When it comes to Mazda it’s hard not to refer to MX-5, a roadster that has been able to revolutionize the concept of a sporty two-seater, projecting the Hiroshima brand into a niche in which this car has been able to carve out a very important place. The history of the Miata began in 1989, also thanks to Shunji Tanaka, one of the leading designers of the iconic Mazda who passed away just days before Christmas at the age of 75. The death of one of the heads of the Hiroshima roadster’s exterior and interior design was announced on Facebook by the president of a Japanese MX-5 Club, of which Tanaka was a member.
“I am so sorry to announce that Mr. Tanaka, the chief designer of NA MX-5 has died on December 12 at the age of 75” Katsuyuki Satake said. While not being remembered as Toshihiko Hirai and Takao Kijima, even Tanaka has been able to leave her mark with an important contribution to birth of Mazda MX-5, dealing with a captivating stylistic language that has immediately been able to capture the attention of customers. No information was provided on the causes of Tanaka’s death. The automotive designer, after contributing to the birth of the Miata, had continued to work for Mazda for a period until his move to Kawasaki where he began his two-wheeler career.
“I have no regrets in my life” Tanaka would have said before she died, a sentence of dying. We don’t know if that’s true, but giving birth to the Mazda MX-5 will certainly have been a source of pride. With the new electrification strategies, there has been much talk of the future of the Miata, which has just passed 30 springs. The Japanese roadster could be one of the latest models to preserve its endothermic nature, probably using synthetic fuels that the Hiroshima-based carmaker is developing in collaboration with other Japanese brands.
Photo: Car and Driver
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