The 1997 merlot-coloured convertibles, owned by Colin Sweetman of Ashburton, were on show at the Vintage Car Club Show held at VTNZ Ashburton on Sunday.
They were among 110 vehicles, which included vintage motorbikes, tractors and classic cars, on display to raise money for the Cancer Society.
‘‘These are a lovely sports car. They are modelled on the Lotus Elan, which was a quintessentially British sports car that went well and handled well,’’ Sweetman said.
The MX5s in general were reliable and did not have a huge engine.
‘‘They’re light, they’re nimble,’’ he said.
‘‘These two are sequential VIN numbers, so obviously they were built in the same plant on the same day, and followed each other down the line,’’ he said.
Sweetman, who is secretary of the Ashburton Vintage Car Club, bought one of the cars through a friend in 2021, and the other last month from an Auckland seller via TradeMe.
‘‘I had to buy it once I found it was one number from the other one.’’
It has now clocked up 155,000km. His original purchase has just 50,000km on the dial.
Sweetman said the MX5s each had an 1800CC with twin cam motor.
They were a fuel-injected, five-speed manual model with flip up headlights.
He drove them regularly.
‘‘It is a car of the time.They handle well and just beautiful put together cars. They are lovely to drive; they’re magic to drive.’’
A third MX5 - in sequential order - from the Mazda MX5 Club in Christchurch was also at the show.
It was the third time the car show had been held at VTNZ Ashburton, which sponsored the event with a prize wheel and barbecue.
