Does anyone have any info of the 1972 Mazda RX-510 showcar? I have had this press photo for many years and have alway wondered what happened to this heavily modified RX-3. I have never seen anything written about it in any magazine or book. Had visited the Mazda Museum in Japan and thought it might be on display somewhere but never saw it. It probably has a 10A engine (with sport kit?). I have a large color photo also and the car is painted a meduim green with yellow stripes. Anyone?....

 

wow cool photo, but i've never heard or seen of it before.

 

Interesting. If it's not on Craig's Rotary Page, then most of us have never heard of it.

 

According to "mazda rotary handbook" ISBN 0947079181


>>> Mazda's "safety car" was heavily based on the Rx3 coupé<<<<

That's all it says under the image...

// magnus

 

I got an email from a japanese friend of mine who actually saw this car in 1971. He tells me that it was part of the RX-3 (Savanna) premier display at the Tokyo Motor Show November 1971. It was on a rotating display and surrounded by the new RX-3 production models. It was made especially for the auto show using a stock Japanese Market RX-3 with a 10A motor as the donor car. It was only a styling excercise to ad excitement to the display. The car was destroyed shortly after the auto show ended. There are eight pictures of this car in the December 1971 issue of Car Graphic Magazine.

 

The RX-510 was based on the RX-3 coupe. At the time this was Mazda's premier rotary powered car so they where keen to show it off.

The 1971 (or was it 72??) Tokyo motor show had a "SAFETY" theme. So manufacturers where encouraged to present their future design theme's
The Mazda entry was the RX-510. Its long nose was designed for pedestrian safety.

 

What taillights did this freak run?