In this episode of Shannons Club TV, Mark Oastler & John Wright take a look back on the practical Japanese sedan with big car performance at a small car price - The Mazda 1200 and 1300
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Comments
DrJohnWright
Love the opwner's segment and the bright green on bright green!
PonyRider
Retroautos, back when you were 18, that little R100 would have felt like a race car, (and probably sounded like one).
What a little fun machine. Lucky you got a drive !
DavidBurrell
When I was 18 I got to drive a R100 coupe as part of my first job, which was at one of the radio stations in my hometown. I was a "gofer" and among all the menial things I had to do was wash the program director's car a couple of times a week. I did not mind this as I got to chat to him often and he let me have access to all the latest records and sit in on the weekly program meeting and help chose which "hits" would be given a airplay. Anyway, he had a '65 Impala which always took ages to clean but was fun to drive around in. Then he bought a Mazda R100 coupe. And I got to drive it on errands and wash it. What a blast! Here I was, 18, and cruising around town in this super fast great looking Mazda.It had a power rear radio aerial, which was so cool to run up and down when I was stopped at the traffic lights and impress other drivers. Eventually he got tired of it---too small he said--and bought a Monaro, but by then I'd moved on to uni and decided a career in radio was not for me.
MickJB
Yes Ponyrider, how great it would be to know where it ended up and it’s ownership history, last I saw it was on a flat top truck being taken away to the Ford dealer. It was very distinctive in colour -Mirage Blue- and appearance - low and pumped out guards- 😁
PonyRider
MickJB it seems you went from one great car
to another great car !
The 1500 Mazda is a great looking car, haven't seen one for many moons though. Your modifications would have had it looking and going great
MickJB
Early Mazda’s hold a place in my heart, 50 years ago I owned a 1500 which I thought was a sexy looking car especially after lowering it and fitting some wider rims and tyres which required flaring out the guards, of course I didn’t stop there and had the suspension changed using Koni shocks, gearbox changed to the 4 speed floor shift and the motor rebuilt with head work, Weber carb cam and exhaust, what a pocket rocket it was.
Then I bought a Twin Cam Escort
LilFellaofOz
Thanks for the video. While it is about the rotary. I remember going to Albury (NSW)car race meet in about 1968. The Copper S would go flying past about 8500 revs then the rotary would go past, screaming in revs far beyond that of the Cooper S. To say the least, I was impressed. Those were the days!
MarkOastler
Fantastic little cars from Japan which helped to shift its post-war automotive export program into overdrive. Boy, didn't the Japanese teach the world a lesson in how to profitably produce high quality low-priced cars in huge volumes! The cost-per-unit efficiencies of building single models in LHD/RHD, that could be sold anywhere in the world, were enormous.
Philwr
My wife had a 1300 Mazda (narrow body model) and what a great little car it was. It never missed a beat...
carnut_73
I find the Mazda 1500 quite attractive to look at. Its Bertone styling made it more attractive than the Toyota Corolla, or the Datsun.
Hickman
Would love one of these.
carnut_73
G'day guys. Another fun video. I'm too young to remember the late 1960s and early 1970s when these cars were on the market. But I remember seeing cars like the Datsun and the Toyota Corolla. Next to what Toyota and what Datsun were offering, I found the Mazda more attractive. I believe that quality and reliability are just as important as style and how attractive a car looks. If a car is well-built, durable, and serviceable, then it's a good car. :)
PonyRider
Thanks again M.O> and J.W.
The owners little red Coupe is a real gem isn't it ?
I found quite a few cars of that category were
simply well put together, reliable and fun.
I'm surprised at how competitive the 1300 Mazda
was, I didn't realise. When you consider other small cars that were around like the Mini Cooper S and the Twin Cam Mk.I Escort, the finish and options included on Japanese cars was excellent. I've only driven a Mazda 1200 from today's presentation, and a Datsun 1000,
and both those small cars were effortless to drive
and didn't let you down.
MercedesFreak
Another fantastic episode keep them coming on the Mazda 1200 & 1300 :) :)
DrJohnWright
These little cars have plenty of charm.
KenMax
Thanks, fellas. Another great episode which unfortunately, reminds me of my age! Two 1300s in the family in the 1970s and, dare I say it, in the 1980s, a $100.00 1500 bought for my son as a paddock bomb. I liked Mazdas so much, I had a 1974 RX4 and a 1977 929 S/W.