Think the Mazda MX-5 Miata was created by corporate executives in Japan? Think again. The most iconic, best-selling two-seater sports car in human history was actually born from a quick whiteboard sketch by an American automotive journalist named Bob Hall.
In this deep car history documentary essay, we reveal the untold story of how Bob Hall, Kenichi Yamamoto, and a tiny team of passionate engineers fought a secret corporate battle inside Mazda to save the lightweight roadster from complete extinction.
From illegal prototypes tested in secret on California roads to the philosophy of Jinba Ittai and the famous gram strategy, discover how the Miata changed automotive history forever.
Do you think a front-wheel-drive Miata would have survived, or was rear-wheel drive mandatory? Let us know in the comments below!
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Rear-wheel drive any time!! 🙂 – thanks for sharing this video
I don't think anybody thinks that the MX5 sprung out of the typical large corporate committees at board level.
I worked with Bob Hall at Mazda North America from 1985 until 1992. He truly was the father of the Miata.
Mazda is a small company, but it is a valuable one that has not forgotten the Japanese spirit of craftsmanship. Who could have imagined that a car—a joint American-Japanese creation—set in Hiroshima, a city that was completely destroyed during World War II, would be so beloved around the world?
ボブさん本当にありがとうございます、心から感謝しています。
Untold story?
Number of good Miata creation stories already available for a long time on YouTube.