This Could Be Your Last Chance To Buy A Near-Perfect, Standard, Low-Mileage Mk1 Mazda MX-5

There are two ways you can look at this car. The first is ‘ohmigod it’s an immaculate low-mileage NA MX-5 and I will do literally anything to have it in my life,’ and the second is ‘£12,000?!’ For us it’s both…

Either way, what we have here is rarer than an immaculate, manual twin-turbo Supra driven down your local high street by a bikini-clad Kate Upton. It’s an NA MX-5 that has neither clocked up a high mileage nor been abused. In fact, it hasn’t done much of anything; it’s covered just 9650 miles from its registration in 1996.

It was owned by a husband and wife, and they are the only two owners on its history. The car was originally ordered with steelies but the order was cancelled, and when it came to the replacement buyer picking up the slack, part of the deal was to add Mazda alloys and a wind deflector.

It’s an absolutely basic version, so it’s the fizzy 1.6 with manual windows, unassisted steering and, err, a heater. Younger readers may need to Google the strange ‘cassette player’ thingy, but it’s got one, and of course there’s the alloy wheel upgrade.

It’s been garaged its entire life, as you can see pretty clearly from the condition. Apart from some slight ageing on the cylinder head and what looks to us like some fading/pinking of the rear bumper it’s pretty damned perfect. Forget about rust – there isn’t even any dirt in the crevices where it usually collects.

Then there’s the interior, which looks almost like it’s never been sat in. Simple cloth upholstery is complemented by the standard, basic steering wheel and stubby gear lever. The suspension is also the factory setup, as you’ve already guessed by the fact that it’s riding somewhere up near a 747’s trans-Atlantic cruising altitude.

The Dunlop tyres in the pictures have been swapped for brand new Toyos, there are 19 MOT certificates to prove the mileage, six service stamps and even the original bill of sale. It has three keys, a tonneau cover and the roof, bar the usual rear three-quarter creases, is in near-perfect condition.

Finally, the number plate, although age-accurate, is a personalised item that comes with the car. MXV? MX-5? Geddit? Of course you do. You’re chortling so hard that you’ve just slipped a disc. So, CTzens, would you pay £11,995 for what must be one of the best NA MX-5s left anywhere in the world?