My 1979 Mazda RX-7 GS so impressed my friends that they each bought one
My first experience with a rotary-engine car came while test-driving an early ’70s Mazda RX-2. I remember being impressed by its ability to rev so high and feel so smooth at the same time. Several years later came the May 1978 issue of Car and Driver, which featured a white RX-7 GS on the cover. I was sold, and I ordered my ’79 a few weeks after that. It arrived on the third boatload into Canada, and on September 29, 1978, I took delivery.
I went with white, despite the salesman advising me to pick a different color, “just in case white doesn’t show up.” Luckily, it showed up.
There weren’t many on the road when I received mine, and it drew a lot of attention. Three of my friends had never driven a rotary-powered car, so I let each of them take it out for a test-drive, and they were all thoroughly impressed. So much, in fact, that all three ended up buying their own RX-7s. The salesman was impressed, too!
My wife and I have made many memorable journeys in our RX-7. The odometer now registers 89,000 kilometers, or 55,000 trouble-free miles, most of which were put on in its early years. When the car reached 25 years old, I applied for collector car plates to better represent its status in the world.
The RX-7 has always been garage-kept and has never seen snow. I’ve entered it in several car shows, and it has won numerous awards over the years. Even though the rotary engine is thirsty for fuel, I’m happy to overlook it, simply because of the pleasurable driving experience it offers.
It has been more than 42 years since I first saw that Car and Driver cover, and I’ve loved every minute of my RX-7. As long as I can get in and out of it, I don’t see that changing anytime soon.
