As is well known, when reports surfaced that Ford was to replace the Mustang with what became the Probe, letters poured in deriding the so-called “Mazdastang,” forcing Dearborn to reconsider its decision to replace its pony car outright. In a reversal of this scenario, Mazda’s RX5 flopped internationally when it was introduced in 1975, with detractors correctly pointing out that its design was a slavish copy of the era’s bloated American “personal luxury” coupes. This Mazda 121, a piston-engine variant of the Cosmo/RX-5, was spotted by jpt.continentalmkii and reminds me very much of the Mustang II. Tell me, is this the real Mazdastang?
CC Outtake: The Real Mazdastang
– Posted on February 23, 2014
Not likely. That’s an Australian plate on the front. I’ll bet that’s a “local” market Cosmo/RX5.
FoMoCo did in fact introduce a ‘Ford Probe’ (in NZ) during either the very late ’80’s or the very early ’90’s as a top end sports coupe at over $50k new even back then..
Likely the original registration number for the car too, although the plate itself is not original (it should have the “Garden State” motto). This series of number plates had problems with fading and were replaced en masse in the early 1990’s. Unless you went to special trouble you just got a new general issue plate, with a new registration number.
A friend of mine had one of these cars, I’m not sure how or why but it was in good condition and he embraced its quirky style.
Actually, seeing the photo below, my friend’s car was a fastback, which were a lot more common than the hardtop!
Our NZ Probe was the RHD version of the American gen2 (’93-’97). Mazda’s version was the MX6, also sold here during that time. The Probe made headlines as it was available with colour-flip paint which cost an absolute fortune to match if the car was damaged. Insurance companies were unimpressed I believe.
It looks more Monza Towne Coupe than Mustang II.
I thought of the same thing, looks like a long lost distant relative of the Monza Towne coupe.
+1
That’s what I always thought
Exact same thought here, too. Monza Town Coupe with that roofline and vinyl treatment.
That front end looks like it came off a ’74 Satellite or Road Runner. Not a good look at all.
Mazda 121 by the look of it with that retarded vinyl half roof treatment, if yer gunna have a roof like that make it real like a coupe deville Zodiac or the real thing like this Hispano
Interestingly, this variant was planned for the US, but poor sales of the regular fastback RX-5/Cosmo (it was badged Cosmo in the US, the only RX car to use its Japanese market name here rather than the RX nomenclature) meant that it wasn’t offered here.
I don’t care for it, and nothing with a rotary was likely to sell well in the mid-to-late 70s in the US, but when you consider the success of various Broughams here while fastback personal coupes like the Matador floundered, it makes you wonder.
Personally, I really like the fastback coupe and dislike this as looking dull, but I like pretty much all the rotary Mazdas so my taste doesn’t count for much! 🙂
I realize none of us have mentioned what this model was actually called, which in Japan was Cosmo L (for Landau). In the Japanese market, the piston-engined Cosmo L was the Cosmo L 2000 AP; export 121s had the 1.8-liter engine, but in Japan, that was offered only on the fastback coupe. The L had three engine choices: the 1,970cc four from the Luce, the 12A, and the 13B.
Perry, small typo – in ozspeak that’s a 929. Disappeared off the roads here, haven’t seen one in ages. I don’t remember this brougham version, its the colonnade fastback that sticks in my mind. Your rare red example is Victoria, Aust plated.
BTW, jpt.continentalmkii has some very nice exotics for anyone cohort-bound.
No, definitely 121. The piston engine version of the RX4 coupe wore 929 badges.
The tail lights put me in mind of the Hillman Avenger/Plymouth Cricket. Probably not what Mazda wanted them to put me in mind of, but they do.
Are you sure you’re not thinking of the RX-4/Luce? This looks like an RX-5/Cosmo.
Could be. The front end of my example is same as yours. I’m assuming its the 929 because the 121 was the mini jelly bean Mazda of the 90s. We had rotaries here under the RX naming, but we didn’t get the Cosmo/Luce badging. Top of the line – 929, next model down – 626. Any other cobbers able to chime in?
121 was originally the piston-engined variant of the Cosmo.
You’re right, I just found a brochure cover with the 121 name. Don’t remember that at all. I retract my correction. Learning more everyday.
I thought it was a photo shop at first.No wonder I’ve never seen one it’s an ugly brute
I guess that’s destined to remain a “who knows”.
Piston Rx2(Capella)–616
Piston Rx3(Grand Familia/Savanna)–808/818
Piston Rx4(Luce)–929
Piston Rx5(Cosmo)–121
The disappointment of the Rx5 Cosmo is that the weight of the car sucked the liveliness out of the rotary engine power plant, leaving the poor fuel mileage and quirky long term maintenance routines. The automatic transmission also hurt the performance.
The piston engine 616 and 808 were sold in the US, but in very low numbers, as people gravitated to the rotary engine versions, as the rotary back in the day was the supposed solution to everything, like the hybrid car is today. When it was time for a safety bumper and pollution control upgrade about 1974, they were dropped out of the Mazda US lineup. The piston versions of the Rx4 and the Cosmo were never offered in the US. The 808 came back to the US in the late ’70s as the “Mizer”, to fill the high fuel mileage slot in the offerings, until the “GLC”, the US version of the new 323, was rolled out, roughly at the time of the introduction of the first Rx7. Until the clear division between the two seat Rx7 and the rest of the less sporty Mazda piston engine offerings in the late 1970s, the piston Mazdas lived in their own little world, unrecognized by most in the US. The 121, had it been offered in the US, probably would have filled the last couple of slots in the back of the new car section of the Mazda dealerships, as the 616 and the 808 had often done before it.
