How much would you pay for a pristine example of the people’s sports car, the original Mazda Miata? On the one hand, because of its egalitarian pricing and rabid aftermarket scene, few remained pristine. On the other hand, it’s a Miata, how expensive could it be? Well, you might want to sit down for this one. A 1990 Mazda MX-5 Miata just sold for $40,500 on Bring A Trailer, and well, holy crap.
For context, you could have almost any generation of Porsche Boxster you want for $40,500, or a Lotus Elise, or an older driver-condition Viper, or at least three mad decent Miatas. However, a mad decent Miata isn’t as nice as this particular Miata. In fact, few likely to trade hands privately are, for this one sports a mere 38 miles on its odometer. Not 38,000, not 3,800, 38.
As such, it wouldn’t be surprising to learn that this is the most expensive stock NA Miata ever to sell on Bring A Trailer. The next-closest contender was sold during the height of the COVID collector car market for $35,000, considerably less than the $40,500 this one commanded. It’s a crazy figure, a ludicrous sum, and yet it almost makes sense because it comes with some things you just don’t normally see.
Not only is the tombstone dash trim uncracked, it’s rocking a deep, satin finish you just don’t normally see because every other example of this part has seen some sun. All the lettering on all the controls is perfect, the hardtop still has its headliner, the shift knob and boot look new, and the differential drain and fill plugs still feature their quality control paint. This car even still wears its original Bridgestone SF-325 tires, and while I’m normally not a fan of that, this thing isn’t getting driven on the street anyway.
This is as close to a brand-new NA Miata as you can possibly get. As such, this auction was a slugfest until the end, with bidders pushing it past the $30,000 mark, then the $35,000 mark, then finally past the $40,000 mark. This wasn’t just an ego battle between two determined individuals, this was an all-out brawl because this Miata isn’t a car anymore — it’s a cultural monument.
On the one hand, some might see this 38-mile Miata as a bit of a sad tale. Someone bought it brand new, stuck it into storage, didn’t use it for 34 years, auctioned it off, and didn’t even beat inflation. When new, this example stickered for $18,648 including freight. Adjust that for decades of currency devaluation, and you end up with a grand sum of $44,736.37 adjusted for inflation. That’s $5,671.37 more than the most expensive new soft-top MX-5 you can buy, which speaks both to the value of the new car and to how broke we all are.
On the other hand, someone knew exactly how special the rebooted roadster would be. Someone, against all odds, kept one pristine as a reference, a gold standard of exactly what this massively important car was like brand new. How many Miatas have all the stickers in the right locations, all the factory quality control markings on key bolts, and the right un-faded color on the stock daisy wheels? For anyone who wants to restore a Miata in the future, this one is a muse. It takes vision to preserve that.
At the end of the day, truly concours-grade examples of common enthusiast cars only pop up once in a blue moon. Car enthusiasm takes all types, and while it can often be hard to understand those who don’t drive their machines, without them, we wouldn’t have cars like this. For now, just bask in its presence. All other Miatas are made for driving, but this one’s been set aside as future proof that the past was a blast.
(Photo credits: Bring A Trailer)
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I’m not sure why you’d want a museum piece NA Miata, but guess someone had $40k to burn.
I’m not sure why you’d want a museum piece NA Miata, but guess someone had $40k to burn.
I have paid:
1999 – $500(blown engine)
2001 – $800(wrecked, parts)
2001 – $2000 (fuel pump)
2004 Mazdaspeed Miata – $2900 w/oem hardtop(spun bearing)
2004 Mazdaspeed Miata – $2300(wrecked + crusty)
2004 Mazdaspeed Miata(last week) – $2300(wrecked + crusty)
I have been lucky on finding clean ones to keep for exceptionally cheap in good shape. Also once bought an OEM hardtop for $50 off FB marketplace.
$50?! Damn, I’d actually buy some used Miata if I could get a cheap hardtop like that…but most of what I find, they’re asking nearly 4 figures.
It was a once in a lifetime find. They typically pull 1500+ in decent shape.
I have paid:
1999 – $500(blown engine)
2001 – $800(wrecked, parts)
2001 – $2000 (fuel pump)
2004 Mazdaspeed Miata – $2900 w/oem hardtop(spun bearing)
2004 Mazdaspeed Miata – $2300(wrecked + crusty)
2004 Mazdaspeed Miata(last week) – $2300(wrecked + crusty)
I have been lucky on finding clean ones to keep for exceptionally cheap in good shape. Also once bought an OEM hardtop for $50 off FB marketplace.
$50?! Damn, I’d actually buy some used Miata if I could get a cheap hardtop like that…but most of what I find, they’re asking nearly 4 figures.
It was a once in a lifetime find. They typically pull 1500+ in decent shape.
