheels, hand-crank windows edition, today's Nice Price or No Dice Miata still has everything you could ask from Mazda's instant classic sports car. Let's see if this clean, low-mileage example's price is also everything we could want.

Probably the most oft-quoted line in Spielberg's 'Jurassic Park' is Jeff Goldbloom's Ian chastising Richard Attenborough's John Hammond, saying, "your scientists were so preoccupied with whether or not they could, they didn't stop to think if they should."

A similar question could be asked about why the 1976 Pontiac Sunbird Coupe we looked at last Friday has been kept in such pristine condition over the past 50 years and with so little use (8,585 miles). Lacking any noble provenance or anything particularly interesting about its performance or purpose, its existence is notable only for its near-spotless presentation and almost-as-new condition. Likely, however, there's someone out there for whom such a car hits a sweet spot, whether it be for nostalgia's sake or some weird car kink that we're not here to judge. What we are here to judge is price tags, and the $6,995 asking price on Friday's Pontiac proved that the next owner would get a fairly reasonable deal. At least that's the expectation based on all your comments and the 53% 'Nice Price' vote the Sunbird enjoyed when the votes were counted.

So, last Friday's Pontiac was a car that had somehow survived the decades, but caused consternation as to just why that had happened. In contrast, today's 1990 Mazda MX-5 Miata has every reason to be in our good graces and on our want list. Happily, it too appears to be nearly completely stock and in Mary Poppins' "practically perfect in every way" form.

According to the ad, this base NA Miata is a "LAUNCH EDITION," however, I don't recall if carmakers were engaging in such poppycock back then. What is verifiable, per the body info tag, is that the car was built in May of 1989, which the seller claims was the second, or perhaps even the first month of production. That makes it... well, an early production car that's likely identical to those built in June, July, blah, blah, blah. On the plus side, like last Friday's Pontiac, this Miata does look like it just rolled out of Mazda's Ujina Plant Number 1 in Hiroshima.

When Mazda introduced the NA Miata at the Chicago Auto Show in early 1989, the company kept the color palette simple, offering just three hues—Classic Red, Crystal White, and Mariner Blue. Silver was quickly added to the mix, and later, black, yellow, and various other special-edition colors were introduced over the course of the initial model's run. The Mariner Blue paint on this car is one of the rarer choices from that initial run. Everyone back then, it seems, wanted red, while a few imagination-less folks went for white, perhaps to match their home appliances.

Those early cars offered simple drivetrain options as well. Naturally, the engine is a 1.6-liter DOHC four-valve-per-cylinder inline four producing 115 horsepower and 100 pound-feet of torque. Here, that's mated to the preferred five-speed manual transmission. A torque box connects the transmission to the rear end for added stiffness.

This is a base model, so it lacks the more commonly seen factory alloys, rolling instead on a set of 14-inch steelies that offer their own aesthetic appeal. Another parsimonious element is the window winders, which are manually-cranked rather than electrically actuated. I know, it's like crossing the sweeping prairie in a Conestoga wagon!

A major plus is this car's condition and low mileage. It appears to be nearly factory fresh, with gleaming paint, no curb rash on those handsome silver-painted steel wheels, and not a ding or dent in sight. Heck, the nose is even free of any unfortunate holes drilled for a license plate mount.

The interior is just as jaw-dropping. The Miata's seats–which, owing to their bolstering and the car's low egress and ingress, typically show significant wear and tear–are in almost perfect shape on this car. Likewise, the floor mats—you know, where you put your grimy feet—are in fairly pristine condition. None of the plastics, including all the tactile surfaces like the steering wheel, shift knob, and door levers, shows any wear or grunge either.

Craigslist

This is all attributable to the car's extremely low mileage of 37,900 miles. It's not all stock, however. The radio appears to have been replaced with some sort of aftermarket unit with a removable or fold-out face. The top is also a replacement, but it benefits from a glass rear window and a nice fit. According to the seller, the car has a clean title. Per the pictures, the registration tags expired a month back, but that's likely just the timing of those shots.

The reason given for the Mazda's sale is that the present owner (who is only the car's second owner) claims to have bought a brand-new Miata, and, obviously, not being aware of the lure and value of the original over any model that has come after, has chosen to give this one up as a result.

Of course, they're not going to just give the car away. In fact, at $22,500, this NA Miata is on the high side. That's not to say it's not an excellent deal, however. These cars are at the bottom of the bell curve, where lots of them are either modded out the ying-yang or are total fright pigs, with few in this nice of condition or of such a value that makes restoration a viable option.

With that in mind, let's now ponder this Miata and that $22,500 price tag. Does that feel fair given that the Miata is always the answer, no matter what the question? Or does that price leave you questioning whether the world has gone all topsy-turvy?

You decide!

Los Angeles, California, Craigslist, or go here if the ad disappears.

Hat tip to Dean P. for the hookup!

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