Last week, my daughter and I took a road trip from LA to Albuquerque, New Mexico in our 1990 Mazda Miata. Here it is resting in the Arroyo del Oso Park (Canyon of the Bear Park) in northeast Albuquerque. The trip added 1,600 miles to the odometer and required twenty four hours of seat time (12 hours out and 12 hours back). This car has appeared in in a number of my articles (typicaly posing in the background of a picture), and I decided it was time to recognize my faithful steed and do a complete write up.
My wife and I bought this car used in 1995 (with about 30,000 miles) and have owned it ever since. We paid a premium price for it, but was in perfect condition at the time of purchase. The salesman card attached to the Owner’s Manual indicated it was first sold in Orange County, California, and we subsequently bought it from a Mazda dealer in Littleton, Colorado. It served as my wife’s daily driver for the first ten years of ownership, and remains with us today as a weekend fun car. Nine years after we bought it, we relocated to Southern California, returning our Miata to its original stomping grounds.
There’s little need to describe the Miata for a group of automotive enthusiasts. We’re all familiar with Mazda’s automotive interpretation of “horse and rider as one,” so I’ll talk about my ownership experience with this car, a first year model. It came with power steering, a leather-wrapped steering wheel, aluminum alloy wheels and cassette stereo (the “A Package”). As the pictures shows, I upgraded to a larger wheel and tire combo, but I do have the factory wheels in storage in my garage.
This engine shot shows the heart of the Miata, a 1600 cc straight four with Dual Overhead Cams. The engine mounts longitudinally, since the Miata uses a classic front engine, rear wheel drive layout. This driveline harkens back to the classic British sports car, and the designers even shaped the engine components to provide the same look and feel. For example, the valve cover appears to house a traditional chain drive for the camshafts, when in fact the engine uses a cogged rubber drive belt.
This picture also shows the one under-hood modification I’ve made- I salvaged a factory cruise control system from a junkyard Miata, and installed it in our car to improve open road cruising. Total investment was about $125 and four or five hours of my time.
Over the years, I’ve been very intimate with this engine bay, primarily to perform age related maintenance. I’ve replaced the clutch and camshaft drive belt, the valve seals, and rebuilt the starter and alternator. In most cases I did the work to prevent failure, rather than performing the repairs because of failure.
The car did have one annoying glitch for a while, an occasional stall while coming to a stop. I determined the idle air control valve was at fault, and after pricing a replacement online ($ 449.10!), I found a suitable replacement in the junkyard ($ 25). With the replacement installed, the car has never stalled again.
This picture emphasizes the purity of the Miata cockpit (please excuse the missing cover under the steering column- I was working under the dash prior to our trip, and left the panel laying at home on the workbench). The hooded gauges, center stack containing audio and HVAC controls, and handy shift lever work together to deliver the perfect cockpit environment. You can also see that Mazda chose quality materials for this car. The steering wheel, seat cover, door panel, and carpet are all original equipment, and in great shape considering the car’s age and mileage (24 years with over 130,000 miles).
To be fair, I did replace the shifter boot- 20 years of brisk shifting created a few small holes along the seams. Also, you can see the faceplate for a trunk mounted CD changer in the center console- I installed it for my wife as a birthday present seventeen years ago.
I also made two other cosmetic modifications for my wife- The stainless steel scuff plate visible in this picture…
And this image of Hobbs staring in from the passenger’s quarter window. He’s a very patient tiger, having lived out in the cold for over seventeen years.
Over eighteen years of car ownership, you pick up a few dents and dings. My wife ripped the lower edge of front bumper in a parking lot mishap many years ago. I’ve considered a couple fixes for it (using a patch kit, overlaying an aftermarket spoiler, or buying a replacement cover), but at some point these flaws become part of the car’s identity, and fixing them could diminish an old friend’s character.
This picture shows some a couple more issues. Prior to our road trip, I repaired multiple rips in the top using iron-on jean patches. I was concerned the patches would fly off over the ensuing 1,600 miles, but they remained in place and prevented unwanted breezes in the cabin until our safe return home.
This is the car’s second top, which included a glass window to replace the original plastic. We installed it while living in Colorado, and I recommend a glass backlight for all cold climates, since plastic windows tend to shatter in cold temperatures (ask me how I know…). However, the glass is heavy and hard to zip in place while raising the roof, so now that we reside in California, our next top may return to a plastic window.
