Iconic car on display

A piece of motoring history is on display at a dealership in Christchurch and car lovers are welcome to check it out.

The New Zealand-new 1971 R100 coupe is owned by a local private Mazda enthusiast and only has 40,000 miles – or around 64,000km – on the clock.

It’s on display at the Blackwells Mazda city branch on the corner of Moorhouse Avenue and Montreal Street until the end of April. The business is open Monday to Saturday.

Rob Manning, dealer principal, says: “This little gem is only one of four coupes – I believe – that were ever sold in New Zealand. It’s fully original and is on display with us until the end of April.

“We really wanted to show some history of our product and there are a lot of Mazda rotary enthusiasts in Canterbury. To have a vehicle like this in showroom condition is rare and an honour to have on display.

“Anyone is welcome to come and view it, and our friendly team will even make visitors a coffee while they enjoy looking at it.”

As Mazda’s first mass-produced rotary-powered car, the R100 brought the marque’s innovative Winkel engine to a wider audience. 

This model helped to cement the company’s reputation for rotary performance, paving the way for future icons such as the RX series.

When produced, the 984cc displacement engine had maximum power of 74kW at 7,000rpm and maximum torque of 125Nm at 4,000rpm. 

The rear-wheel-drive R100 boasted a top speed of 177kph and could make the 0-100kph dash in 10.8 seconds. As for fuel economy? Well, 9.8-14.7l/100km. Its original price back in 1971 was US$2,495.