This is the interior of a third-generation Mazda Cosmo. The first generation 1967-72 Cosmo Sport had space-age styling on the outside. Then Mazda brought back the Cosmo name in 1975 for the Mazda RX-5, and the only thing spacey about that was the idea of a Cosmo with Landau roof.
In 1981, the third-gen was modernized to look like, at least from the inside, a bridge station on the USS Enterprise. The instrument pod is really pod-like, attached to an otherwise pancake-flat dash. What would you do with the space behind it? Hidden radar detector? Beanie Baby gallery? The possibilities are as endless as the number of buttons on the pod itself!
The exterior is kinda Space Shuttle-y too. Though it takes styling cues from the RX-5 (slim window in the B-pillar) it appears light years ahead, design-wise. Oh yeah, and with a 12A turbo it was at one time the fastest car in Japan. Just our little obsession from the weekend.
[Images: Tennen-Gas]
Extremely nice morning light there. It really brings out the car’s beauty.
that’s actually a 12A turbo
Thanks, corrected.
One of my cousins had one of those. Seriously cool car!
that interior reminded me of the old 626 GC’s that were very popular when i was an apprentice at a Mazda dealer .Blast from the past.
Love that cassette deck! Looks like it belongs in a home stereo.
who are you? I’M the real Joey Z.. but seriously, not to be off topic.. i’m bein for reals..
The interior reminds me of a Subaru XT. Seats look great though.
What is the deal with the middle side window?
Love the interior. Did they make these in Left Hand Drive?
That was a nod to the Cosmo RX-5, which had an opera window built into the B-pillar. And no LHD, sorry.
They did make these in LHD with the 4 cyl. in them we had them in Europe as Mazda 929 coupe, later versions sadly lost the narrow window in the B pillar.
We got the facelifted version without the little b-pillar-window, but only with the n/a-fourcylinder-engine. We did not get the rotary in Austria.
You learn something new every day. I’m assuming the 12A turbo was not available in LHD though, right?
They came out with a 12at and 13b option in japan only, the 12at was 5 speed and the 13b was auto, i have a mint 4 door hard top with the 12at in white here in New Zealand
There are a few HB’s in NZ. I have a Series 1 coupe with a 13bt out of a FD RX7 in it.
I have the grey interior though not the berg.
If you want to check out some more HB’s http://www.hbcosmo.com/
I’m in love!
and oddly enough. I happened across another one in this Dyna man parody from the 80s
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RkuJBn6In68
it’s at 4:38