1997 Mazda MX-5 Harvard 1.8 in Lovely Condition

Now offered for sale is this rare 1997 MX5 1. 8 Harvard special edition. Only 500 of these were ever produced and they were sold in the UK only, between May and September 1997. Latest DVLA records show that there are less than 170 still on the road. Finished in Stone Silver, all had dark red leather seats and matching red door cards. Specification includes power steering, a Momo leather-rimmed steering wheel along with a stainless steel style bar and chrome door mirrors. Its covered around 130, 0000 miles but please don't let that worry you: this drives as well as any MX5 Mk1 out there - and probably better than most.

Before I tell you more, let me tell you about Goodwood Sportscars and why should you buy from me: I have been buying and selling Mazda MX5s for over 20 years now. While I'm a car dealer, I consider myself to be a car enthusiast above all else. I'll only sell cars that actual interest me as an enthusiast. I live, sleep and breath quick cars and have sold literally thousands of performance cars over a thirty year period. I have competed in various forms of motorsport including the Scottish Hillclimb Championship (in an MX5 of course). So I'm pretty good at spotting a good MX5 and at making one work to the best of its ability. I've had many thousands of MX5s through my hands and know their strengths and weaknesses well.

Bodywork is in very good condition with solid, rust-free wheel arches, sills and wings. A car of this age is bound to have had underbody repairs at some point in its life and a close inspection shows it to have had to the sill/ floor area on both sides which look to have been carried out to a good standard. Underneath, floors, lower sills, chassis rails etc are all in strong and sound condition. Its the same with the running gear, subframes and suspension: all are in good order and most of the underside has been recently been cleaned and then treated with Dinitrol. Paintwork is good but it has a few very light stone-chips nd the odd small scratch here and there. Its all genuinely minor stuff and I still reckon its better than most cars of this age - its a very smart and presentable car.

Inside, everything is clean and presentable and the red leather seats and trim look terrific. The driver's seat has fair bit of wear in line with its age but it isn't holed or torn. It feels like a nice place to be and has a nice 'classic car' feel to it. Its fitted with a modern stereo that sounds good and has Bluetooth connectivity. The soft top is a later - and nicer - black mohair item as fitted to later cars and has a proper glass window.

Mechanically its all good too and the engine is super-smooth and responsive with an excellent gearbox and clutch. Brakes have recently been overhauled and adjusted properly. Its sitting on a set of 14" 'original Mazda 'Daisy' style alloy wheels and tyres are in good order all round. The cam belt has very recently been replaced as have both alternator and power steering belts. Its also just had a new clutch master cylinder and a brake fluid change.

This one is exceptionally good to drive with lovely ride quality while still offering traditional MX5 handling. How do I know this? Well I always like to cover a good 200-300 miles in any car offered for sale by me. I've driven thousands over the years and know how a good one should drive. In this one, I've blasted along the motorway, got stuck in heavy traffic, driven it around town etc and it drives better than most. Best of all is how it drives on a good country road; its very good indeed and its brilliant fun to wind the engine up hard and throw it into bend after bend - excellent fun.

As part of my sales preparation process, it has been thoroughly inspected using my unique MX5-based 80+ point checklist and any faults found, rectified. Its just been serviced with new wiper blades, new oil, spark plugs and filters. Its MOT tested until June 2025 but I’ll include a new MOT if the asking price is met. Its also worth pointing out that the registration number was a cherished one (to someone). So its a not a 1993/ 1994 model as indicated by the 'L' prefix but a 1997. Price is £4650. I'm based in Berwick on Tweed, near the Scottish Border and I can collect any prospective buyer from the local train station or I can arrange to have the car delivered by a trusted transport company at extra cost. I’m well known in the MX5 world and know these cars well. Please do not hesitate to ask any questions – if you are genuinely interested, you’ll have plenty and I’m happy to talk about MX5s all day. I'm also happy to give you an honest description and if there any faults or issues with the car, I much prefer to tell you up front, so you are clear about what you are buying.