As I said, we purchased this car in 1995, a year before the birth of my daughter. Now that she’s seventeen, we’re using the Miata for her driving training. She enjoys the visibility provided by top down driving, and now thinks all other cars are “too big,” but our training sessions have not been drama free.
This picture shows one such dramatic moment. During an early driving session, Sara was driving in a quiet industrial park. A car in the adjacent lane kicked over a piece of steel rebar, which popped up and pierced the sheetmetal floorboard of the Miata. It ended up driving itself about three inches into the driver’s foot well. I’ve removed the rebar, pounded down the floorboard, and patched the hole, but this rip in the carpet remains as evidence of that freak accident. Sara was not hurt, but it certainly reminded both of us that anything can happen while you’re behind the wheel!
Despite that close call, I harbor many positive feelings for our Miata. To tell the truth, we bought it as my wife’s car, but since then I’ve grown very fond of it, and have logged most of it’s miles over the past ten years.
This picture includes a bridge in the background because the Miata now bridges across all our family members- My wife drove it while pregnant with our daughter, I now drive it as a weekend toy, and starting this year my daughter will use it as her daily driver. I never thought I’d own a car “all my life” but the Miata is proving to be such a car.
I think it comes down to this- While the Miata will never be a car that can do all things for all people, it perfectly delivers on those things it can do. Few cars reach that level of perfection, and when you find one that does, it’s tough to let it go.
What causes some to repair their cars while most elect to start over? I would be interested to see empiric research. Myself, I try to stick to a budget while maintaining garage and driveway space. My dear wife cares not a whit what she drives, just that it start and not nag her for gas or repairs. I realized recently she really does appreciate my efforts when I overheard her say ” we are lucky to have the built-in mechanic – it lets me spend the savings on the yard and cameras”. The Miata is in every sense a family member – it has its own personality and faults gladly forgiven by the beneficiaries of its largesse. Great story, thank you.
I have come close a couple of times to getting an older Miata. But whenever I was ready, I could not find the right car (and the other way around as well). One of these is still on my bucket list. I have found that even in the rusty midwest, there are a lot of these kept as hobby cars that do not see a lot of winter use.
I do have one recommendation for you – get your daughter an old Panther to drive and keep the Miata for yourself. Think of the Panther as a big, safe sacrificial anode for the Mazda. When your daughter gets into her first (hopefully) minor fender bender, you will only care about her and not the car. Then you can go for a drive in your Miata.
Excellent advice JP. When my daughter turned 16 (26 years ago) I bought a used 1985 VW Golf for my personal driver and for her to drive. It was one of the best cars in the government crash tests at the time. She totaled the Golf on the 2nd day she had her license by making a slow left turn in front of a Camaro trying to make it through the light on yellow. Result: no injuries to her or her girl friend both strapped in the front seat. My wife’s sister in the back seat with no belt on had a concussion. She recovered fully but it took quite a while. Long term result: my daughter is now 41 and has never had another accident.
I speak from personal experience. My three kids have given our old Crown Vic some gray hairs. The last one drove it through a ditch and into some heavy bushes, grazing a stop sign on the way. Some things were bent and scraped, but she was fine. The car was old enough and had served long enough that it wasn’t really a big deal to me. She is still driving it and has come to love it (and is the first one since my Mom, the first owner, who really loves that dark metallic plum color).
Out in California that’s not a bad idea. But around here panthers aren’t all that great as winter cars. They are not terrible by any means, but require more skill and attention when negotiating icy roads than typical front wheel drive cars. The agument could be made both ways I suppose as you can’t build skills by taking the easy route.
We are in Indianapolis, so snow driving is just part of the learning curve. With RWD and no ABS, learning to drive in snow for my kids is sort of like the old joke about learning to swim by being thrown into the lake. “Once I chewed my way out of the burlap sack, the rest was easy!” 🙂
I gotta second this. My father loved his Karmann Ghia, but he let me take my automotive knocks in an assortment of old malaise-era detroit iron that we weren’t attached to before I took it to college. I never even dented the bumper on the Ghia. Get your daughter a safe but cheap sacrificial beast that will keep her safe from inattentive idiots until situational awareness is second nature to her. Then she’ll be ready for the Miata.
I’m going to disagree. If she likes the size of the Miata, get her one of her own. They’re no more expensive than a Crown Vic, and IMO any safety advantage of the CV’s size is outweighed by its sheer bulk and poor handling.
