Believe it or not, the Mk1 MX-5, or ‘NA’ within Mazda, turned 35 this year. It brought sports cars back into the mainstream and is of such historical significance, you can now have one rebuilt by the firm itself. In Japan, at least. UK buyers are a bit far away from the Roadster Restore service; besides, there are plenty of specialists here, like West Yorkshire’s MX-5 City, which can whip a tired MX-5, Roadster or Miata into shape.
Its UK market MX-5 1.8, tested here, was no exception: with just under 49,000 miles on the body, it was bought as a laid-up project which had sat since 2007. The previous owner had tried to roll the rear arches, so a new set were fitted; the original engine had overheated, so…
