1991 Mazda RX-7

Description

The Mazda RX-7 was always full of clever ideas, and cutting the roof off only made an appealing sports car better. This 1991 RX-7 convertible shows just 60,728 original miles, and with its rev-happy rotary engine, it's still a blast to drive down your favorite twisting piece of pavement with the wind in your hair and the sun overhead. Also, by 1991 very few RX-7 convertibles were being sent to the US, so this is one of the rarest years to own in an RX-7 convertible.

By 1991, the Japanese were building some of the finest rear-wheel-drive sports cars in decades, and the unique RX-7 always offered a superb balance of poise and power. Dressed in bright white, the sleek shape still looks contemporary and with exemplary build quality that was typical of Mazda in the early '90s, it looks far younger than its age would suggest. The paint is in excellent shape, and on a white car there's no place for lousy gaps to hide, so it's a good thing they were careful putting it together! A single black pinstripe accentuates the wedge-shaped profile, which is also helped by the molded urethane front and rear bumpers and lower rocker moldings that visually lower the car. High-wear areas like the chin spoiler and the areas behind the wheels look suitably clean for the mileage, and it's obvious that this car was a fair-weather flyer its entire life because every nook and cranny has been obsessively detailed. Even the smoked rear taillight lenses look shiny and bright with no signs of UV damage.

The black leather interior makes the RX-7 more of a grand tourer than pure sports car, which means just about every comfort and convenience feature was standard equipment. The leather buckets are all-day comfortable and in outstanding condition; there are a few comfort marks, but the bolsters, even on the driver's side, are not scuffed or damaged. Instrumentation includes orange numbers that look racy and most of the controls are at your fingertips as was the fashion at the time. Power windows, locks, and mirrors, cruise control, A/C, and a powerful AM/FM/cassette/CD stereo with very cool headrest speakers are all part of the package. The original carpets and door panels are also well preserved, and all the plastic buttons and knobs haven't been worn by years of use. The black convertible top is power-actuated with a hard-shell section above the front seats, so it seals up far better than most of its contemporaries and stows easily beneath a matching black boot. There's even a good-sized trunk that's good for a few overnight bags.

The 1.3-liter Wankel rotary engine looks diminutive on paper, but the high-revving design makes it a thrill to drive. It's creamy smooth right up to the 7000 RPM redline and never seems to be working hard. The beer-keg-sized engine sits low in the chassis for great handling, and the top side is so well detailed and nicely preserved that you'd think it rolled out of the showroom last year, not last century. All the plated parts are still shiny, the rubber components are supple, and even the original hose clamps are still used throughout. The 3-speed automatic transmission is specially calibrated to live behind the rotary, and the all-independent suspension is the ideal combination of handling and comfort. The underside isn't detailed, but it does show off a very clean life out of the elements, as it appears that even the exhaust system is original equipment. Wow! Handsome BBS-style alloys were standard equipment and now wear recent 205/60/15 radials.

A neat piece of 1990s Japanese sports car history with all the right gizmos for the technophile. Call today!