QUOTE
The Mazda 121 "bubble" redefined the budget small car with cute lines, high quality and spacious cabin. Under siege from the Koreans, Mazda was later forced to strip $2,000 out of the car.
On its November 1990 launch, the new Mazda 121 was lifted well clear of its budget predecessor with an obvious link to the MX-5 that took the market by storm only a year earlier. Its efficient 1.3-litre engine was a 16 valve development of proven 323 and Laser B-series powerplants while its curved, high cabin matched the space of more expensive small cars.
Initially presented as a top shelf model only with painted bumpers, large 14 inch wheels with premium Astina-style wheelcovers and lavish cabin trim and equipment, it was not cheap as it nudged $20,000 when specified with 4 speed auto, power steering and air-cond. As Mazda took the high ground, Ford plugged the gap with the Korean version of the previous model badged as the Festiva.
A premium Mazda 121 Funtop with folding canvas roof arrived in January 1993. These early examples were bought by well-heeled buyers who looked after them. Mazda split the range into a stripped-out 1.3 model in January 1994 while the top of the range version continued with a new 1.5-litre engine. The stripped-out 1.3 model felt noisier and cruder on the road.
A Mazda 121 Shades extra-value pack based on an upgraded version of the 1.3 sold well into 1997 as the final model of this series and ran for almost a year alongside its 121 Metro replacement.
On its November 1990 launch, the new Mazda 121 was lifted well clear of its budget predecessor with an obvious link to the MX-5 that took the market by storm only a year earlier. Its efficient 1.3-litre engine was a 16 valve development of proven 323 and Laser B-series powerplants while its curved, high cabin matched the space of more expensive small cars.
Initially presented as a top shelf model only with painted bumpers, large 14 inch wheels with premium Astina-style wheelcovers and lavish cabin trim and equipment, it was not cheap as it nudged $20,000 when specified with 4 speed auto, power steering and air-cond. As Mazda took the high ground, Ford plugged the gap with the Korean version of the previous model badged as the Festiva.
A premium Mazda 121 Funtop with folding canvas roof arrived in January 1993. These early examples were bought by well-heeled buyers who looked after them. Mazda split the range into a stripped-out 1.3 model in January 1994 while the top of the range version continued with a new 1.5-litre engine. The stripped-out 1.3 model felt noisier and cruder on the road.
A Mazda 121 Shades extra-value pack based on an upgraded version of the 1.3 sold well into 1997 as the final model of this series and ran for almost a year alongside its 121 Metro replacement.
