Vehicle Description
One of Just 343 Series I Cosmos
Extensive, Professional Two-Year, Photo-Documented Restoration
Mazda's First Sports Car and the First Sports Car with Rotary
Power
Accompanied by Tool Kit, Jack, Owner's Manual, and Books
982 CC Dual-Rotor Rotary Engine
Single 4-Barrel Downdraft Carburetor
110 BHP at 7,000 RPM
4-Speed Manual Gearbox
Chassis NO. L10A-10394
Engine NO. 10A 1556
The rear-wheel-drive, two-seat Cosmo Sport made its debut at the
1964 Tokyo Motor Show resembling more spaceship than automobile - a
sweeping roofline conveying a supersonic stance, with bumper-split
taillights evoking scorching afterburners. The Cosmo was also the
first production vehicle featuring a Wankel rotary engine. Mazda
licensed the Wankel from Germany's NSU, and the Japanese company
further developed the design, improving durability and
reliability.
The first generation of Cosmo production is referred to as the
Series I/L10A. Its two-rotor engine coaxed 110 hp from just 982 cc
of displacement but with exceptional smoothness. Performance was
reported to be brisk for the era, with 0-60 taking 8.2 seconds and
a top speed of 115 mph possible.
This Cosmo was recently restored in its native Japan over about two
years. Finished in a rare combination of red over black upholstery,
and accented by houndstooth cloth inserts to the seats, both
mechanicals and cosmetics were comprehensively attended to. The
engine and transmission were overhauled by a former Mazda Group C
mechanic, while the body and interior were refurbished with new
paint, chrome, leather, rubber, and new/old stock parts where
needed.
This Mazda Cosmo Sport, accompanied by photographs that document
the restoration, is one of only 343 Series I examples and a car
that helped define Mazda as a preeminent manufacturer of fun-loving
sports cars.