I’ve heard that advice from a number of sources, and thank you for your concern. However, I feel the Miata provides it’s own advantages to a young driver, starting with great brakes and a nimble size. As Joe points out, Sara also has no interest in driving a tank.
I also don’t wish to assume my kid is going to go out and wreck her first car. Sara is a very cautious driver, and will be driving on residential roads far from the type of open highways folks see in the Midwest. Of course, here in California we also don’t have room to park four or five different cars in the driveway. Based on the resources available, using the Miata makes the most sense.
Miatas have dynamic safety from excellent maneuverability and braking, excellent outward vision (even top up it beats my Prius), and small size (it’s a smaller target). Even first-gen NA Miatas like Dave’s and mine are just modern enough to have an air bag (as well as good belts) and crashworthy structure.
Besides, it’s a cool car. I don’t think many California teens would dare to be seen in a Panther.
There are as few things as enjoyable as a Miata, yet I’ve never owned one. There are two marques that, despite repeated efforts at purchasing, I’ve always gotten sidetracked when buying: Jaguar and Miata.
For the latter, I first was looking for a nice, clean NA without six figure mileage. On a whim, I test drove a Porsche 924S and bought it the next day.
Then, last spring, when I decided to replace the Porsche with something newer I went looking for a late NB or an early NC. Just for comparison, I drove a Pontiac Solstice. The Solstice now resides in my garage.
In a couple of years I’ll try again, either an NC or possibly an early ND (assuming it makes production). And I have a sneaking feeling a Boxster will creep in somehow . . .
What a lovely car and a great stories to go with it. I’ve always liked the first generation Miata but haven’t got around to owning one myself yet. The main reason is they are very expensive to buy in western Canada. One day.
That steel rebar through the floorboards is crazy. Good thing it didn’t get the bottom of her foot!
I had exactly the same thought. However, I’ve spent 50 years riding around in cars (as passenger and driver), and this is the first time I’ve seen road debris intrude into the passenger compartment. Hopefully, it will also be the last.
I had a red 1990 Miata for a year. It was a very fine car, but I am too tall for it. Getting in every day meant wearing it around my waist. It made for a wonderful summer, but by the time I had to drive it with the top up all day, I felt like I was wearing a hooded sweatshirt and a pair of red trousers, driving it around. Long trips crippled me.
I ended up using the little 1988 Festiva LX instead and got rid of the Miata. Although the Festiva was similar size as the Miata, the interior was cavernous and I could stretch out my legs. I could even ride in the back seat! Both cars were Mazdas and sported similar styling and parts, both were fun to drive, but the Festiva wasn’t claustrophobic for me. The Festiva was almost half the price as well.
Yeah, I’ve sat in both a Miata and Honda S2000. At 6’4″, I could barely squeeze into them.
I like the looks of the S2000 better, Miatas have always been too feminine for my taste. Good cars though.
I’m a little surprised and impressed that none of you have called the Miata a “girl car” today. It does have that rep among some guys, just a matter of preferences I guess.
In fact, around here at least, I see lots more Miatas driven by guys than gals. All ages too.
Besides VW convertibles, you know what I have noticed is driven more by women than men, is the Mini Cooper. I started seeing that after my wife got one. Which by the way she totally adores, especially the way it handles.
Rather have gals’ car than hair dressers’ car.
“I’m a little surprised and impressed that none of you have called the Miata a “girl car” today. It does have that rep among some guys, just a matter of preferences I guess.”
Because the guys on CC are comfortable with their manliness and could care less what others think about their choice of cars.
As for the Miata being a “chick car”, well being surrounded by chicks while you are in your Miata is a good thing in my book.
The Miata is a great car for curvy roads and the perfect car for those that want to experience what it was like to take to the road in a Triumph or MG without having to spend weekends with diagnostic trees and a multimeter trying to find a parasitic draw on your 1975 MG.
I was surprised when I first sat in one and discovered my fat ass could not only fit (I am 6-1) but it felt comfortable in it.
The interesting thing in my area is that most of the cloth topped Miatas that I see on the roads are being driven by women and most of the Miatas with the optional plastic/fiberglass hardtop or the hardtop roadster versions are driven by men.
If I was looking to buy a Miata, it would have to meet the following criteria:
1. Have a stick
2. If it is not a hardtop convertible roadster, it at least must have the optional hardtop roof for winter driving
I would love a first gen as I like pop up headlights.
