Eunos Roadster NA6CE
Mazda made the simple two-seat roadster feel new again by concentrating on lightness, balance and friendly controls.
1989 Eunos Roadster.jpg · TTTNIS · CC0 1.0
Research pending
A matching completed auction sale has not been verified for this exact year, body, trim, engine, transmission and market.
Joyride shows this gap instead of substituting an asking price, unsold bid or mismatched special vehicle.
More than a set of wheels.
Mazda unveiled the MX-5 in Chicago in February 1989, then launched the Japanese version that September as the Eunos Roadster. This page follows the original Japanese NA6CE base model with the 1.6-litre engine and five-speed manual, not a later 1.8-litre NA8C or an export-market Miata. Its pop-up lamps and tiny proportions are memorable, but the engineering idea was even simpler: keep the car light, place the driver near the middle and make every control easy to understand.
Look a little closer.
Mazda describes the goal with the Japanese phrase Jinba-ittai: horse and rider moving together as one.
Photos show an example of the model or generation. The pictured vehicle’s year, equipment, or modifications can differ from the specification described here.
Three names, one first generation
The same basic car used different names: Eunos Roadster in Japan, Mazda MX-5 in many export markets and Mazda Miata in North America. This page keeps the Japanese launch identity instead of mixing badges and market specifications.
Source: Mazda · Roadster history ↗Lightness before huge power
The Japanese launch car weighed about 940 kg. A light body lets modest power feel lively, asks less of the brakes and tires and makes steering responses easy to read—an engineering lesson that still shapes the MX-5.
Source: Toyota Automobile Museum · 1989 Eunos Roadster ↗Where these facts come from
Selected facts checked for this edition. Some source pages link to broader model families. Last reviewed September 29, 2026.