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1973 CAR OF THE YEAR

1990 Mazda MX 5

Rob & Sonya Jones

This car belonged to our elder daughter Megan and when she went to Melbourne to live and work she had to reluctantly sell it. She did look at taking it with her but it just wasn't viable, hell it cost $2K just to take Loki, her dog!

Sonya and I thought about it overnight or less and decided it was now or never and so we bought it at about 140.000km. It had a new cam belt fitted and was all good in every respect, I think new plugs went in and we continue to use it on nice (dry) days. That's not say it's a sunshine car as we have frozen in it before but unless it's pouring with rain the only time the hood goes up is in the shed to keep it fitting well. Goes real well, is heaps of fun, less so following a huge grader for 12km down a forestry road and to all you people who criticise the cars and call them hairdressers cars I can only say, drive one yourself. In that regard it shares the same crap the P76 does! And as an early NA model they are getting less commonly seen on our roads now.

(c) Leyland P76 Owners Club Incorporated of New Zealand