Review
Long before ‘social’ became a word associated with the digital realm and posting of pictures of your children, your tea, your self (delete as
appropriate) it had a much more tangible use – the physical meeting of people to chat, laugh and generally not make up a name and abuse anyone.
The everlasting appeal this presented came to mind in an Aldi car park recently. I was returning to the MX-5 and a man parked next to me said he used to have an older model, “with the pop-up lights” (the MK 1). While he reminisced, a Mk 3 MX-5 drove by and the driver gave me a nod. As I drove out, he stopped me to ask about it – what it was like to drive, how the roof came down, etc.
While contemplating the meeting of three strangers over a common interest in a car, I wondered whether such passion was still being harnessed and fostered ‘offline’. A Google search revealed listings for six standalone owners’ clubs, some regional, and a number of others linked to associated bodies – a museum, insurance company and magazines. Assuming the clubs meet physically as well as virtually, there looks to be a vibrant scene around this little car.
Do dealers play their part in encouraging them – do they open their doors to current and former owners? Or has ‘socialising’ fallen under the remit of digital teams? If you’re a Mazda dealer who opens your doors to MX-5 clubs and owners, let me know at jeremy.bennett@bauermedia.co.uk.
Jeremy has been a journalist for 30 years, 20 of which have been in business-to-business automotive. He was a writer and news editor on AM-sister brand Fleet News for three years before setting up the AM website. For the last five years he has been Bauer B2B’s head of digital helping to manage the digital assets of AM, together with Fleet News, Commercial Fleet, Rail and Smart Transport.
Factsheet
Price: £27,165
Engines: 2.0-litre petrol, 161PS
Performance: 0-62mph 7.4secs, top speed 134mph
Transmission: 6sp manual
Fuel effiiciency: 40.9mpg
Emissions: 161g/km CO2