Car designer Tsutomu ‘Tom’ Matano, who penned the lines of the first two generations of the Mazda MX-5, died on 20 September at the age of 76.
Born in Nagasaki, Japan, Matano qualified as an engineer in his home country, but by 1974 had moved into automotive design, citing the 1964 Alfa Romeo Giulia Canguro as particular inspiration.
He started at General Motors in Detroit, and later Australia, before a six-year stint at BMW.
Tom Matano was known as the father of the Mazda MX-5
In late 1983 he made the move that would make his name, becoming chief designer at the young Mazda North America’s California design studio.
There he found a team including Bob Hall and Mark Jordan who were already working on a small, rear-wheel-drive sports car inspired by the British roadsters of the 1960s, and by August 1984 he had created the first model of what became the Mazda MX-5 (known as the Miata in North America).
“I think what we’re looking for is the simplicity of the era, say the ’60s,” said Matano of his design.
“We want to get back to a relationship between car and driver that simply brings fun”.
Matano in 1989
