Mazda MX-5 Miata
A light two-seat roadster made simple, open-air sports-car fun reliable and attainable for a new generation.
1990 Mazda MX-5 Miata in Classic Red, Front Left, 05-29-2022 · Elise240SX · CC BY-SA 4.0
What did this one sell for?
Make a guess, then reveal one identity-matched completed auction result. It is a comparison point, not a price promise.
Reveal the auction result
Based on a completed sale at Bring a Trailer, an estimated value for this vehicle is $7,300.
Why this sale: Exact 1990 U.S.-market NA Mazda MX-5 Miata roadster with 1.6-liter engine and five-speed manual transmission. 113k miles; Package A and Package B equipment, replacement soft top and JVC head unit. Cosmetic wear includes bumper indentations, a scratched rear window and touch-up paint; the exhaust shield rattles and minor cabin faults were disclosed.
Winning bid; Bring a Trailer's 5% buyer service fee, taxes and transport are excluded. One auction result is a reference, not an appraisal; condition, history, options, location and market timing can change value. Accepted over a newer September 20, 2026 completed sale because the newer car was explicitly modified and fitted with a limited-slip differential; a September 15 result was a dedicated race car.
More than a set of wheels.
Mazda revealed the MX-5 Miata at the Chicago Auto Show on February 9, 1989 and launched it in the United States that May as a 1990 model. Its low weight, rear drive and simple one-hand folding roof revived interest in small roadsters. This U.S. 116 hp Miata is separate from Joyride’s existing 1989 Japanese-market Eunos Roadster profile and from later 1.8-litre NA cars.
Look a little closer.
The original soft top was designed to be folded or raised from the driver’s seat with one hand.
Photos show an example of the model or generation. The pictured vehicle’s year, equipment, or modifications can differ from the specification described here.
Lightness was part of the specification
Mazda’s U.S. history gives a curb weight of 2,116 lb. Aluminum and high-strength steel helped reduce mass, so useful performance did not require a huge engine.
Source: Mazda Motorsports · 25 years of MX-5 ↗Same family, different market identity
Japan’s 1989 Eunos Roadster and the 1990 U.S. Mazda MX-5 Miata share the NA generation, but their names, launch timing and market specifications differ. Joyride keeps them as separate reviewed variants.
Source: Mazda · MX-5 history ↗A generation contains several different cars
NA is the first generation, not one specification lasting unchanged for years. Mazda’s Japanese chronology records a 1.8-litre addition in July 1993 and a 1995 facelift with a lightweight flywheel. Those later changes do not belong in this early U.S. 1.6-litre profile. A photograph or part from another NA therefore needs its own year and market check.
Source: Mazda · MX-5 chronology ↗Where the next chapter begins
Mazda dates the second-generation launch to January 1998 in Japan. That calendar event is distinct from U.S. model-year naming. The generation guide links the 1989 launch overview, this 1990 U.S. car and the documented 2015 UK fourth-generation version while leaving unresearched years visible.
Source: Mazda · MX-5 chronology ↗Where these facts come from
- Mazda Motorsports · 25 years of MX-5
- Mazda · MX-5 history
- Mazda · 1990 MX-5 Miata U.S. brochure
- Mazda · MX-5 chronology
Selected facts checked for this edition. Some source pages link to broader model families. Last reviewed 2026-10-03.