20 years of the MX-5: the models
In its 19 years, there have been four generations of the Mazda MX-5, all of which have stuck to the original concept closely.
The first was with us for eight years and launched in the UK in March 1990 costing £14,925. Featuring a 1.6-litre 115bhp engine capable of hitting 60mph in 8.7 seconds and a 121mph top speed, Mazda UK sold 20,088 models of the MkI while worldwide it proved a huge hit shifting 580,000 units.
Incredibly, the second generation didn't appear for another nine years. Incredible because it's very rare for a car to go so long without a facelift – usually models get a tweak after three years and a full replacement after six, and many often sooner than that.
