mazda as 1971 barbfind rust for sale car and classic
in

Mazda Cosmo L10 / B For Sale: Rusty But Extremely Rare

From 1967 to 1995 Mazda produced an extensive succession of models under the futuristic name of Cosmo. Obviously within such an extensive saga in time there were its ups and downs. However, the first two evolutions of it were as groundbreaking and visionary as its name of astronomical pretenses made predict: we are talking about the L10 / A and L10 / B of the Mazda Cosmo Sport.

Manufactured between 1967 and 1972, these series respond to a way of understanding the manufacture of a car that was already even conceived in such exclusive brands as Ferrari. Why? Because The Cosmo L10 / A and L10 / B were built entirely by hand, to the point that the production rate of the L10 / A during its first weeks of manufacture was only one unit a day.

And in part it is logical because… When you first walk a mountain path, you do it more slowly because of the insecurity that the unknown gives? Mazda engineers and operators were in the same situation, since the first rotary engine that the Japanese brand launched in a model approved for sale was mounted in the Cosmo. Launch the Kenichi Yamamoto's mechanical dream it took six years of testing and more than three million kilometers. A dream that is now only found in very few sales offers such as this one from a british classics company.

COSMO L10 / B, THE PERFECTED VERSION OF THE FIRST MAZDA ROTARY

That huge engineering job finally made sense when in 1964 the Mazda Cosmo prototype was presented at the Tokyo Motor Show. Three years later it entered a phase of production and sale limited only to Japan, delivering to its few owners 110 HP of power thanks to its double rotor motor with almost 1000 cc (491 for each 'cylinder').

However, and despite the futuristic nature of the model, both for the rotary engine that it premiered and for its innovative aesthetics - striking even more if we take into account that with it, at last, the Japanese proved to have their own ideas on how to design a bodywork- Mazda launched a perfected evolution of the model just a year later, introducing the Cosmo L1968 / B in 10.. At a mechanical level, it increased its power to 128 hp, in addition to receiving a new 5-speed manual gearbox.

However, the Cosmo and its rotary engine remained a mystery outside the Japanese archipelago. This was not contributed by a low production that slightly exceeded 1500 units, almost all destined for the domestic market - in fact it is estimated that only about six were exported to the United States. In order to remedy this, Mazda took two Cosmo Sport 110Ss to one of the toughest endurance tests in Europe: the 84 Hours of the Nürburgring of 1968.

There one of the Cosmos achieved a meritorious fourth place, demonstrating the reliability of those unknown rotary engines that after decades of oblivion brought the German dream to automotive reality. Felix wankel… Through the Japanese perseverance and thoroughness of Kenichi yamamoto. A curious union of distinguished engineering minds that gave birth to what remains a hallmark for Mazda, with nearly 2 million rotary-engined cars sold to date.

Anyway, the success of the engines "Shaky”Mazda would reach its peak with the RX7 since, like almost all pioneers, the Cosmo L10 / B died early and with a reputation that would only be repaired years later.

REPUTATION REPAIRED. THE SHEET ... NOT SO MUCH

While the Cosmo L10 / B was marketed it had a terrible reputation, labeled as too expensive for the power it offered. In part this may be behind the limited commercial success it had outside of Japan, a factor that now - paradoxically - plays in its favor in terms of revaluation.

And the thing is ... Think. That bad reputation that it had in the commercial situation of the moment has gone down in history, the Cosmo now appearing as a true cult car due to the original and pioneering nature of its rotary engine, the artisanal character of its manufacture, the scarcity of its production and the fact that most of them are in distant Japan. To this you add that, over time, it was shown that its engine is not powerful but it is cheerful and fun to drive.

mazda as 1971 barbfind rust for sale car and classic
Less than 41.000 kilometers ...

Finding one for sale is a chore for the fearless, so when you see an ad like this ... Even if a good paint job is ahead - structurally it does not seem to have too many problems - it does not stop looking like a bad offer. And that we are talking about 40.000 euros to change!

You only have one serious problem: the offer is published by a British dealer but the car is in Japan. We believe that the transportation costs would liquidate the possible benefit that you could get from a car as strange as it is full of appreciation potential. Mind you, for a Mazda fanatic… This car is a diamond in the rough.

What do you think?

avatar photo

Written by Miguel Sánchez

Through the news from La Escudería, we will travel the winding roads of Maranello listening to the roar of the Italian V12; We will travel Route66 in search of the power of the great American engines; we will get lost in the narrow English lanes tracking the elegance of their sports cars; We will speed up the braking in the curves of the Monte Carlo Rally and we will even get dusty in a garage while rescuing lost jewels.

Subscribe to the newsletter

Once a month in your mail.

Thanks a lot! Do not forget to confirm your subscription through the email that we have just sent you.

Something has gone wrong. Please try again.

60.2 kHappy fans
2.1 kFollowers
3.4 kFollowers
3.8 kFollowers