What the car is and where it came from
The SA22C is the first-generation Mazda RX-7, a two-seater coupé with a rear hatchback. Series 1, built from 1978 until 1980, is the one commonly called the SA22C, after the first characters of its vehicle identification number. Mazda’s internal project number for the car was X605. It reached Japanese showrooms in March 1978, replacing the Savanna RX-3 and joining the Cosmo and Luce as Mazda’s other rotary-powered products. Matasaburo Maeda was the lead designer. The later series are called the FB in North America, while other markets kept the SA22C prefix for 1981 to 1985. The move from Savanna to sports-car shape reflected what other Japanese makers were doing.
How it works, in terms someone would actually use
A compact, lightweight Wankel rotary sits behind the front axle and drives the rear wheels. Early cars used the 12A, rated at 100 hp in North American trim, and later North American GSL-SE cars carried the fuel-injected 13B. The car weighs under 1,100 kg, with a 50:50 front-to-rear split, and has a live rear axle on a 4-link layout with Watt’s linkage. The rotary runs smoothly at high speed, so a buzzer on the tachometer warns the driver as the 7,000 rpm redline nears. To keep emissions down, an air pump feeds a thermal reactor where the exhaust manifold would normally be.
What it gets right
Size and weight were its advantage. The engine behind the axle helped balance the car and gave it a low centre of gravity. It was the lightest generation of the RX-7 ever produced. The 12A cars reached 97 km/h (60 mph) in 9.2 seconds and pulled 0.779 g on a skid pad.
What it does not
Its running gear is older in design than the next generation’s. The second generation moved to independent rear suspension and rack-and-pinion steering, replacing this car’s live axle and recirculating-ball steering, and made disc brakes standard. The 12A is also not a clean burner on its own, which is why it needed the exhaust air pump.
What it changed
It was a small production sports car built around a compact, lightweight rotary. The first generation sold strongly: 471,018 cars were produced, and between 332,850 and 367,878 were sold in the United States alone. Along the way Series 2 added plastic-covered bumpers and wraparound taillights, Series 3 brought the GSL-SE, and a turbocharged 12A at 165 PS was offered in Japan from September 1983.
Who it is for, and who it is not
It suits drivers who want a light two-seat coupé with a rotary’s smooth top end. It is not for anyone who needs rear seats, or the more refined handling of the later generations.
Is it worth your time
Yes. It is the lightest generation of the RX-7, and a purer sports car than the second generation that followed it.
