The Mazda MX5 20th Anniversary Meet held at the company's Miyoshi proving ground in Japan on Sunday, September 20, 2009, gathered more than 1,600 cars and around 2,600 owners and fans. They all got a lap of the track. The Mazda MX5 was launched for the first time in 1989 and owners and fans from all over Japan came to Miyoshi to celebrate its birthday.
Apart from the usual quizzes and speeches, including the one of Mazda's Director and Senior Managing Executive Officer in charge of vehicle development, Seita Kanai, we guess it was quite a site to see so many roadsters in one place.
Mazda Press Release:
To celebrate the 20th Anniversary of the Mazda MX-5, Mazda Motor Corporation hosted a special commemorative event on September 20, 2009, at its Miyoshi Proving Ground in western Japan.
First launched in 1989, Mazda's two-seat lightweight open-top sports car is celebrating its 20th birthday this year. To commemorate the milestone, over 1,600 Roadsters and their owners made their
way to the car's birthplace at the Miyoshi Proving Ground.
When the proving ground gates opened at 6:30am, the arriving Roadsters were welcomed home by attending staff. Approximately 2,600 owners and fans had journeyed from all over Japan and overseas to join in the celebration. The event was officially launched with a toast from a 20-year old Roadster owner, born the same year as the iconic vehicle was launched.
During the event, members of the development team and MX-5 owners from abroad delivered
congratulatory speeches; Roadster owners' clubs from every region of Japan were introduced; and guests were invited to take part in a Roadster quiz. To bring the celebration to a close, Mazda's Director and Senior Managing Executive Officer in charge of vehicle development, Seita Kanai, stood up to address the crowd. His cry of, "The Roadster is forever!" was greeted by thunderous applause from the spectators.
To end with a Zoom-Zoom flourish, all 1,600 Roadsters formed up to parade around the track before leaving the Miyoshi Proving Ground with a fond farewell from the Mazda staff.
