Mazda Miata Named To Automobile Magazine's 1999 "All-Stars" List

New Miata Named Best Entry-Level Sports Car

IRVINE, Calif. (January 6, 1999) -- Mazda North American Operations (MNAO) today announced that the 1999 Mazda Miata roadster received Automobile Magazine's 1999 "All-Stars" award. The award names the Miata as the Best Entry-Level Sports Car. The awards appear in the February issue of the magazine, which goes on sale at newsstands this week.

In selecting the Miata as a "All-Stars" award winner, the editors of Automobile Magazine stated, "Mazda's redesigned Miata remains the best sports car you can buy when cost is an issue. The new car not only looks better than its predecessor does, but it goes better too. What makes the new Miata so special, however, is the thoughtful development of its chassis. [The Miata] might just be the only sports car you'll ever need to own."

"Because the Miata has become an automotive icon," said Richard Beattie, president and CEO of MNAO, "we had to be especially careful not to lose the purity of design and fun-to-drive character of the original when we set out to redesign the car. The incredibly positive response we've received from the media and public tells us that the changes we made created the best Miata ever. We're proud to have the new Miata named as an All-Star."

The all-new 1999 Mazda Miata features a dramatically restyled body that is more rigid than its predecessor, yet weighs nearly the same. The new Miata also features a more powerful 140-horsepower, 1.8-liter four-cylinder engine, revised four-wheel double-wishbone suspension and a completely revised interior.

Few automobiles have received as many awards in their first nine years as the resoundingly popular Mazda Miata roadster. Shortly after its introduction in 1989, Automobile Magazine named the Miata its inaugural "Automobile of the Year" and Car and Driver selected the original Miata as one of the "10Best" cars. The original Miata appeared on the "All-Stars" list every year it was eligible -- seven times in all -- a feat unequalled by any other model.

Numerous other publications have bestowed awards and accolades on the timeless roadster every year since. Most recently, the editors of Consumer Digest named the Miata a "Best Buy" for 1999 and Car and Driver placed the Miata on its "10Best" list for the second year in a row.

To date, Mazda has sold nearly 500,000 Miatas around the world, of which nearly half have been sold in the United States, making it the best-selling two-seat, lightweight, open sports car in the world.

The Miata also boasts the largest single marque car club in the United States, the 30,000-member Miata Club of America.

Mazda North American Operations is responsible for the research and development, sales and marketing, and customer parts and service support of Mazda vehicles in the United States. Headquartered in Irvine, Calif., MNAO has approximately 800 dealerships nationwide and is owned by Mazda Motor Corporation, Hiroshima, Japan.

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