It is personal preference, but I think it’s a design that is fairly obviously targeted at females. I wouldn’t say it would bother me, but in a recreational sports car I’d prefer something with a more aggressive look. Style is important to CC’ers. The highs and lows are talked about every day and are a key part of what drives our interest in cars. Nothing wrong with talking about that.
For the record, I drive a soccer-mom-approved Grand Caravan.
The height issue very nearly denied me the joy of Miata ownership. Thanks to CC I was saved. I’m 6’1″ with a 33″ inseam, meaning I’m prone to headroom issues. I drove a friend’s Miata, didn’t quite fit, and sadly gave up the dream.
Then at the first Oregon CC get-together in October ’11, fellow CCer Mark Clark shared the secrets of the Miata seat foam-ectomy. He’s taller than I am, he walked me out to his Miata that he’d driven all the way from K-Falls, and I fit nicely! It turns out there’s plenty of foam in the seat bottom, and it’s not very hard to slice an inch away. Here’s a link to the how-to at miata.net. (Thanks again Mark!)
I went to Craigslist straightaway, and my ’93 was waiting there for me. Hardtop included. I just barely fit without modification, either its original owner was tall and did the trim or the foam has settled over time. Anyway it’s been a joy – I drove it to work just this morning. So don’t let the headroom shut you out.
Hey Mike – thanks for reminding me of our encounter years ago. Good to hear that you are still rocking your Miata, since mine is going strong. In fact, I was just out with the top down yesterday due to some unseasonably warm weather here in Southern Oregon. Glad I did, since the high is forecast to be in the 30s today.
I’d second the notion that Miatas work fine as daily drivers – they are maneuverable and easy to park, and the trunk is large enough for a week’s groceries for two. They are also comfortable enough for long trips – I’ve done 1,000 mile plus trips in relative comfort, something I’d never contemplate in my Triumph Spitfire.
Hey Mark! Glad you’re still part of the CC gang.
Love the wheels! 99% of the time I consider aftermarket wheels to be a cosmetic downgrade, but those look great.
The wheels have a story behind them as well-
My wife and I were enjoying breakfast at the Sunrise Sunset restaurant in Denver (the one on Wadsworth Boulevard), and the owner spotted us drive up in our Miata. He walked over to out table asked if we were interested in a set of aftermarket wheels.
Turns out he was upgrading his car to an even larger diameter wheel, and the current set had about 20,000 miles of tread left on them. At the time we needed to replace the existing tires, and his price was only slightly more than a new set would have cost me. My wife really like the look of these wheels, so the purchase was a no-brainer. D/S
Nice story and car Dave! I like the “character” the car has acquired over the years, every piece is yet another story. Your daughter is already ahead of 99% ahead of her peers in that she can drive a stick shift, bravo to you for teaching her and to her for apparently accepting said instruction. Can you even learn stick in a driving school nowadays? In other countries (Germany for instance) driving stick is a required part of the curriculum. I remember my Miata fondly, it’s one of the best quality/fun/value relationships around.
She doesn’t have much choice at our house. We have three cars, and all three came with a clutch pedal.
As the owner of a 2002 NB from new, I understand how one gets attached to these cars.
There’s nothing like a long drive in a Miata on a warm sunny day, on deserted country roads, to put a smile on your face and to get rid of any stress.
At the same time, I can understand that for many people, it’s just not a practical daily driver. It’s my second car, and it spends the long winter months in my garage (see pic below). In the summer months, the top is invariably down, and the car rarely gets rained on. It still looks and drives like a brand new car. Keeping it garaged year-round when not in use really helps.
It’s been a painless ownership experience. Only major expenses were replacing the timing belt and water pump, and new tires. The water pump had developed a tiny leak, and after 10 years, it’s a good idea to replace the timing belt anyway regardless of mileage. On this engine it makes sense to replace both the timing belt and water pump at the same time.
Only upgrade was a Kenwood stereo last summer, which has a USB input. This allows me to carry about 450 CDs on a single 64GB USB stick with me at all times. Icing on the cake!
And yes, it still looks like new. Here’s a pic of the engine compartment, taken this morning.
We really liked the granite gray 2007 we owned for a little over two years – sold August 1st, 2012. It’s across the street in a neighbor’s driveway shown in the photo, and they love it now!
