People have already begun to ask me why I purchased an MX5 and questioning whether this was just another impulse buy (I’ve been known to buy parts for my car and forget all about them until they arrive from overseas).

This story starts all the way back in the early 90’s when my uncle (a hairdresser in fact!) purchased a Sunburst Yellow NA6, brand new from Mazda. At the time, of course, bright coloured cars or even yellow cars were not the most desirable colour on a car. However, being a six year and getting picked up from school in the NA6 felt like I was being picked up in a Ferrari. These are probably some of my fondest memories during my childhood - being a passenger with the top down. The feeling of freedom was such an exhilarating experience! Unfortunately this experience was short lived as my uncle loved keeping up to date and getting his hands on the latest thing out, so it was sold a year later for a Toyota Celica GT4. I just didn’t have the same excitement in the Celica as I did in the MX5, sure it was faster but I never did feel that connection like I had with the MX5…

Fast forward to the present and looking back over the years I have owned a few bright coloured cars. The last one I owned was a Yellow Nissan Silvia S15. I think ever since I sat in my uncle’s MX5 I’ve always mentally associated bright coloured cars to sports cars, hence my love for the bright colours.

A few of the deciding factors for me buying the MX5 was the cost of insurance, being more than 5 times cheaper than an S15. That was just astounding! Although the prices of NA MX5’s have come down in price recently, the value is still there. No other car came close to the requirements I had listed in my head: under $10,000, rear wheel drive, cheap insurance and of course, some track time!

After taking so long to sell the S15 I had become even more determined than ever to get an MX5. Whilst searching, I’d already short listed the MX5’s down to 5.  I’ve always believed in the saying “The car chooses the owner” and with this mentality I invited my good friend Will to check the cars out with me.

The first car we checked out that fateful Saturday (8 May) was a White NA8 Clubman which immediately appealed to me even though the body was a bit rough. For some reason I had the urge to just buy it on the spot, even before the test drive. However, brain over heart, we took it for a spin. We noticed right away during the drive that the engine pulled strong and suspension felt tight. Besides the jittery characteristics of the king springs, the car made all the right noises and had me hooked. It had Will hooked too! As Will and I left to see the next car he had the same feeling I did and that was: I should have just bought it without seeing the other cars. However, once again, brain over heart kicked in, so over the next few hours we dragged more folks into the picture (Nath, Brendan and Shida) and saw a red NA8 which we all gladly walked away from straight away. Everyone was less than impressed. There were 2 other MX5’s were lined up for us to see, but once again I just had an urge to not see them as I really had no interest in the colours. That left one more Red NA8 for the day which I asked the one and only Roadster Life’s founder Nath to help me by inspecting it earlier in the day. As I met up with him to get the low down on the car I was told that it was a very tidy car in very good condition.  This made me feel quite unsettled because I had come to a fork in the road with two very cool cars. Nonetheless, I went to inspect the red NA8, wholeheartedly. However, as I arrived, someone had just put a deposit on it. It must have been fate. The red NA8 was immaculate but I didn’t have that “I want it now” feeling like I had with the white NA8 when I first saw it.

It all fell together pretty soon afterwards and only after four nights of ownership I have come to the realisation that the feeling I had as a kid and the way I feel right now…are exactly the same. The only difference this time is: I am in the driver seat of the car.