2003 Mazda Miata Convertible Very Rare Automatic, Low Miles, Drive Anywhere on 2040-cars

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Mazda6 sees gains in ugly month for midsize sedans

Though June overall wasn't a terrible month for automaker sales, at least for the most part, it was pretty hideous for midsize family sedans. Basically every single model in the segment saw declining numbers including the Subaru Legacy, Nissan Altima, Ford Fusion, Volkswagen Passat, and even perennial volume sellers such as the Honda Accord and Toyota Camry. All of these cars are down in year-to-date numbers, too. But there's one bright spot, and it comes from Mazda. Mazda reports that the Mazda6 actually had a really good month. It sold 3,204 examples of the family sedan in June 2018, compared with 2,360 in June of last year. That's a nearly 36 percent increase month-over-month. It was also enough to bump Mazda6 sales for 2018 ahead of 2017's numbers through June. Those numbers also put the Mazda6 ahead of the Volkswagen Passat for June, and just 20 vehicles shy of the Subaru Legacy. Admittedly, these are still small numbers all around. In the same month, Honda sold over 26,000 Accords, and Toyota sold about 27,000 Camrys. Sales of Mazda's other vehicles also indicate that crossovers really are the new hotness. The CX-5 sold a whopping (relatively) 12,710 units. The CX-3 and CX-9 sold about 2,300 examples each, which is below both Mazda3 and Mazda6, but both crossovers gained more this month and over the year than both cars. Mazda3 is actually down this month and overall. All of this also seems to give some credence to Ford's decision to move away from traditional sedans. Still, for fans of more conventional cars, it's a bit heartening to see that more niche players can find some success with the design. We're also pleased to see such an excellent sedan recognized with actual buyers. Related Video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. Featured Gallery 2018 Mazda6 Signature View 17 Photos Image Credit: Mazda By the Numbers Mazda Sedan

Reminder: Come hang out with Autoblog and the 2016 Mazda MX-5 Miata on Tuesday, May 19

Do you love chilidogs, French fries, meeting new friends, and the world's most popular convertible? Do you live in Southeast Michigan? Do you like lists of questions? If you answered "yes" to any but the last of those, we'd like to invite you to a little get-together we're hosting next week. Driving impressions are still under embargo for the US-spec 2016 Mazda MX-5 Miata, but somehow we've conned convinced company PR reps to show the car to you, Joe Public Autoblog Reader. We're enthused about telling you more about the ND Miata, but before we do we'd love to share a Coke and talk about cars. Here's the skinny. A group of Autobloggers will be hanging out at the Athens Coney Island, in Royal Oak, MI, next Tuesday, May 19. We'll have the car on display from 5:00 PM to 8:00 PM, and we'd love to see you. If you're a Miata owner, we'd also love to for you to bring your car along for the party. The more convertibles the better (just be prepared to have your picture taken). Go ahead and set your navi for Athens – 32657 Woodward Ave., Royal Oak, MI 48073 ­– and we'll look forward to seeing you Tuesday. Mazda Geeks unite. Related Video:

Mazda Miata 'fathers' Hall and Case offer a tour through the roadster's history

The original Mazda Miata broke onto the automotive scene in 1989 and was a huge success. However, the convertible's genesis goes all the way back to the early '80s. Bob Hall and Dean Case were among the inside men of the program on the US side, and they were on hand at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca during the recent MX-5 event there to tell some of their stories about the project's beginning.
Hall was on the Miata project from very early on, and one of his most fascinating stories is how the convertible got its shape. The droptop wasn't necessarily going to be a rear-wheel drive roadster. There were both front-wheel-drive coupe and mid-engine concepts being considered. In fact, the classic look of the NA generation was the least favorite of the three at the sketch stage.
Hall comes off as a jokester hiding a genius mind. He has a fountain of information in his head about what a Miata should be, but it all comes down to "less is more." However, he admits that it's easy to conceive that idea, but it's much harder to actually execute it well.