Owning a fun convertible sports car is often the dream of many people, and it is not as hard to achieve as you might think. Many of those dreams started with recollections of the British and European sports cars of the '60s and '70s, like the MGB, Lotus Elan and Alfa Romeo Spider. With the advent of more stringent safety requirements, that dream appeared to falter in the early '80s, and the true roadster appeared lost forever.

In 1989, Mazda introduced the Mazda MX-5 (Miata in the USA) at the Chicago Motor Show. The promise from Mazda was to revive the lightweight, affordable sports car that we all remembered. It was launched with a 1.6-litre engine of 85 kilowatts, a five-speed manual transmission and its characteristic pop-up headlights. It was never about the power, and those who owned one were amazed at its handling and spectacular balance to flaunt its 950 kg kerb weight, leaving the driver with a big smile on their face.

In 2019, Mazda celebrated the 30th Anniversary of the MX-5, with four generations and over 1 million cars sold worldwide. It is not only the world's top-selling two-seater sports car, but it retains the fun and excitement of the original model. This more modern convertible is safer and more reliable than the classic convertibles of the '60s and '70s.

The roadster is not dead yet, so long live the roadster.