1967 Mazda Cosmo Sport 110S Coupe

The world was introduced to the Mazda Cosmo at the 1964 Tokyo Motor Show, and was the company's first foray into rotary-engine production vehicles shortly after getting the license from NSU to do so. This was the first production vehicle to feature a twin-rotor rotary engine. Known as the Wankel engine after NSU engineer Felix Wankel, these engines were renowned for their high-revving nature as well as their high output relative to their size and weight. Unfortunately, early reliability issues plagued the rotary engine, dooming its widespread adoption in the automotive industry.

The Series I entered serial production in 1967, powering a 110-horsepower rotary engine mated to a 4-speed manual transmission. The two-seater coupe weighed just 930 kilograms and had a top speed of 114 miles per hour. In the front were disc brakes, while drums were mounted at the rear. The front suspension was independent with a DeDion rear end.

During its production lifespan, just 343 of the Series 1 examples were produced.

This Series I Cosmo has remained in Japan since its production in 1967. It left the factory finished in white over a black, checkered interior. It has recently been given a thorough restoration; the engine and transmission have been refurbished by a former Mazda Group C racing mechanical and the suspension has been sorted.

By Daniel Vaughan | Oct 2015