When my commute changed from around 41 miles R/T to about 100 miles R/T, the MX5 just didn’t cut it because it was a Sport model and only had a 5-speed with no cruise control, and it became murder on the interstate!
I suppose if we had bought the 2007 copper-red retractable hardtop, auto tranny Grand Touring model we also looked at, I’d be driving that and wouldn’t have bought my 2012 Impala LTZ and sold my old 2004 Impala. Additionally, we didn’t want to support 3 vehicles any longer.
I know, an auto in a MX5 is sacrilege, but it would have been easier to live with long-term, plus Wifey would have driven it more. Having the newest car in the family just sitting in the garage 85% of the time just didn’t cut it.
If your ’07 is at all like my ’93, it’s geared for more for sport than the freeway. Mine runs 3000 rpm at 60 in fifth gear. It’s fine for my 40 mile round-trip, but it would become an issue on a crazy-long commute like yours. That’s definitely an Impala run.
Yeah, 3500 rpm at 65 mph! it was a killer on the highway.
Nice article. I bought my Miata new in 1991 and it now has over 175k miles. It was my daily driver for most of its life but is now relegated to weekend duty. Still makes me smile every time I take it for a spin.
Hope you and your family enjoy many more happy years behind the wheel.
Or drive the original. Early ’74,restored from a white California car in the early ’90s. Wintering in the desert, and we drive it from Denver to Phoenix and back once a year, and 3 or 4 times a week.
We tried the MGB many years ago, but I consider a car with kingpins far too rustic for the modern age. D/S
NICE WATCH!
Years ago I finally bought a beautiful low mileage Alfa Romeo Spider and absolutely loved it. Then I drove a Miata–it did everything the Alfa did but better and made my poor Alfa feel like the antique that it was. The original Miata showed that a modern day concept of the affordable British or Italian sports car was sound–and needed.
+1-
That’s even more true when you work underhood. As I commented above, the technology of old European sports cars require me to be part blacksmith. I can fabricate and modify when needed, but that often leads to a car logging more shop time than seat time.
I have a friend who is considering buying an old Triumph Spitfire and then upgrading the entire driveline to a newer engine and transmission. In this case, I’d prefer to buy a car that recieved a modern, fuel injected driveline at the factory.
The only problem with buying a more modern car is that it doesn’t have the same good looks as an older one. I regularly have folks folks come up to me and complement my Triumph Spitfire – that has yet to happen with my Miata.
I had it happen twice on our trip to Albuquerque, and both folks said “I haven’t seen one of those in ages.” I found that comment a bit surprising, since I saw two or three other Miatas in Albuquerque alone.
Great write up, really well done. Now personally I never really have though much about a Miata. But…
Looking to replace my Victorinox Dive Master soon. Could you please tell me the Brand and model of that watch? Thanks
Sure- It’s a Fossil JR1353. D/S
Wondering out loud if 1st gen Miata will ever become value escalating collectible one day? It has all the ingredients and then some to be one, but would it’s mass volume produced prevent it’s value from going up? May be it will go down the route of VW bug, pristine early bugs are quite valuable these days, after 60 or so years.
I’m not looking for a big return on investment, but I do hope the marketplace continues to support the Miata with aftermarket parts and accessories. It helps that the NA and NB were built in large numbers, and many Miata owners upgrade their cars using aftermarket accessories, providing solid sales.
At this point, the internet offers a number of aftermarket vendors that specialize in the Miata, and if the Volkswagen template still applies, we should see continued support over the next forty years.
MX5 values have fallen thru the floor here but so has everything else rampant depreciation is good it makes toys like this very afforable for 2k you can get a nice one, though they are a favourite alternative repower for RWD 323s for the boyracer fraternity so many are wrecked for the powertrain.
I might just get a 1st gen Miata for keeps after I read up a bit to pick a year etc. Nice weekend run around and I don’t think the value can go any lower, it has no where to go but up. The question is how long it stays in the valley before going up. Young people that ‘dreamed’ about 1st gen Miatas are now in their early 40s? Guess another 20-30 years from now they would be in position to buy toys just to kill time.
CCers in Miata-deprived areas back East, there’s a nice solution. Come out to the West Coast in the summertime (preferably Oregon of course), pick out a clean rust-free 1st or 2nd-gen Miata at a modest price, put the top down, and enjoy your drive home through the American West. I suggest US 20.
