The Mazda MX-5 transformed the world sports car market when it debuted in 1989 – bringing back a desire for inexpensive, simple rear-wheel-drive roadsters that had been absent since the demise of the Triumph Spitfire and MG Midget. 

But original Mk1 MX-5s are rare beasts today. Sadly, they suffered quite badly from corrosion and many of them fell by the wayside with rotten sills and floors – but not this one. This is a rare special edition, number 113 of 400 MX-5 Berkeleys. The Berkeley was a limited edition for the UK market, based on the 1.8i. It was a marketing collaboration with The Berkeley luxury hotel in Knightsbridge, with Mazda running a competition to win a weekend break there alongside the launch of the car.

The owner of this example loves it, but she lives on the border of London’s Ultra-Low Emissions Zone and the Mazda is sadly non-compliant, so she is reluctantly letting it go to pastures new.

Inside, the Mazda is totally standard other than a modernised radio head unit. 

It’s in good order, with only some minor wear to the driver’s seat showing its age. The seats are a two-tone grey leather exclusive to the Berkeley and really suit it, matched by pale and dark grey door cards. The dash is adorned with wood-effect trim and a Momo sports steering wheel is a further Berkeley addition. It shows some minor wear but is in good order.

Finished in Sparkle Green, unique to the model, the Berkeley is a great looking car and still looks very smart with its mostly original paint. 

It received new sills in 2014 (as suggested by the MOT history) and these are still good, though the paint finish is slightly different along the lower part of the car. Underneath it still appears solid from a roadside inspection, and there were no corrosion advisories on its recent MOT test. 

There are a couple of areas where the paint has deteriorated, notably some lacquer damage on the offside wing top and some fading on one of the headlight covers, but it’s still a good looking car overall. 

The soft top roof is in good order and the alloys are presentable, although a couple of them are missing their centre caps.

Mazda’s revvy twin cam 1.8 is a punchy engine with lots of in-gear torque, and with the MX-5’s light weight it makes for a hugely entertaining drive. It starts on the button and drives as well as you’d expect, with a smooth gearbox and good brakes. 

The vendor describes it as being great to drive and she has used the car as her daily transport for the past five years.

This is a reluctant sale from an owner who wouldn’t even consider selling her beloved MX-5 were it not for the London ULEZ. For the collector, it represents an opportunity to own a rare Mk 1 variant, of which only 157 remain on the road based on recent DVLA data. It’s a great, usable and fun sports car.


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