Mazda MX-81
| Mazda MX-81 | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Overview | |
| Manufacturer | Mazda |
| Production | 1981 |
| Designer | Marc Deschamps at Bertone |
| Body and chassis | |
| Class | Concept car |
| Body style | 3-door hatchback |
The Mazda MX-81 is a concept car designed by Bertone for the Japanese car manufacturer Mazda, presented in 1981. The car was designed by Marc Deschamps.[1]
Overview
[edit]The MX-81 is based on the Mazda 323, a small family car, and was first presented at the Tokyo Motor Show in 1981. The design of the MX-81 took many design cues, including its color scheme, from Bertone's prior Volvo Tundra concept, introduced two years earlier.[2] According to the factory, this was the first Mazda to use the prefix "MX", which stands for "Mazda Experimental".[3] The Astina/323F, which came out in 1989, used many concepts of the MX-81.[3][4]
The MX-81 is equipped with a 1.5-liter turbocharged engine with an output of 130 horsepower. The exterior of the car features a hatchback design with pop-up headlights, an all glass hatch, and large fixed glass windows, with only a small section of glass on the doors being able to roll down.
The interior of the concept is most notable for its distinctive steering wheel, which is a rounded rectangle in shape, and has buttons and a CRT television screen, which replaces traditional gauges, built into the center of the assembly.[5][6] Unlike a traditional steering wheel, the steering assembly does not rotate. Instead, it features a belt mechanism, with a ring of black rubber nubs and a fabric covering the belt, which slide around a track on the gauge pod.[7] The rest of the interior features a mix of leather and patterned faux suede upholstery, with rotating front seats.
After many years in a warehouse at the factory headquarters in Hiroshima, around the year 2020, the MX-81 was sent to a workshop near Bertone's premises in Turin, Italy to be restored.[3]
Gallery
[edit]-
Mazda MX-81 at the Mazda Museum in Augsburg -
Mazda MX-81 rear -
Mazda MX-81 interior
References
[edit]- ^ "Mazda has restored the first ever MX model: the MX-81 concept". topgear.com. 30 April 2021.
- ^ "Mazda Just Restored Its Amazing MX-81 Aria Concept Styled by Bertone". MotorTrend. 2021-05-14. Retrieved 2025-07-26.
- ^ a b c "MAZDA MX: DEFYING CONVENTION FOR 40 YEARS". mazda.co.uk. 8 February 2024.
- ^ "This Fully-Restored Mazda MX-81 Aria Concept Previews A Glorious Past". SlashGear. 4 May 2021.
- ^ "Concept oublié - Mazda MX-81 Aria". fr.motor1.com (in French).
- ^ "Concept Car of the Week : Mazda MX-81 Aria (1981". cardesignnews.com via Internet Archive. Retrieved 17 November 2023.
- ^ DeMattia, Nico (2024-04-08). "This Mazda Concept's Weird Steering Belt Makes the Yoke Look Ergonomic". The Drive. Retrieved 2025-07-26.