We also got the R100 rotary, same body as the Mazda 1200. Capella is the only name badge I can remember here.
The R100 was the Mazda Familia; in Japan, it was called Familia Rotary Coupe. The Familia is the ancestor of the later 323/Protégé line and the modern Mazda Axela/3.
As was pointed out to be when I surveyed the early Mazda RE cars, Mazda took some pains to distinguish the Savanna/RX-3 from the 808/818 piston-engined cars. They were structurally and mechanically related, but they were more differentiated than the Capella or RWD Luce were.
R100 also known as Familia Presto Rotary (wiki, don’t know which market). Orig R100 went at auction over here for mid 5 figures. Really great looking car, also love the piston wagon but too small for me.
It’s been really interesting following the Colt/Galant saga. The Japanese don’t mind their names jumping categories. The 121 above really threw me, from top to bottom is a long way to jump.
Capella was a 626 in later life they were still using that badge in the 90s, and yeah the little Autozam was called 121 for OZ as was the Kia built Ford Fiesta
To me it looks like a Japanese interpretation of a Monte Carlo.
There were a looooot of those in Japan in the late ’70s — the Cosmo fit right in. Look up the hardtop versions of the MX30 Toyota Mark II (Cressida) or Chaser and you’ll see what I mean.
The greenhouse reminds me of a 1980s Regal.
This is a new one to me. Great find!
Mazda 121 coupe, not RX5, RX5 was fastback only in Oz.
KJ
These would have had a 13B in Japan, probably with the manual box with torque converter set up. I saw a lot of these container engines but never saw a torque converter manual fitted to a RX 2/3 /4, I suspect the bellhousing was too big.
JDM Cosmos of this vintage offered both the 12A and 13B, the latter with 135 PS (JIS gross).
As for the transmission, most Mazda rotaries from 1972 on also offered the three-speed JATCO automatic, which I assume went into a lot of Cosmos of this vintage. The rotary Cosmo was expensive and rather thirsty, so I imagine most buyers who wanted a sporty car would have opted for the RX-7 instead.
(The JDM car was also available with either 1.8 or 2.0-liter piston engines, which didn’t use the fluid clutch transmission.)
We got these 121/RX5/Cosmos in coupe and fastback forms, either new or among the initial 1980s waves of used JDM imports too (they were too old by then to come in in big numbers though). There aren’t too many left here now though, because they were a) unloved and b) had 5-speed gearboxes which bolt directly into the RX2/3/4. I’d say 90% of our 121/RX5/Cosmos gave their lives so that the far more popular RX2/3/4 could gain an extra gear.
If anyone’s interested in comparing a 121 and a Cosmo, someone on trademe has a NZ new ’78 121 and a JDM used import ’78 Cosmo for sale as a matched pair. Both factory 1800cc (which surprised me as I thought the Cosmo was always rotary, but wikipedia and the car for sale say not). The ad is here: http://www.trademe.co.nz/motors/used-cars/mazda/121/auction-692068538.htm
Regardless of coupe or fastback, or engine, I love the interior of the 121/RX5/Cosmo. The dash style really works for me – I even like the steering wheel (although I remember the car magazines at the time derided it as more befitting an elderly MG!).
Ick. How do you say “lounge lizard” in Japanese?
Funny you should ask, it’s ラウンジトカゲ What, you were being facetious? 😉
Hehehe. You made me snort milk over breakfast, Scott.
😀
Would you really write “lizard” in katakana, though?
Guys, please stop. My nostrils can only take so much milk.
Sure you would; seeing as it’s an integral feature of the Mazdastang there’d even be a dedicated entry for it on the fuse box lid, right next to クルーズコントロール (cruise control)! What, you didn’t order Package C23a: “Lounge Lizard, Cruise Control and Plush Velvetesque Seats”?
youve owned too many ex JDM cars, it shows
5 JDM Nissans, 4 NZ-assembled UK Fords, 1 USA Dodge. So I’m running at a 50% average so far. Given I’d like a Ford Territory diesel next (when they get cheap enough second hand), it’ll swing the balance in the non-JDM favour! Dunno if the Tezza’s available with Package C23a though, I’d really miss the ラウンジトカゲ feature…
Maybe they were holding out for the リチュコリンチヤンレザル version.
(Not sure if I got that quite right, but you get the idea.)
Yeah, but nah.
I ‘m not sure what リチュコリンチヤンレザル is, so I shall say touché and bid you adieu!
A quick ‘n’ dirty restyle of the B pillar ( or should that be ‘pillars’) looks better.
And the Japanese spec mirrors! There a people (misguided to be sure) who actually go
out of their way to fit those abortions on Japanese cars that don’t have them on export versions
It’s incredible what removal of the central opera window does for the Cosmo fastback’s profile. That is genuinely a really attractive car. I’ve always liked the Cosmo, but your quick fix improves the looks by 100%.
To everyone out there wondering about the car, it is a mazda 121l with a factory MA 2L piston motor. Have owned it now for a few months.
Like this mazda 121 l, (seems I am one of the few), sometimes called landou in (the netherlands).
Most of these I have seen (but not very often) where green with green vinyl top, brown velour interior and trim, specific alloy wheels or just chrome trim rings and exposed nuts, color keyed body side molding , bumper guards front and rear, chrome mirror, and 5 speed gearbox, and ofcourse the 2.0 liter engine.
I always loved these cars.