Mazda MX-5 NA

Just 22 of the 600 cars in the catalogue combine a naturally aspirated inline-4 engine, a figure that places the Mazda MX-5 NA in a particularly defined corner of the collection. It is a small group built around simplicity rather than headline numbers, and that distinction shapes where this car sits among 599 alternatives.

The MX-5 NA ranks near the opposite end of the performance table, with 131 bhp placing it 597th of 600 cars for power. Its 0-100 km/h time of 8.6 seconds and top speed of 197 km/h both rank 595th. Those numbers make its role clear: this is not a catalogue choice based on acceleration figures, but a car whose appeal comes from the specific combination of traits represented by that rare naturally aspirated inline-4 and rear-wheel-drive pairing. Just 30 cars in the full catalogue use an inline-4 with RWD, reinforcing how unusual this particular formula is within the wider selection.

The specification stays focused. The 1989 to 1997 MX-5 NA uses a 1,839 cc, 1.8-litre naturally aspirated inline-4 engine with 152 Nm of torque, sending power through RWD in a 2-door convertible sports car from Japan. Mazda has seven cars in the catalogue, and this one occupies a distinct position within that representation, built around balance of configuration rather than excess.

Its production figure also tells a measured story. With 431,506 built, the MX-5 NA is not rare in absolute terms. Against the 177 cars in the catalogue with known production figures, only 176 are rarer by production count. That abundance is part of the character here, placing it in contrast with cars that rely on scarcity as their defining feature.

At a used price of £12,000, it ranks 589th of 600 cars, while its cost per bhp sits at £92. The numbers suggest a car where the ownership proposition is not tied to outright performance or exclusivity, but to the particular engineering mix it brings into a collection.

A dream garage built only around speed would overlook what this car contributes. The MX-5 NA brings a different measure of interest, one defined by its rare combination of naturally aspirated simplicity, inline-4 layout and RWD. It gives a collector a precise piece of the automotive landscape.

The MX-5 NA completes the story of a thoughtful garage.