1970 Mazda Other for sale $129,000
| 1970 Mazda Other $129,000 | |
| Car Ad from: Hemmings View Original Ad | |
| Price: | $129,000 |
| Contact: | View Original Ad from Hemmings |
| Location: | Emeryville, CA |
| Details: |
1970 Mazda Cosmo Sport Series II L10B Coupe s/n L10B-10900, Engine no. 10A-2062 White with Houndstooth Interior Today, the Mazda brand is as recognizable as any of the major Japanese manufactures. While standard production cars were an economic necessity for Mazda, like Toyotaandrsquo;s 2000 GT, the company made interesting styling and technological departures, in this case, the Series II Cosmo. Featuring front disc brakes, a 128 horsepower Wankel (rotary) engine feeding power through a 5-Speed transmission, and a DeDion independent rear suspension assembly, the Cosmo was unique in its appearance, and technologically innovative. Mazda Motor Corporation began production of passenger cars in 1960. Just four years later the Japanese firm exhibited its first rotary-engined prototype, having acquired the rights to produce NSUs Wankel-designed engines. In 1966, Mazda launched its first rotary, the Cosmo L10A, which went into production the following year. Mazdas top of the line flagship model, the Cosmo was powered by a twin-rotor engine displacing 982cc and producing 110bhp, which was enough to afford the pretty two-seater coupandeacute; with a top speed of 185km/h. In July 1968 a more powerful and faster (128bhp) L10B version on a longer wheelbase was introduced. As with the Toyota 2000GT, the Cosmo was a comfortable grand touring car in road going trim. Mazda was keen to prove the models competition abilities. Mazda additionally sought to prove the reliability of their Wankel rotary engine. To this end, the factory entered two cars in the 1968 Marathon de la Route, an 84-hour test of endurance held at Germanys famed Nanduuml;rburgring circuit. The Cosmos ran near the top of the field during the entire race, with one retiring in the 82nd hour, the other going on to finish 4th overall behind two works-entered Porsche 911s and a works Lancia Fulvia 1.3 HF. Production was limited, and when the Cosmo was phased out in 1972 only 1,519 had been made, of which 1,176 were the Series II L10B versions such as this particular car. In the world of collectible Japanese cars, the Mazda Cosmo ranks in the top tier alongside Toyotaandrsquo;s 2000GT and Nissanandrsquo;s Skyline GT-R. Because the original Cosmo was generally intended for their home market, all were produced in right hand drive configuration, and sightings of these cars on American roads are almost nonexistent. This particular example is a Series II Cosmo, featuring the higher horsepower engine, and 5-speed transmission. It was first registered in the Hiroshima Prefecture, Mazdaandrsquo;s home base, in 1970. Finished in white, the most popular color, over black vinyl with houndstooth cloth inserts, it is easy to see the appeal in these rare cars given their spaceship-like appearance and novel powertrain. After passing through several custodians in Japan, this Cosmo received a major mechanical service in 2011, including rebuild of the Zenith carburetor, new spark plugs, fuel system cleaning, new front headlight and rear taillight lens frames, a new battery, and a thorough exterior and engine detailing. Outside of routine maintenance and mechanical refurbishment, however, the car is in substantially original condition. Among the features that have been added later are the wood rimmed steering wheel and a set of very rare Hayashi Racing wheels. Additionally, the rear wheel arches appear to have been adjusted slightly in a fashion which is in keeping with the bodylines on the balance of the car to accommodate slightly larger wheels. The car departed its homeland in 2015, and remains with its first US-based owner today. Best described as having a nice driver presentation, s/n 10900 is generally solid, and fundamentally unrestored. There are paint flaws emerging from age, a few bubbles in the lower sheet metal, and it is evident upon critical inspection that the car was blue at one time. The dash has |