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Mazda Miata Named to Automobile Magazine's 1999 'All-Stars' List

6 January 1999

Mazda Miata Named to Automobile Magazine's 1999 'All-Stars' List; New Miata Named Best Entry-Level Sports Car

    IRVINE, Calif., Jan. 6 -- Mazda North American Operations
(MNAO) today announced that the 1999 Mazda Miata roadster received Automobile
Magazine's 1999 "All-Stars" award.  The award names the Miata as the Best
Entry-Level Sports Car.  The awards appear in the February issue of the
magazine, which goes on sale at newsstands this week.
    In selecting the Miata as a "All-Stars" award winner, the editors of
Automobile Magazine stated, "Mazda's redesigned Miata remains the best sports
car you can buy when cost is an issue.  The new car not only looks better than
its predecessor, it goes better too.  What makes the new Miata so special,
however, is the thoughtful development of its chassis.  [The Miata] might just
be the only sports car you'll ever need to own."
    "Because the Miata has become an automotive icon," said Richard Beattie,
president and CEO of MNAO, "we had to be especially careful not to lose the
purity of design and fun-to-drive character of the original when we set out to
redesign the car.  The incredibly positive response we've received from the
media and public tells us that the changes we made created the best Miata
ever.  We're proud to have the new Miata named as an All-Star."
    The all-new 1999 Mazda Miata features a dramatically restyled body that is
more rigid than its predecessor, yet weighs nearly the same.  The new Miata
also features a more powerful 140-horsepower, 1.8-liter four-cylinder engine,
revised four-wheel double-wishbone suspension and a completely revised
interior.
    Few automobiles have received as many awards in their first nine years as
the resoundingly popular Mazda Miata roadster.  Shortly after its introduction
in 1989, Automobile Magazine named the Miata its inaugural "Automobile of the
Year" and Car and Driver selected the original Miata as one of the "10Best"
cars.  The original Miata appeared on the "All-Stars" list every year it was
eligible -- seven times in all -- a feat unequalled by any other model.
Numerous other publications have bestowed awards and accolades on the timeless
roadster every year since.  Most recently, the editors of Consumer Digest
named the Miata a "Best Buy" for 1999 and Car and Driver placed the Miata on
its "10Best" list for the second year in a row.
    To date, Mazda has sold nearly 500,000 Miatas around the world, of which
nearly half have been sold in the United States, making it the best-selling
two-seat, lightweight, open sports car in the world.
    The Miata also boasts the largest single marquee car club in the United
States, the 30,000-member Miata Club of America.
    Mazda North American Operations is responsible for the research and
development, sales and marketing, and customer parts and service support of
Mazda vehicles in the United States.  Headquartered in Irvine, Calif., MNAO
has approximately 800 dealerships nationwide and is owned by Mazda Motor
Corporation, Hiroshima, Japan.