I could never buy a car and immediately put it away. Well, at least not at my current income bracket. So, while I could never do this, I’m glad a few of these exist because they truly are such special time capsules. You really can’t get the same feeling from even lightly used examples. Hopefully it will be on display somewhere or at least shown so that people can take a trip back to 1990.
I could never buy a car and immediately put it away. Well, at least not at my current income bracket. So, while I could never do this, I’m glad a few of these exist because they truly are such special time capsules. You really can’t get the same feeling from even lightly used examples. Hopefully it will be on display somewhere or at least shown so that people can take a trip back to 1990.
2 years ago I was buying some lightly used Quick Jacks off craigslist. Seller said “see that tarp over there? I have an NA Miata with 620 miles on it. Original everything” I mulled making him an offer for weeks, but there were NO low mileage examples to compare to. This sale sets an interesting bar. I will be reaching back out to him…
A few years ago I saw a test mule Miata with VIN JM1NA0000X0000005(example, I know it had a lot of 0’s and a 5 at the end) for sale with ~30 miles. It was not a street legal car and the VIN showed it as a test mule. I am not sure what it ended up selling for. It had been sitting behind a dealership since the 90s and what not in good shape.
2 years ago I was buying some lightly used Quick Jacks off craigslist. Seller said “see that tarp over there? I have an NA Miata with 620 miles on it. Original everything” I mulled making him an offer for weeks, but there were NO low mileage examples to compare to. This sale sets an interesting bar. I will be reaching back out to him…
A few years ago I saw a test mule Miata with VIN JM1NA0000X0000005(example, I know it had a lot of 0’s and a 5 at the end) for sale with ~30 miles. It was not a street legal car and the VIN showed it as a test mule. I am not sure what it ended up selling for. It had been sitting behind a dealership since the 90s and what not in good shape.
I sort of get stupid money on a car whose driving experience just can’t be found in a modern car. But paying more for a NA than a brand new ND seems absurd given how devoted to the original mission the Miata’s stayed.
Unless you really, really like pop-up headlights.
i really really do
I sort of get stupid money on a car whose driving experience just can’t be found in a modern car. But paying more for a NA than a brand new ND seems absurd given how devoted to the original mission the Miata’s stayed.
Unless you really, really like pop-up headlights.
i really really do
No real need for concern. Looking through BAT’s auction results it seems like most valuable Miata is still V8 Miata.
If your choice is between putting one in a bubble and preserving it or tearing it up to fit an LS and driving it, the LS is still the sensible choice.
No real need for concern. Looking through BAT’s auction results it seems like most valuable Miata is still V8 Miata.
If your choice is between putting one in a bubble and preserving it or tearing it up to fit an LS and driving it, the LS is still the sensible choice.
This is….. stupid. So what are you gunna do? Sit it in the living room? Because as soon as you drive this, get a scratch, get a fender bender, get it dirty that $40,000 price and value drops fast. So congrats: $40,000 for a 1-ton paper weight.
I think that’s exactly where this is going to end up. It’s a great candidate for a living room display car since it’s small and not that valuable.
Car museums exist too
This is….. stupid. So what are you gunna do? Sit it in the living room? Because as soon as you drive this, get a scratch, get a fender bender, get it dirty that $40,000 price and value drops fast. So congrats: $40,000 for a 1-ton paper weight.
I think that’s exactly where this is going to end up. It’s a great candidate for a living room display car since it’s small and not that valuable.
Car museums exist too
One one hand, I get the price. You can own the best example of a car for under $50k. That’s a big draw for some people. I happened to be on BAT watching while this auction ended.
On the other hand, I don’t feel like this is the only super low mile NA to be auctioned off in the past few years. I don’t know that the one here is the best or last one of these available. It seems like a few people bought these and warehoused them, and I wouldn’t be surprised if another couple find there way to the auction after this result.
One one hand, I get the price. You can own the best example of a car for under $50k. That’s a big draw for some people. I happened to be on BAT watching while this auction ended.
On the other hand, I don’t feel like this is the only super low mile NA to be auctioned off in the past few years. I don’t know that the one here is the best or last one of these available. It seems like a few people bought these and warehoused them, and I wouldn’t be surprised if another couple find there way to the auction after this result.
I sort of get this from an enthusiasts perspective but it seems like a horrible way to spend your money still. I don’t know if the possible re-sale value is ever going to beat inflation,it’s not like this is a Ferrari or something.
I sort of get this from an enthusiasts perspective but it seems like a horrible way to spend your money still. I don’t know if the possible re-sale value is ever going to beat inflation,it’s not like this is a Ferrari or something.
Ok I don’t usually love this kind of thing but this one is amazing. The NA wasn’t built with the best materials (at least the cosmetic stuff) so none of them look like this anymore.
It really helps you understand why it was such a big deal when it came out. I have an NB and seeing this time capsule with modern photography (as opposed to contemporary press materials/magazines) is really cool.