The SA22C is the first-generation Mazda RX-7, a two-seat hatchback coupé with a Wankel rotary engine set behind the front axle and rear-wheel drive. Matasaburo Maeda led its design. Three series ran from 1978 to 1985, and 471,018 cars were built, most of them sold in the United States.
The Mazda 787B is a Group C sports prototype that won the 1991 24 Hours of Le Mans using a Wankel rotary engine — the only non-reciprocating engine car to do so as of 2026. Built between 1990 and 1991, five units were made: two 787s and three 787Bs. It prioritised reliability and fuel efficiency over outright speed, outlasting faster rivals. It marked the end of rotary power in top-tier endurance racing. It was the first Le Mans win by a Japanese manufacturer — unmatched until Toyota in 2018.
The 1989 Mazda MX-5 is a lightweight, two-seat, unibody sports car co-designed by Tom Matano and C. Mark Jordan. It launched at the Chicago Auto Show and was built at Mazda’s Hiroshima plant. Its design follows the Jinba ittai philosophy and draws direct inspiration from 1950s–60s British and Italian roadsters — especially the Lotus Elan. With a curb weight under 1,100 kg, it prioritises balance, responsiveness, and driver engagement over power or luxury. The first generation sold 228,961 units between 1989 and 1997.
The RX-3 is what the world outside Japan called the Mazda Savanna, the rotary version of the Grand Familia. It came as a coupé, sedan and station wagon, started on the 10A rotary and moved to the larger 12A. It was the most popular of the rotary cars Mazda built before the RX-7, and it raced successfully in Japan, Australia, New Zealand and North America.
The Mazda RX-7 is a Japanese sports car made by Mazda from 1978 to 2002. It uses a front mid-engine, rear-wheel-drive layout and a compact, lightweight Wankel rotary engine. The first generation is a two-seater coupé with a rear hatchback. Later generations added 2+2 and convertible options, but the core two-seater coupé remained. More than 800,000 were built, including 471,018 first-generation units.