Before the RX-7

Was the RX-2!

http://chicago.craigslist.org/chc/cto/1772683635.html

Was there and RX-1?

Wasn't the first one the Cosmo?

nsu spider, actually

First one for Mazda was the Cosmo 110, there's also an R-100 but IIRC the RXs start with RX-2.

NSU was first to use the Wankle engine. I meant the first Mazda to use it.

Edit: dang, Box beat me.

Ro-80?

Wow. My first car was an RX-2. Bought it for $500, drove it for four years, and sold it for $425. Maybe I should have held onto it? $13,500?!

NSU Ro-80 was NSU's second attempt at a rotary-engined car. Might have been the first production two-rotor car (Wankel Spiders are single rotor).

Sounds like good fodder for Jalopnik's "Nice Price or Crack Pipe" feature.

R100, about 1970 ish, 10a rotary, and so unreliable Mazda attempted to buy them all back and crush them. Thats why you hardly ever see one.

Mighta been a Cosmo in Japan before, the first of them had a 10a as well.

Streetwiseguy wrote: R100, about 1970 ish, 10a rotary, and so unreliable Mazda attempted to buy them all back and crush them. Thats why you hardly ever see one. Mighta been a Cosmo in Japan before, the first of them had a 10a as well.

IIRC, the RX5 was sold for about half a minute in the US under the "Cosmo" name. As much as I like rotaries (and remember their US history during the 70s, since I was a young car guy back then), I've never owned one, and don't know much about Mazda's history back home in Japan.

RX5/Cosmo was a 928 style rotary, bigger, plusher and trying to be a GT, a lot of autos and very different rear end with no LSD option.

That said I would have one

The early Cosmo was the first mass produced Mazda rotary, the R100 was second but first available for general consumption in multiple countries.

RX coupe prices are nuts. Yes, they are fairly rare having mostly rusted away years ago. But even rat traps sell for several grand.

I had an Rx-3 sp in the early 80's. It was a pain in the ass but when it was working, it was a hoot. I had a couple of Cibie Super Oscars on it and used to take it out on the old dirt roads in MI late at night.

Rx2's were superceded by the Rx3, the hot little sister that got asked to the prom more often because she looked and performed "Oh so much better"

.

RX4 hotlinked for your pleasure....

mad_machine wrote: RX4 hotlinked for your pleasure....

Looks like a mini-Maverick, very cool.

jrg77 wrote: Was the RX-2! http://chicago.craigslist.org/chc/cto/1772683635.html Was there and RX-1?

you know that the "RX-" nomenclature is not sequential, right? they are/were all separate models. some people think that the next rotary vehicle shuold be the RX-9...nope.

Buzz Killington wrote:

jrg77 wrote: Was the RX-2! http://chicago.craigslist.org/chc/cto/1772683635.html Was there and RX-1?

you know that the "RX-" nomenclature is not sequential, right? they are/were all separate models. some people think that the next rotary vehicle shuold be the RX-9...nope.

Well, there is a pretty strong sequential nature to the series, it's just not absolute. R-100, RX-2, RX-3, RX-4, RX-5, RX-7, and RX-8. So they skipped "6". Other than that....

My parents had a couple of RX-4s when I was a kid. Alas, they were long gone before I realized just how cool they really were. One gave its life to protect my mother and sister from a Firebird. I seem to recall the apex seals went out at 50,000 miles. Might have been km.

For the rotorheads, I present the coolest car brochure ever. I found this in my dad's collection and scanned it. He thinks he picked it up at the Mazda factory as the first Cosmos came off the line. Jay Leno has a blow-up of one of the pages in his garage. Clic the pic for more.

oldsaw wrote: Rx2's were superceded by the Rx3, the hot little sister that got asked to the prom more often because she looked and performed "Oh so much better" .

Damn I like the hot little sister.

Car's not bad either.

1988RedT2 wrote:

Buzz Killington wrote: you know that the "RX-" nomenclature is not sequential, right? they are/were all separate models. some people think that the next rotary vehicle shuold be the RX-9...nope.

Well, there is a pretty strong sequential nature to the series, it's just not absolute. R-100, RX-2, RX-3, RX-4, RX-5, RX-7, and RX-8. So they skipped "6". Other than that....

well actually:

R-100 (compact coupe): 1968-73

R-130 (midsize coupe): 1969-71

RX-2 (midsize sedan/coupe): 1970-78

RX-3 (sports car): 1972-77

RX-4 (midsize sedan/coupe/wagon): 1972-78

RX-5 (GT coupe): 1975-81

RX-7 (sports car): 1978-2002

RX-8 (sports car): 2003-

so, no, I wouldn't say there is much "sequential" about it. concurrent models aren't really "sequential."

just like "MX-_", the RX- cars were distinct models. they just happen to have rotary engines. no one claims that the MX-3, MX-5, and MX-6 were sequential, right?

Keith wrote:

awesome. "our engine runs circles around your engine!"

WHAMMO!

Buzz Killington wrote:

1988RedT2 wrote:

Buzz Killington wrote: you know that the "RX-" nomenclature is not sequential, right? they are/were all separate models. some people think that the next rotary vehicle shuold be the RX-9...nope.

Well, there is a pretty strong sequential nature to the series, it's just not absolute. R-100, RX-2, RX-3, RX-4, RX-5, RX-7, and RX-8. So they skipped "6". Other than that....

well actually: R-100 (compact coupe): 1968-73 R-130 (midsize coupe): 1969-71 RX-2 (midsize sedan/coupe): 1970-78 RX-3 (sports car): 1972-77 RX-4 (midsize sedan/coupe/wagon): 1972-78 RX-5 (GT coupe): 1975-81 RX-7 (sports car): 1978-2002 RX-8 (sports car): 2003- so, no, I wouldn't say there is much "sequential" about it. concurrent models aren't really "sequential." just like "MX-_", the RX- cars were distinct models. they just happen to have rotary engines. no one claims that the MX-3, MX-5, and MX-6 were sequential, right?

LOL. I'm not going to argue with you. Your data speaks for itself.

The RX-2 was an Italian designed chassis if I remember right,and used a 4 link with coil springs in the rear rather than the leaf springs the RX-3,-4 use. I love all of them,but my favorite is maybe the RX-2 as it is cool,but understated. The RX-3 is the one everyone wants,and sure I would like one,but the -2 is cooler in my opinion.

I have never seen a 4-door RX-3 in the US,but people claim they were sold here. Seeing 4-door RX-2's is quite common in the rotary world,but not so much the RX-4's aside from the odd wagon you see pop up here and there.

That price I think is more crack pipe than anything else,but if he gets it that is all the better for me who owns two old school rotaries(74 REPU,and 74 RX-4 coupe). I would love that car that is for sale as I love that Mazda orange,but not many people can swing that kind of cash in thsi economy on a 35+ year old Mazda.

leaf springs?!?!?? seriously...what the hell kind of sports car uses leaf springs, for Duntov's sake?

i would happily house any of those old mazders, including (and maybe especially) a REPU.