Pick A Price: 1991 Mazda MX-5 Miata 16K Mile Original Owner – SOLD!
August 20th Update – While preparing for our Sports Car Saturday edition, we confirmed the original owner of this long-offered 1991 Miata deleted their post. Consequently, we’re assuming they finally sold the car at their firm price of $10,500 and we’re calling this one “Sold!”
August 1st Update: Okay, we’re starting get a sense the original owner really wants to sell his 16K mile 1991 NA Miata time capsule. We just noticed he updated the same listing with the price lowered from $12,500 to $10,500 firm. That now prices this Miata nicely between the Hagerty Insurance #2 “Excellent” and #3 “Good” estimates, so we predict this like new Miata will sell soon.
July 17th Update: While getting ready for Sports Car Saturday this week, we were a bit surprised to come across this 16K original mile ’91 Miata offered by the original owner. After being somewhat flaky and unsuccessful with the pricing over the past few months, we’re glad to see this like new Miata offered at close to the original sticker.
April 25th Update: two weeks after our last update, on Friday we witnessed a fresh post hit Craigslist for this 16K original mile 1991 Mazda Miata. Apparently, with no offers from the last listing, the original owner believes increasing the price $2,000 back up to $15,000 will help. While the seller apparently subscribes to the “I can raise the price as the weather gets warmer” theory of collector car sales, the temperatures here in Jersey has been anything but that so far in April during a Pandemic when we’re all supposed to stay at home. He also makes the bold statement, “This is the only one left in the world in this beautiful condition with these extremely low miles.” When the reality is there are still a number of low-mileage NA Miatas out there if you are patient. Consequently, it will be interesting to see whether the 30-year-old-new-car will finally sell. Good luck with the purchase!
April 11th Update: when we first featured this 16K original mile 1991 Mazda Miata for sale by the original owner on February 15th, we thought that while the $20,000 might be a bit optimistic it was not out of the current Hagerty Insurance #1 to #2 price range. Fast forward two months and the original owner still has their Miata listed, however they have lowered their asking price $7,000 to $13,000. That revised price is likely very close to what they paid for this time capsule when new. If you missed your chance to own an original NA Miata when they first launched, now’s your chance to own a thirty-year-old-new car that will at least maintain its current value.
We find first-generation “NA” Mazda Miatas generally follow one of two paths: either they are well-used through a number of different owners or they are lovingly cherished and used very little as, at most a weekend toy on only nice summer days such as this 1991 example last listed in in Woodland Park, New Jersey with only 16,000 original miles for sale by the original owner with a revised asking price of $15,000. While that is very likely several thousand dollars more than what they paid for the car new, the Hagerty Insurance Online Valuation Tool confirms that’s $600 more that the #2 “Excellent” estimate that pushes it into #1 “Concours” territory. With the owner stating this car even comes with the original tires (we do not recommend driving on them – save them for concours competition), a thorough detailing is all that’s needed to start winning any concours competition you enter this car in. If you are serious about purchasing this like-new Miata, you can start the conversation by calling or texting Scott at (862) 849-7752 and please mention you saw his listing featured here on GuysWithRides.com.
Mazda rocked the automotive world at the Chicago Auto Show in February 1989 with its new MX-5 sports car featuring a base price of under $14,000. After a nearly ten year gap left when British Leyland packed up MG and Triumph in 1980, Mazda took a gamble that consumers were still interested in two seat classic sports cars as long as they came with better reliability, tops that sealed passengers from the elements, and a great driving experience. Mazda succeeded at all three and the first generation “NA” Mazda was a huge sale success. Thirty years on, the first generation Miata has proven to be a very reliable car, whether used on the street or the track. Consequently, its getting harder to find unmolested examples such as the red example featured here.
If you missed your chance to own an NA Mazda when new, now is your opportunity to own an unmolested example of what essentially a twenty-nine year old new car. About the only thing disappointing us with the presentation of this car is how dirty the wheels are. An easy fix, yes, but something we would have addressed before taking pictures of what seems to be an already highly detailed car. We disagree with the seller’s assertion “this is the only one left with these low miles” as we regularly see similar low-mileage examples as people who bought these as a weekend toy in their late forties or early fifties begin to simply age out of being able to drive them. Good luck with the purchase!
Here’s the seller’s description:
“1991 mazda miata showroom cond.
one owner this is no misprint yes it has only 16,000 original miles
still has orig tires from 1991 in perfect cond.
garaged kept its whole life ,never seen snow rain or cold weather
this is the only one left in the world in this beautiful condition with these extremely low miles,one owner,garaged,all orig
orig front bra ,orig tono cover for conv. Top
please call scott for appointment”
Do you have a Mazda Miata story you’d like to share? Comment below and let us know!
It’s hard to tell what a realistic ‘market price’ would be for this car in the current coronavirus world. I like and appreciate the original Miata (bought a ’90 new back in the day, followed by a ’99), but to me they’re not (yet?) at the status of some other iconic, over-engineered 90’s Japanese cars such as the CRX Si, Civic Si, or even the underappreciated Nissan NX2000.
I personally would have been hard-pressed to see $20,000 for the car even pre-coronavirus. That was a batshit crazy price (though some hedgie, VC, or tech bro in California might well have paid it). For that money, a couple of year old NC or ND series car would be so much better to drive. At $13k for a nearly-new NA series Miata, it could be getting closer to reality (though I think $10k might go down better in the current reality).
I can’t help but wonder what goes through the mind of a seller who starts out asking $20k, and then lowers the price 35% to $13k. It’s always amusing to me, sellers hoping to find the proverbial “right buyer” (meaning, someone with more money than common sense). There were a lot of them out there (most of the buyers on BaT?), but nowadays, might be a little harder to find.