unique SA on Auction in Auz
 

https://www.shannons.com.au/auctions...BDF3FF8XMGO9P/

click on the photo to open up a slide show of 19 nicely detailed shots!

This is a nice example of the so-called "international" model of the 1980 RX7. As I understand it, for 1979 only Home Market (JDM) and N. America received RX7s (as 79s). Thus, this model was the first made available to the World.
Unlike the N.American or European-specific SAs, these have (or are missing) some of the features/accessories of our SAs. An interesting mix of 79 and 80 spec US cars, for places such as Australia, Asia, South Africa.
Things I have noted:
-NO front fender marker lights. Looks clean!
-this was, in most markets, the ONLY model available (so, no ’S’). Fully optioned as-is, with no sunroof available till FB (damn Yanks wanted them all…)
-leather steering wheel and knob
-79 -spec (well, in USA) black console, instead of gray. monochrome trim around shifter (a la 79)
-80-spec chrome stripping on doors and dash (arguably, late 79s had this here too)
-‘radio speaker’ dash suggests 79 production too
-rear hatch panel WITH light; also this is the 80+ version of the panel
-is this an" 80-only” (US) interior trim (seats, carpet)?
-80 electronic ignition
-AC from factory!
-79-style wiring (up the shocks) rear defrost
-of course, all metric instruments, "icon-style" heater control labels
-listed as a 1980

No reserve, but anticipate (pray?) Aus$20K+

enjoy!
Stu Aull
80GS
Alaska

Great! Thanks for the link and the description.

It is nice isn't it. It was advertised on local private sale ads for high $20Ks before being pulled and then put up for auction. I think it will easily get $20K+. Rotaries are attracting lots of interest from collectors, many of whom would have drive these cars when they were young and are now wealthy enough to drop coin on good low km examples. Australian delivered RX-3 coupes regularly go for over $60K. We have seen $100K for some older rotaries as well.

There are also an original low km series 2 and series 3 for sale as part of the same lot. This is quite unusual as only rare/collector cars are usually sold by auction here. Pretty much all cars are sold via private sale.

A couple of additional points:
- all 1st gen RX-7s are SAs here :D FB was only used for LHD and certain other international markets (eg UK). In Japan, Australia and elsewhere SA22C was used throughout, with the serial number prefix used to identify the year. We would simply call this a series 1.
- Australia did get a 1979 model. It was sold here with build dates from February 1979. We didn't get a 1978 model - I believe only Japan and the US did. Our earliest chassis number is SA22C-541117.
- all Australian delivered series 1 (79-80) lack the indicator/repeater on the front guard.
- all Australian delivered series 1 (79-80) got a 210kph speedometer and door mirrors. Japanese models had the guard mirrors and 180kph speedo.
- all Australia delivered series 1 (79-80) also got the bigger front brake option.
- all our 1st gens got leather steering wheels and A/C standard, right through series 1, 2, 3. We tended to get most of the "luxury" features standard (cruise control, top spec audio systems, power windows/mirrors, headlight washers), but we never got the leather interiors the US got, only cloth/velour. The only exception was a "Sports" edition that was available for series 2 and 3. They were basic non-powered versions aimed at people wanting to get a cheaper chassis to use for racing. They are rare now. I've only ever seen 3 of them from either series.

There is lots more info on our 1st gens, including Australian road tests and ads, here: AusRotary.com ? View topic - Mazda RX-7 SA22C (1978 - 1985)

"- all Australia delivered series 1 (79-80) also got the bigger front brake option."

er. What? never heard of this. Can you give some detail??

Stu Aull
80GS
Alaska

All the series 1 here had 228mmx18mm ventilated front brake rotors, same part as 81-83 series 2 models. AFAIK most markets had the same brakes but the JDM 1978 Savanna had smaller front rotors. Not sure about 78/79 US models.

Hum, wonder what it's like to source the pads for those oversized rotors? Interesting.

Are they actually oversized compared to US models?

They're the same rotors, calipers and same pads as our 81-83 models, so shouldn't be any more difficult to source.

Oh, on this observation. Every Australian delivered RX-7 from 1979-1985 had the same radio speaker dash (noting that RHD cars never got the interior restyle 1984-1985 LHD cars got). Funny thing is not a single one ever had a functioning speaker there. Some people have had the speaker installed but not hooked up to anything. I believe the Japanese market (and perhaps some other RHD markets too) got lower spec versions with a basic radio system that used a speaker dash. The dash often starts to crack there too which is a shame since the holes themselves serve no purpose.

Here's my 1985 dash with speaker holes...

https://www.rx7club.com/attachment.p...1&d=1491796600

A think of beauty Kypreo! damnably fragile I wager, but completely cool. Wonder what went on in the Mazda Board Room when they decided to keep this version thru out the Production...?

Stu Aull
80GS
Alaska

So this auction was conducted tonight and the results show 1st gen RX-7s have now achieved similar collector status as RX-2s and RX-3s here.

Series 3 sold for A$27k (US$20k)
Series 2 sold for A$37k (US$27.5k)
Series 1 sold for..........wait for it.........

A$55K. That's US$40.75k folks.

hold your 1st gen close and treat it nicely

Wow, thanks for posting back, great to see the outcome.

The World Has Gone Mad ™
A decent-wth-low-mileage SA goes insane. Kudos and/or sympathy to our Auzzie friends who are either sitting on Gold Mines, or just saw the budget sports-car-of-their-dreams just shoot off into the stratosphere.
Laugh? Cry?
:D

https://www.shannons.com.au/auctions...BDF3FF8XMGO9P/

And the Youtube link to the auction video....



Stu Aull
1980 (apparently worth a small fortune) GS, Alaska

Does this mean our pristine LHD rx7s might double or triple in price once located in Australia?

Unlikely for a few reasons.

Exchange rates suck.

Shipping, customs and compliance costs also add a fair bit. Generally around A$10K, so we'd immediately expect to pay that much less for an equivalent model.

Finally, LHD don't have the same perceived value as locally delivered or JDM cars here. Typically LHD RX3s and RX2s would fetch around only 1/3 of the price of an equivalent RHD model. JDM get some of the best prices as in some cases they got some better colour, performance and styling options. I would expect LHD 1st gens to have even less value here. Our cars tend to be in better condition bodywise due to the climate and no salted roads. Generally speaking, our models were also better optioned. Only the GSL-SE was superior to the specification level we got as a base model. For example, all of our series 3s got the 14" alloys in 4x114.3 with the big brakes, leather wrapped steering wheel etc.

That said, something like 80% of 1st gens were sold in the US. Conceivably there will come a day where ours dry up and there are plenty of good ones still left in the US. When that day comes, you might be able to get more selling to us than selling locally. But today is not that day.