Asparagus grows like a practical joke. It looks like someone bought asparagus from the greengrocer, stuck it in the ground pointed up, and then tried to prank their friends by claiming that’s how asparagus grows, except that’s exactly how asparagus grows. Now, imagine the car equivalent of that. The right blend of anonymity and era-specific elements to give off the impression of an airbrushed genericar from an insurance commercial, yet complete series production. You are about to witness the boring/interesting bell curve wrap around in on itself, as something so fascinatingly boring takes the stage.
There are likely a handful of truly obsessed individuals out there who’ve seen this thing before. Maybe they’ve even owned one before. If you can go full Pete Weber about this car, I’d suggest biting your tongue for now and just watching everyone get confused.
This is a car that looks like nothing and everything from the ’90s all at once like it’s a four-wheeled replicant or something. Up front, you get the vibes that someone looked at the grille treatment on a Honda Beat and wanted to turn that frown upside-down, and then they swiped the headlight treatment from the Lexus SC300 but messed up the scaling.
Around the back, things get even weirder. It looks like a hairless 1994 Pontiac Grand Am, especially in the lighting department. Those taillight silhouettes and bumper lights suggest that whoever made this thing builds excitement, except we all know damn well it wasn’t Pontiac, right? Never before has a car looked like so many other cars and also no other singular car at the same time.
It looks like an Accord Del Sol. It looks like a Holden Camira that badly needs an Epi-Pen. It looks like a Ford Focus ZX/2 had incestuous relations with a Contour and this is the result. In the words of Matt Hardigree, “I’ve never seen a car that looks less like itself the more photos you see.” Those wheels were definitely shared with the Mazda MX-6, and the 2.5-liter KLZE V6 is a legendary Mazda engine, but what Mazda could this be?
As it turns out, it’s an Autozam. An Autozam Clef, to be precise. It’s basically a swoopier 626, the missing link between Mazda’s midsize sedan of the ’90s and MX-6. Ain’t that something? From 1992 to 1994, Mazda made a quantity of these vehicles, although I suspect Mazda’s the only thing that knows how many. Being at a tax disadvantage in its native Japanese market can do that.
See, the Autozam Clef was built on the GE platform and taxed the same as Mazda’s more traditional Cronos (that’s a 626 to North Americans) sedan. Given the sorts of conservative and proper types who’s buy a family sedan in Japan, it’s not surprising that many of them chose the Mazda over the Autozam. Plus, these two models were basically identical on the inside, so why not go for the Cronos? It just made sense, like investing in mutual funds and brushing your teeth.
However, those who did choose the Autozam are surely getting the last laugh some 30-plus-years later. It’s almost like a rolling case of “This Man,” except it’s entirely real and not at all invented in a collective fever dream. In fact, the Autozam Clef is among the more clever JDM cars to import. Not only is maintenance fairly straightforward, but people won’t believe their eyes when one of these things passes by. Now wouldn’t that be fun to watch?
(Photo credits: Mazda)
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The headlights definitely said 90’s Mazda MX-6.
While a bit generic otherwise, the nose actually has more personality than the ’90s 626. Which drove great but was a bit bland in spite of how good the MX-6 looked.
While a bit generic otherwise, the nose actually has more personality than the ’90s 626. Which drove great but was a bit bland in spite of how good the MX-6 looked.
I always thought the Clef was cool, used to see the occasionally around in NZ. The Mazda MS-8 is an interesting one to look at as well with the dash mounted shifter.
I always thought the Clef was cool, used to see the occasionally around in NZ. The Mazda MS-8 is an interesting one to look at as well with the dash mounted shifter.
I was thinking 90s Mazda too, I really liked the styling of the MX-6 when it came out, and the MX-3 with it’s smallest production V6 was cool, and the Millenia with it’s” Miller cycle V6″, like the average person would know what the heck that was.
Sad how now Mazda’s just crossovers and the Miata, not a truck or a sedan to be seen.
The Mazda3 sedan is still alive! For now.
I was thinking 90s Mazda too, I really liked the styling of the MX-6 when it came out, and the MX-3 with it’s smallest production V6 was cool, and the Millenia with it’s” Miller cycle V6″, like the average person would know what the heck that was.
