The Mazda MX-5 will always trace its roots back to the Chicago Auto Show, when on 9th February 1989, Mazda officially unveiled its all-new roadster.
While the Chicago Auto show is an important date for the Mazda MX-5, its origin can be traced to the late 1970s, when motoring journalist Bob Hall presented a sketch of a compact, lightweight, affordable sports car to the head of Mazda's R&D, Kenichi Yamamoto. When asked why he wanted to build a convertible sports car, Bob replied, "because there aren't any more left." Austin-Healey was gone, as was the MGB.
In 1981, Bob Hall joined the California design team at Mazda North America and designed pickup trucks and minivans. While working on pickup truck design by day, he was encouraged to develop his concept of a lightweight, two-seat sports car at night.
In 1985, Kenichi Yamamoto became Mazda's president, and the Mazda board approved his proposal to build a lightweight sports car. Though the California design team already had a roadster concept in mind, Mazda considered three designs for a two-seat roadster, each with a different layout – front-engine, front-drive; mid-engine, rear-drive; and a front-engine, rear-drive.
When Mazda chose Bob Hall's front-engined, rear-drive proposal concept, one of the greatest two-seater convertible sports cars was born.