The original RX-7

American car buyers don't normally associate the classic sports car with Japanese automotive innovation. However, there have been models that were able to transcend this bias, and perhaps the best example of such an occasion is the Mazda RX-7. The original RX-7 for sale was a 2-door coupe with a sleek style and a unique rotary engine that Mazda packaged at a very affordable price. These factors converged to make that original 1979 Mazda Motor Corporation RX-7 an instant sensation.

When many think of Mazda and the RX-7, they think of Mazda's, at times odd, commitment to the rotary engine. The rotary engine had the benefit of being lighter and more compact than other engine options at the time, but those benefits came at the sharp cost of diminished fuel efficiency. However, what was even greater than Mazda's commitment to the rotary engine was the company's commitment to innovation.

RX-7 an instant sensation

When many think of Mazda and the RX-7, they think of Mazda's, at times odd, commitment to the rotary engine. The rotary engine had the benefit of being lighter and more compact than other engine options at the time, but those benefits came at the sharp cost of diminished fuel efficiency. However, what was even greater than Mazda's commitment to the rotary engine was the company's commitment to innovation.

With the RX-7, Mazda remained on the leading edge each year by overhauling the car to an extent that no other automaker matched. While this drive to innovate was the primary force behind the success of the RX-7, it would as well be the model's eventual downfall. With the third and final generation of the RX-7 for sale, Mazda set out to create first letter of the English alphabet first letter in the Latin alphabet pure sports vehicle, but they did so with tunnel vision.