The 85 mph speedometer

Our family's early 80s Oldsmobile Cutlass had a speedometer similar to this Cadillac speedo.

It really didn't make a difference on the Olds, but other, much faster cars had them too.  Like the Mazda RX7.

And this Mercedes 450SL.

So what gives?  Well, in 1979, the U.S. federal government required cars sold here to have 85 mile per hour* speedos and something to alert the driver about the 55 mph national speed limit.  This was during a time when fuel economy and hyper-safety were of paramount concern (to regulators).  Now, I'm personally a big fan and admirer of Joan Claybrook, the then head of NHTSA (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration), but I think it's clear that this was a bad idea.  Soon, the rule was retracted.  And we're left with these relics.

*85 miles per hour is about 137 kilometers per hour.

1993 Toyota Supra Turbo review road test

Go ahead and skip to the 1:30 mark.

Here is a comparo between the Mitsubishi 3000GT Turbo, Nissan 300ZX Turbo, the Supra Turbo, and the Mazda RX7 Turbo, just before their collective demise.  Go ahead and skip to the 0:55 mark.

Top Gear compares Porsche 924 with Mazda RX7 FC

Utah U.S. marshals Ponzi scammer auction (Mazda AZ-1, Honda Beat, Nissan Figaro for sale)

All right kids, now that the auction of the century is over, I can post this.  As you may know, an alleged Ponzi schemer's vast and random collection was put on the auction block today.  Blog reader Rich decided to fly to Brigham Young territory and check out the three intriguing kei cars for sale.  So what was the auction like?  What condition were those kei cars in?  And is Rich braving the arid desert highways of Utah and Nevada right now in one of these micro machines?

What was the auction like?
Packed!  Almost two thousand brave souls traveled from all corners of our planet to bid on the 186 cars seized.  So where did they come from?  China, Australia, New Zealand, Finland, and ISRAEL(!).  Nearly all of the cars were sold for at least their reserve price (=2/3 of appraised value).

I am surprised by the number of attendees.  I think the internet really drove up the interest.  With the auction date announced by the likes of Jalopnik and Bring A Trailer, this was inevitable.  I feel bad for those who flew there thinking they would get a bargain.

What about the kei cars?
All three of these cars have titles but are export-only.  They all ended up in Utah by way of Canada.  And by the looks of these cars, they were not exactly pampered.  It didn't help that the poor overhead lighting made the cars look even more unattractive.

Mazda Autozam AZ-1 for sale:
The most intriguing aspects of this car are of course the gullwing doors.  Sadly, all four of the door struts have gone kaput.  So you'll have to go to Home Depot and buy a pair of broom handles to prop them up, hillbilly-style, because the struts are virtually impossible to find (only 4,392 AZ-1s were ever produced).  Apparently, desperate Japanese owners have resorted to McGyver-ism and fashioned their own ad hoc solutions.

Personally, I can't get over the messy exposed wiring and cell phone holder in the cockpit.  Come on, you're an auction house.  The least you can do is clear the clutter and make this rare car presentable.

It was sold for $8,250 (starting bid of $5,000).

Honda Beat for sale:
The first thing you notice is the torn rear plastic window.  Definitely an omen.  The 656 cc mid-engined Pininfarina-penned convertible is cool looking and must have out-of-this-world driving dynamics, but may be a bit too expensive at its final sale price of $8,000 (started at $5,000).

Most random find: A brochure from a Toronto plastic surgeon wedged in the interior.

Nissan Figaro for sale:
One word: rust.  Two words: rust and rust.  Sold for $8,500 (started at $4,000).

Rich left empty handed.  I definitely think he made the right move.  First, it's going to be a pain in the tookus to legalize the cars.  Though the cars are no doubt cooler than hell, they are in poor shape and were definitely abused and/or neglected.  Coupled with the lack of parts and the knowledge to work on them, this is really a no brainer.

Thanks Rich for the report!  A lot more of his pictures are here.

Here is a video news report.

Here are a couple of other cars that I found of interest.  They appear much cleaner than the Japanese trio.

Jaguar XJS

Nice Bentley Turbo R

Really nice

4500 rpm redline?

