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Mazda MX-81: a name that sounds like a droid from a galaxy far, far away, but in reality, it’s a time capsule from a very different kind of future—the dazzling, wedge-shaped, pop-up headlight-filled automotive optimism of the 1980s. Imagine this: It’s the 1981 Tokyo Motor Show, and Mazda has rolled out something that looks like it was sketched by someone who thinks Star Trek is a documentary. Welcome to the MX-81 Aria—a bold Italian-Japanese fusion that’s as wild as it is important.
This wasn’t just another concept car to fill the corner of a glossy auto show display. No, the MX-81 was the genesis of Mazda’s now-famous MX prefix—a designation that’s graced legends like the MX-5 Miata and boundary-pushers like the MX-30. But where did this quirky wedge even come from? For that, we must thank the coachbuilding wizards at Bertone, who were tasked with transforming Mazda’s humble 323 into a golden, glass-laden vision of the future. And transform they did.
A Masterclass in Bertone Bravado
Take a closer look, and you’ll see that the MX-81 is less a car and more a mobile manifesto. The proportions are pure concept car theatre—short, sharp, and low. At just 1280mm tall and 3940mm long, it looks like it was made to slice through air with a surgeon’s precision. And that enormous glasshouse? It’s not just for show. Bertone was obsessed with light, and they gave the MX-81 a greenhouse ratio that maximized visibility and filled the cabin with daylight.
The real pièce de résistance? The rear windscreen. A sweeping, sculptural expanse of glass that feels plucked straight from a spaceship, it wasn’t just a design flourish; it was the culmination of painstaking engineering. Oh, and let’s not forget those pop-up headlights—because if a car didn’t have pop-ups in the ’80s, was it even trying?
Inside: The Sci-Fi Lounge
Step inside, and it’s clear the MX-81 wasn’t meant to just turn heads—it was designed to blow minds. Bertone ditched the steering wheel entirely and replaced it with a bizarre yet brilliant contraption resembling a circular belt. Less Formula 1, more Tron. But don’t laugh—it actually made more space for the driver, proving that this wasn’t just a styling exercise. A TV screen cockpit rounded out the sci-fi interior, showing Bertone’s knack for pushing the boundaries of ergonomics and tech.
The side-swinging front seats were another delightfully mad touch, suggesting a future where conventional car doors were for the unimaginative. The whole interior was a blend of whimsy and function—decades ahead of its time, yet utterly of its moment.
Power and Poise
Underneath the golden show-stopper body sat the beating heart of a Mazda 323. The MX-81 was powered by a 1.5-liter turbocharged inline-four, producing 130 hp. Not exactly hypercar territory, but in a world where the DeLorean was rocking a measly 130 bhp, it wasn’t bad for a wedge-shaped commuter concept.
The Legacy of the Wedge
Mazda and Bertone’s collaboration wasn’t just a one-hit wonder. It’s a saga that dates back to the 1960s when the two joined forces to bring Italian flair to Japanese engineering. This relationship birthed icons like the Mazda Luce Coupe and, eventually, the MX-81. And while the MX-81 never made it to production, its influence was unmistakable. You can spot its DNA in the taillights and pop-up headlights of Mazda’s later production cars—like the RX-7, which became a poster child for ’80s cool.
Fast forward 40 years, and the MX-81 has been lovingly restored in Italy by SuperStile, with the gold wedge posing once again for photos in front of Milan Cathedral. It’s a fitting tribute to a car that dared to dream big and look even bigger.
The MX Lineage: From Wedges to Wonders
The MX-81 wasn’t just a concept car; it was the opening note in a symphony of unconventional brilliance. Its successors, like the MX-02 with its windscreen head-up display and the MX-03 with its triple-rotor engine, kept the spirit alive. And while the MX-04’s shape-shifting body panels and the rotary-powered insanity of the MXR-01 didn’t change the world, they laid the groundwork for Mazda’s boldest moves—like the CX-series SUVs and the immortal MX-5 Miata.
The MX-81’s restoration isn’t just a celebration of Mazda’s history; it’s a reminder of the brand’s knack for thinking differently. And in a world that sometimes feels stuck in reverse, that’s a wedge-shaped breath of fresh air.