Sad how now Mazda’s just crossovers and the Miata, not a truck or a sedan to be seen.
The Mazda3 sedan is still alive! For now.
This should’ve been sold here. Perhaps it could’ve been sold here as a Ford or Mercury
This should’ve been sold here. Perhaps it could’ve been sold here as a Ford or Mercury
“Autozam!” is what Gomer Pyle would say when he fixed a car.
“Autozam!” is what Gomer Pyle would say when he fixed a car.
Completely unschooled me immediately thought, “Mazda! Or, like, a bigger Ford Probe, which is basically a Mazda!”
Ditto. First thought was a 90s MX-3, but the circular lights inside the headlights threw me for a loop.
Yup, Mazda 626 was my first guess.
Completely unschooled me immediately thought, “Mazda! Or, like, a bigger Ford Probe, which is basically a Mazda!”
Ditto. First thought was a 90s MX-3, but the circular lights inside the headlights threw me for a loop.
Yup, Mazda 626 was my first guess.
Autozam Clef. I guess since I’m in the comments I could have cheated, but I’ve really loved the look of this thing for decades. It’s perhaps the most ‘normal’ Autozam product and way better looking than any of the ’90s Mazda sedans we got here (except the 929). I was always salty that the Clef was never rebadged here as a ‘Mazda 525’ or something.
Autozam Clef. I guess since I’m in the comments I could have cheated, but I’ve really loved the look of this thing for decades. It’s perhaps the most ‘normal’ Autozam product and way better looking than any of the ’90s Mazda sedans we got here (except the 929). I was always salty that the Clef was never rebadged here as a ‘Mazda 525’ or something.
Based on general design I was guessing 1990s Mazda.
Which reminds me since it came up, I can’t remember the last time I saw a Mazda Millenia with its “Miller Cycle” engine.
My friends auto-immolated itself.
I was guessing Mazda from the top shot, but the incorrect emblem was making me second guess myself.
Yeah those lights look identical to the NB Miata so I knew it was Mazda but didn’t expect the Autozam. I forget about that little experiment outside of the AZ-1
I had a Millenia S, admittedly not a smart buy and not well cared for, but man it had problems all the way from broken cupholders to a pretty big hard to trace drain on the battery to a massive oil leak, plus premature rust. Great idea, not so great execution.
Based on general design I was guessing 1990s Mazda.
Which reminds me since it came up, I can’t remember the last time I saw a Mazda Millenia with its “Miller Cycle” engine.
My friends auto-immolated itself.
I was guessing Mazda from the top shot, but the incorrect emblem was making me second guess myself.
Yeah those lights look identical to the NB Miata so I knew it was Mazda but didn’t expect the Autozam. I forget about that little experiment outside of the AZ-1
I had a Millenia S, admittedly not a smart buy and not well cared for, but man it had problems all the way from broken cupholders to a pretty big hard to trace drain on the battery to a massive oil leak, plus premature rust. Great idea, not so great execution.
All that design analysis and you don’t do the reveal until near the end of the article?
That was quite the clefhanger.
Not really, you could read “Autozam CLEF” on the license plate.
All that design analysis and you don’t do the reveal until near the end of the article?
That was quite the clefhanger.
Not really, you could read “Autozam CLEF” on the license plate.
The rear quarter reminds me of the 4th generation Hyundai Sonata (EF platform-1998-2001).
The rear quarter reminds me of the 4th generation Hyundai Sonata (EF platform-1998-2001).
I certainly can’t prove I knew, but the side profile pic told me this was a 626. It was always my favorite generation of that car and the lines are shared so closely with the non-facelifted Millenia as well.
I certainly can’t prove I knew, but the side profile pic told me this was a 626. It was always my favorite generation of that car and the lines are shared so closely with the non-facelifted Millenia as well.
I knew it was an Autozam Clef! Because I’m a double nerd – it was also the name of a character in Magic Knight Rayearth, and all the characters in that series were named after cars.
I knew it was an Autozam Clef! Because I’m a double nerd – it was also the name of a character in Magic Knight Rayearth, and all the characters in that series were named after cars.