Collectible Classic: 1979 – 1985 Mazda RX-7

Collectible Classic: 1979 - 1985 Mazda RX-7
Collectible Classic: 1979 - 1985 Mazda RX-7 - Automobile Magazine
The rotary rocket that revived the affordable sports car category.

Mazda's timing was perfect. In the late 1970s, British and Italian sports car makers were hanging by their fingernails, C3 Corvettes were aging ungracefully, Datsun's lovable Z-Car was evolving into the foppish 280ZX, and Porsche's 924 suffered from a hodgepodge of Volkswagen and Audi components. So the Mazda RX-7 that arrived in the spring of 1978 (as an early '79 model) was the answer to unspoken sports car dreams: it was attractive, fun to drive, and -- with a sticker as low as $6395 -- bargain priced. As a bonus, the RX-7 was powered by a rotary engine, which at the time was only one step down from a turbine as a source of wonder and amazement.


Photo Gallery: Collectible Classic: 1979 - 1985 Mazda RX-7 - Automobile Magazine


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