Never mind

Mazda rotary pick-up truck

I went to an impromptu Japanese classic car show yesterday in Pleasanton.  I'm not really into the scene so I am not knowledgeable about what was on display.  I did find this 13B rotary powered Mazda pick-up truck interesting though.

Best Motoring Convertible Battle

The weirdest lineup you'll ever see. Hint: Don't root for the Cappuccino.

Retromobile 2010 Mazda RX-7 With Rotary Wheels Rims

Retromobile 2010 is here! Aside from a Citroen SM prototype with a Maserati V8 (which I can't find any details on), there's this 1st gen RX-7. I've never seen these nifty rotary-engine inspired rims before. They're lovely.

Photos source.

Connecticut State Police Mazda MX-6

I'm kinda surprised that these cops have mustaches.

(Update: I noticed the guys at MX6.com just linked this page, so here are a couple more bonus pics!)

Back in the late 80s/early 90s, I read about the Connecticut State Police using Mazda MX-6s as patrol cars. I never found a picture of one, until now.

At least 30 Mazda MX-6s of different colors were used by the state police. They replaced 5.0 Mustangs and Buick Grand Nationals for speed enforcement duty. The cops wanted a car that:

• had a high performance engine,
• could handle bad weather (had to be front wheel drive),
• had a trunk that was big enough to carry the requisite gear,
• got good gas mileage,
• did not cost much more than a Crown Vic, and
• had a low profile.

The Mazda's near twin, the Ford Probe, was not chosen because it was too low for the taller troopers and its long doors (four inches longer than the Mazda's) made them a hazard on freeway shoulders when opened.

The only significant modification for police duty was a stronger alternator. They had automatic transmissions, ABS, and topped out at 120 miles per hour. Acceleration was more of an asset than top speed for chasing baddies because the state is so small, congested, and because the next trooper is just a few miles ahead.

Source: Feb. 1990 Popular Mechanics article by Mike Allen.

80s Turbo-Hatch Shootout: 944-300ZX-RX7-Starion

Please excuse the AV quality, honorable blog visitors.

Autozam Mazda AZ-1 Gullwing

I created a list of gullwinged cars recently and the AZ-1 intrigued me. Here is a clip from Motorweek about the car, presented by Lisa Barrow.

As an aside, Motorweek always has a token female report on spy shots and concept cars. Ms. Barrow, in my humble opinion, was the only competent person to fulfill this role in the last 15 to 20 years. She's marketing for Chrysler now.

These photos are from Product Design Database, which has a treasure's chest full of 80s Japanese print ads from cars to cameras.

Mazda RX7 FB Convertible

While strolling the streets of San Francisco yesterday, I was shocked to see a shiny red first generation Mazda RX7 SA/FB convertible stopped at the light. Its top was down and I had the urge to approach the driver to ask him more about his car. Before I had a chance, the light had turned green and he was gone. I didn't even have time to give him a thumbs up.

Mazda never produced convertible versions of the first RX7. The few examples I was able to find on the net were all custom jobs with different approaches in terms of how to lop off the roof and how to hide the soft top. The one I saw had very clean lines. The pictures in this post are of another example from British Columbia.

Mazda Roadpacer: Worst Idea Ever

Rotary engines have a polarizing effect. You either love them or hate them. When stuffed into a Holden land barge weighing close to 2 tons, the verdict was unanimous.

Holden Premiers were shipped to Mazda in Japan, sans engine, from 1975 to 1977.


Someone thought that it would be a good idea to stick a 13B Wankel engine into the 3,500 pound car.


The 1.3 liter rotary engine could only muster a feeble 101 lb-ft of torque. The car was molasses slow and got 9 miles to the gallon.


The car was aimed at Japanese government ministers and captains of industry. A Zoom-Zoom version of the Toyota Century or Nissan President, if you will. It included such futuristic gadgets as a chime that sounded when the car exceeded 90 clicks per hour and a dictation machine. With an MSRP of $10,000, only about 800 were sold. The rest were crushed.

Future Concours d'Lemons winner

Photo credit: Lu-Gu