Just by looking at the pictures, you wouldn’t necessarily recognize this study car as a Mazda, as its typical 1970s shape would have stood the test of time for any other brand. In fact, Mazda built this super sports car, which then sat locked in a factory warehouse for decades and was only recently taken out.
You might think of the gorgeous MX-5 or the Wankel-powered RX-7 as Mazda's sports car, but the Japanese manufacturer has also produced countless studies on the subject, one of which is the RX-500, which you probably haven't even heard of. Of course, it was introduced long ago at the 1970 Tokyo Motor Show, and with its wedge-shaped, straight-backed stance, it was a fashion statement at the time.
This is what a Japanese auto show looked like in the 1970s
In fact, it wasn't the RX-500's looks that mattered, but its powertrain. The mid-engined supercar was powered by a 982cc Wankel twin-rotor engine. It produced 250 horsepower, which seems low today, but in 1970 it wasn't at all, and
Weighing only 850 kg, it can easily reach 240 km/h.
The details of the study car cannot be ignored, for example the doors that open forwards and upwards, while the engine can be accessed through the gull-wing bonnet.
Most interesting is the taillight, which was intended to be a huge innovation:
It lights up green if the vehicle is accelerating, yellow if it is moving steadily, and red if it is braking, indicating the driver's intentions to the person behind him.
You might think more RX-500s were made, but these are the same ones, just in a different color.
Many people thought Mazda made more RX-500s, but in reality only one was made,
First presented in orange, then painted green at some point, and finally shining silver when locked in Mazda's factory warehouse, it was almost forgotten about until 2008, when it was taken out, restored and even toured at the Goodwood Festival.
RX-500 on display at the Mazda Museum in Hiroshima
There was only one production version of the original model, but Matchbox produced the RX-500 for four years.
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