A blast of fresh air

DRIVING IN the UK can be a mixed bag, but if there's one thing this little MX-5 reaffirms it's that you can still find joy even in mundane journeys.

- Matthew Hayward

If you know your Mazdas, then you'll appreciate that this early UK-spec Mk1 model is about as close to the original British sports car experience as you can get without buying a Lotus Elan.

I first drove this example, which belongs to Mazda UK, last year during the Land's End to John o' Groats record run - which saw all four generations complete the 1000-mile pilgrimage using 100% sustainable fuel. After years of quite liking various later MX-5s, my first drive in a beautifully original, low-mileage early one blew me away. So, when offered the chance to spend a bit more time with this example, and take it along to Hagerty's 1980s and '90s-themed RADwood event at Bicester, I jumped at the chance.