INSPIRE

Generations of happiness

As it celebrates its 35th birthday, the Mazda MX‑5 Miata continues to build passionate, diverse communities in all four corners of the world, including leafy England.

Since its 1989 debut, the Mazda MX‑5 Miata (known as “the Five” to some) has carved out a unique niche in the history of automotive design. Not just a bestselling roadster with well over a million units sold worldwide, the Mazda MX‑5 Miata has also become a catalyst for community and camaraderie.

From South Africa’s Western Cape MX‑5 Club to the deserts of Nevada, where the Miata Owners of Vegas roam, variations of the Mazda MX‑5 Miata’s community spirit can be seen across the world. At its simplest, these communities allow members to talk about their love of the Mazda MX‑5 Miata, exchange upkeep and engineering tips, and connect with like-minded enthusiasts. At a deeper level, these clubs provide members and attendees with new experiences and broadened horizons, and create genuine, emotional connections with people whom, without the club or the car, they’d have never met.

One such example is the UK-based MX‑5 Owners Club (MX‑5 OC). With members as young as 19 and from all walks of life, it’s one of the largest Mazda MX‑5 Miata owners’ and enthusiasts’ communities on the planet: home to over 7,000 members and 34 area clubs across the country. The sense of community is everywhere. Each group hosts meet-ups, drive-outs, and social occasions ranging from catching up in restaurants to Mazda MX‑5 Miata-only track days to anniversary parades at Silverstone, the home of British motorsport.

It’s why, a few minutes before nine o’clock on a chilly English spring morning, I’ve decided to join the club for a drive-out in rural Warwickshire. As I wait in the shadow of the 16th-century Walton Hall, the birds sing, dew forms on the grass against the morning sun, and centuries-old chestnut trees sway with the breeze that floats across the fields. Once the clock strikes nine, however, the distinctive hum of a Mazda engine announces the first arrival of the club.

Adam Gill, an area coordinator for the MX‑5 OC’s North Thames area, is the first to greet me. “The experiences and the people that I’ve encountered this past ten years of my life have not only shaped my ambitions but also strengthened my wellbeing and my mental health,” he says. “There is nothing more important to me than the opportunity to talk about what the MX‑5 means to me.”

One of the more local members of the MX‑5 OC is Rhys Mainwaring, who regularly hosts meets throughout the West Midlands. “The MX‑5 is designed for the enjoyment of being out in a two-seater, well-handling car,” he agrees, behind the wheel of his third-generation Mazda MX‑5. “You can see this spirit in the owners.”

Behind them, an impressive sight is unfolding, as two limited-edition first-generation Mazda MX‑5s—Berkeley* and Dakar* editions, each one of only 400 ever produced—a top-spec fourth-generation MX‑5 and a Kuro* special edition each take their position in this impressive assembly: a fraction of the OC’s total reach. Fittingly, the chilly morning air hasn’t stopped some hardy drivers from taking the top down for a blast of spring air.

After a morning spent exploring rural England, the club makes a quick stop at Gilks’ Garage Café—itself a hot spot for classic cars and motoring enthusiasts.

“Throughout my adult life, the MX‑5 and the people that I’ve met through it have been strong and stable relationships,” continues Gill, who bought his first Mazda MX‑5 at 19 years old, before joining the MX‑5 OC shortly after. “I’ve found myself in a like-minded group of people, where anyone you meet will make you feel welcome.”

As the engines go quiet, the scene quickly becomes a regular meet-up between close friends, or a touching family reunion. Here, there’s no shortage of smiles, hugs, and cheerful greetings. Against the backdrop of the manor, conversation naturally turns to the purpose of this meet-up in this pocket of rural England: to celebrate the forthcoming 35th anniversary of the Mazda MX‑5 Miata, the world’s most-loved two-seater roadster.

While the members orbit each other’s vehicles and share anecdotes from their morning drive, it’s clear to see that this collective is enthusiastic about new members joining the ranks. A member directly responsible for this is 19-year-old Courtney Ward, the new (and visibly proud) owner of the aforementioned Berkeley edition MX‑5. Ward plays an important ambassadorial role within the club, helping to bring a younger, more digitally present audience to this community. “It’s all about inclusivity and bringing people together,” she says, having attended meet-ups for over a decade with her father, and now beginning to increase club presence across platforms including Instagram and TikTok. “I’ve grown up with the club. We’re all here because we love MX‑5. They’re like a second family to me.”

Here, all are welcome – regardless of background, gender, and driving experience. “The club breaks down barriers,” Ward confirms, the perfect example of the club’s joyful spirit. “The people stay, the relationships stay, and so does the willingness to help each other. It holds the club together.”

35 YEARS OF THE Mazda MX‑5 Miata

With 2024 marking its 35th anniversary, the plucky Mazda MX‑5 Miata has become the world’s most-loved two-seater roadster for good reason. Having debuted in 1989, the Mazda MX‑5 Miata has a characteristic lightweight design, zippy rear-wheel drive, and, of course, its now iconic first-generation pop-up headlights. Further evolutions across four generations of Mazda MX‑5 Miata included countless special editions, a 2.0-litre inline-four engine in 2005 and a retractable fastback (RF) edition in 2016, to name just two. The Mazda MX‑5 Miata was designed to be—and certainly remains, 35 years later—a fun and unassuming sports car with buckets of personality.

Another benefit, Ward explains, is the breadth of engineering expertise found across the clubs – online and offline. “There’s always somebody there to help you,” she says. Mainwaring, also an area coordinator in the West Midlands, agrees. “Mazda owners are always happy to help with engineering,” he confirms. “It’s not about who’s got the most BHP, or who’s got the most lowered car or the darkest windows, but they’re always there to help out, to fix things, and to give guidance. It’s about the car and the people.”

With the Mazda MX‑5s champing at the bit to cruise on blissful stretches of open road, Ward shares a final thought on what makes this club so special before firing up her Berkeley MX‑5 and pointing it toward Warwickshire’s rolling hills. “Having a space where I’ve never felt I couldn’t do something, or I’m not included, is just unlike anything else,” she says, as Gill shares a similar sentiment on the enduring legacy of the Mazda MX‑5 Miata. “It’s not just a product,” he says. “It’s also an experience.” Long may it reign.

Words Ed Cooper / Images Rama Knight

*Berkeley, Dakar and Kuro are original UK grade names.

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