Mazda Miata MX-5 1999Change

In February 2000, I retired from teaching after thirty-two years. To launch my new freedom, I bought a Miata 10th Anniversary number 3991 / 7500. This car became a real time machine for me. At sixteen, when I got my driver’s license; I was riding with a friend in his brother’s red MGB. I can still hear the sound of the engine as we sped along Old Hwy17. After raising five kids, the dream window opened. When I saw that blue sports car in the show room and got to drive it, I knew the universe was unfolding as it should. I bought the car! This is no ordinary car. It became my time machine. Behind the wheel of Blue Sky, I got to hear again the music of that engine on Old Hwy17. I had found the time lost! I started going out with my wife Isabelle and enjoying this new freedom in Blue Sky. We were now going to beautiful places and meeting great people that were excited about their lives. Every spring, we looked forward to living new adventures and experiencing fantastic drives with our fellow club members. I really believe that this car makes us feel younger and enjoy life with a different outlook. From day one, I never thought that Blue Sky was perfect. I believed that I could improve on its looks and performance. Blue Sky allows me to express myself in a bold statement. During the long winters when our cars are tucked in, I enjoy having parts sent away to the chrome shop. When they come back all wrapped in brown paper it’s like opening a gift on Christmas morning. I also enjoy fabricating parts for Blue Sky. The joy is always greater when I create a part that is not only beautiful but also unique. When I bought the Miata, my family thought this was frivolous but not me. I knew I was getting a time machine! This machine opened for me the window to time lost, got me closer to my true love and got me excited about my life. As a bonus, it made me feel ten years younger!

When I first test drove our '99 leather package Miata, I knew that we would be a great team. Sitting in the creamy beige leather felt like home, and each smooth gear change was an old friend's handshake. I was in love.

The Miata elicits a kind of symbiosis with its driver, which the Japanese called jinba ittai. It hearkens back to a time before electric throttle and steering, when a person could actually /drive/, not content to simply force data into a computer. It's a good bit of fun too.

The cornering is excellent and the stalwart 1.8l engine, though slightly under powered, feels as if it will last forever. It's only been a year since we came together, but every drive feels like the first: beautiful, engaging, bordering on eroticism.

I would recommend this car to anybody who isn't content with a simple A-to-B econobox, who wants to have the thrill of a great driving experience without sacrificing essential limbs for payment.

Wonderful car, this.