Craigslist usually has a number of affordable Miata CCs. Here’s a link to Portland’s 1990-99 Miatas. My very clean red ’93 with 98K miles, hardtop, stereo, 15″ alloys and low-profile Michelins cost me $4200.
CCers, come and sample our Miatas. Just promise to keep yours away from the salt back home.
I used to DD a NB Miata, now I DD a panther CVPI. I would say if you are doing congested city driving, Miata and if mostly suburban – freeway, CVPI. the MPG advantage is surprisingly only about 6 for the Miata (high gearing in rear). both are extremely reliable.
Ah the first Gen Miata, still one of funnest cars that you can drive and cheap to buy and own.
Did you buy the hard top for those winter rides?
Hardtops are pretty rare, and trade in the used market in the $1,200 to $1,500 range. As I recall, that’s about what they went for new.
We bought this car based on condition. If we’d waited for a hard top car that equalled the condition of this one, we might still be waiting.
I am not a huge sports car guy, but I really like your car. Very “Curbside Classic”.
One safety issue with Miatas and other little roadsters is being seen. More than once I’ve gotten the distinct impression of not being noticed right away. Consequently I run with its hidden headlights on, even in daytime, at least on busy streets and highways. Which is a shame, but the bozos seem to see me now.
I picked up some bright LED lights (these) to hook up as daytime running lights. I haven’t had the time yet, but they should mount nicely on the tie-down loops in the corners of my Miata’s “mouth”.
Speaking of hidden headlights, here’s a cute little Miata hack, at YouTube.
I agree daytime running with the headlights on would be a wise choice, but on the early cars that puts the “barn door” pop up headlights in your line of vision.
Your LED solution makes sense, and I may explore it for my daugher.
I don’t think it has to do with the size of the car but the fact that most drivers can’t seem to see past their noses when behind the wheel.
My daily driver is a 2012 Ford Fiesta in lime green. I cannot tell you how many times folks have nearly hit me and then said they did not see me. Come on, the car is so bright that you can see it a mile away in the dead of night.
Here is a not so good pic of it.
Good to see a Mazda Miata profiled here. I have owned my early ’91 silver A package since 2003 and have experienced nothing but joy in the ownership experience. It is probably the most reliable used car I’ve have ever owned and recommend it to anyone who can fit in one and drive a manual trans. It’s also good to see that your daughter enjoys it as well. Keep driving it and replace that top ASAP—with a glass window model.
I wonder where one could get that Hobbes decal, my Uncle would love it. Thank you for this write up on a great car, but I was hoping to see a photo with its headlights on, I am sucker for the pop-ups. I soft-roaded my Caprice years ago in bare feet and I had a branch shoot up between my feet because there was no sheet metal under the carpet; what a startling experience.
My Aunt still has her stick shift 1988 Mazda MX-6 Turbo she bought new, but got too rusty to be driven safely over a decade ago and I wonder how those compare to the Miata. I wonder if she would have bought a Miata had the opportunity had come up?
We bought a 91 brand new for my wife as her daily driver. San Diego… What more can i say? Five years later when our son was born, we traded in my Mustang on a Cherokee with a manual, and I took over the Miata. Two years later our daughter made a minivan almost necessary, but we couldn’t bear to part with either vehicle, so we were a three car family for a while. Finally sold it in 01 to save insurance $. Now that #1 son is driving we both rather wish we’d kept it like Dave did. (But he did get a Mazda 6 with a manual.. He’s the only one of his friends who can drive with three pedals.)
Couple of words about a child’s first accident, and it does seem that every kid has one in the first year of driving, doesn’t it? Our daughter was lucky to a considerable extent in that she wasn’t hurt and the car was easily fixable. She was exiting the school parking lot, momentarily looked at the radio to change stations or something, and when she looked up again the car ahead of her had stopped. She got the RX7 slowed down enough that the only damage was to the nose ahead of the hood, and a scrape on the top of the front bumper. The main damage was to her ego; oh, how she hated telling me and her mother about the incident.
One of her classmates wasn’t so lucky. Her moment of inattention occurred just after she’d made the turn out of the parking lot, and resulted in her running off the road to the left and nearly being decapitated by a fence rail that came through the windshield.
My point here is that the type of car the kids were driving was almost totally immaterial.
Thanks for the piece on the Miata – I want one, but don’t think I’ll be able to. My wife hates them because the flaming asshole who was the minister of her church in 1990 got a new red one. Maybe I can get her to ride in one by telling her it’s a Solstice or something….