The Mazda MX-5 — A Record Breaking Icon and the World's Best Loved Sports Car

There are cars that sell well. There are cars that win awards. And then there is the Mazda MX-5 — a car that has done both, consistently, for over 35 years, and in doing so has become one of the most decorated and celebrated sports cars in automotive history.

For ND owners, none of this will come as a surprise. You already know what the MX-5 is. But the scale of its achievement is worth understanding — because it puts into context exactly what kind of car you own, and why a brand like Roadster Concept exists to serve it.

The World Best Selling Sports Car — For 25 Years and Counting

The Mazda MX-5 has held the Guinness World Record for the best-selling two-seat sports car since the year 2000 — and 25 years later, that record remains unbroken. Since its launch at the Chicago Motor Show in 1989, over 1.25 million examples have been produced at Mazdas Ujina plant in Hiroshima, Japan — every single one of them built at the same facility, in the same city, by the same team that has refined and developed the car across four generations.

No other sports car comes close to that figure. Not the Porsche 911. Not the Ferrari 488. Not the Lotus Elise. The MX-5 — affordable, lightweight, honest — has outsold them all, combined.

The World Best Selling Convertible — Full Stop

In 2024, the MX-5 went one step further. Data from automotive analysts Jato confirmed that the MX-5 was the world best-selling convertible of any kind — outselling every open-top rival globally, regardless of size or price. With 27,669 units sold worldwide in a single year, the MX-5 outsold every cabriolet on the market — from budget city cars to six-figure luxury drop-tops.

In the UK, the numbers are equally impressive. Over 135,000 MX-5s have been sold since the car launched here in 1990 — nearly 30,000 of those from the current ND generation alone. In 2025, the MX-5 remained the most popular two-seat sports car in Britain and ranked second overall among all convertibles sold in the country.

A Guinness World Record That Keeps Being Broken

The MX-5 entry into the Guinness Book of World Records did not happen once — it has been recognised multiple times across its history. First for best-selling sports car, then for consecutive years of record-breaking sales. The car that became synonymous with a category it effectively defined.

When the NA launched in 1989, the affordable lightweight sports car was a dying breed. Mazda revived it almost single-handedly, and in doing so created a template that competitors have spent 35 years trying and failing to replicate.

Award After Award — Generation After Generation

Across four generations the MX-5 has accumulated awards from virtually every major automotive publication and organisation in the world. Top Gear, Autocar, What Car, Car of the Year awards across multiple markets, best sports car, best value sports car, best drivers car — the list is extensive and spans every decade since the cars launch.

Most recently, the ND was named Best Mainstream Performance Car for the third time in five years by AutoTrader Canada — recognition that a car which has been on sale for over a decade still sets the benchmark in its class. Top Gear continues to reference it as peerless value for money in the sports car market.

Autocar, reviewing the ND in 2026, noted that after ten years the current generation is a better car than ever.

What the ND Represents

The current ND — produced from 2015 to the present — is arguably the purest expression of what the MX-5 has always been. Lighter than the NC it replaced. Sharper. More focused. Built around Mazdas KODO design philosophy and Skyactiv engineering, the ND weighs barely over 1,000kg and is powered by naturally aspirated engines in an era where turbocharged everything has become the default.

It is a deliberate, principled choice by Mazda — the same choice they have made in every generation since 1989. Build a car that is honest, light, communicative and joyful. Do not compromise that mission for the sake of performance figures or technology features. Let the driver feel the road.

The result is a car that has been called the greatest drivers car at any price by people who have driven everything else. A car with over 56 special edition models in the UK alone. A car with owner clubs in hundreds of regions worldwide. A car that inspires the kind of loyalty that most manufacturers can only dream of.

Why This Matters for ND Owners

When you own an MX-5 ND you own a piece of automotive history. A car that has broken world records, won awards on every continent, and remained true to its original mission for 35 years without compromise.

That car deserves accessories that reflect its standard. Products designed with the same attention to detail. Made to last. Built specifically for the ND — not adapted from something generic.

That is exactly what Roadster Concept exists to provide.

Roadster Concept — Built for the Roadster, as Mazda intended it to be known.