Halfway Home: Millionth Miata Celebration Tour Reaches Its Midpoint

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IRVINE, Calif., Sept. 8, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Mazda North American Operations (MNAO) has ambitiously taken the one-millionth Mazda MX-5 Miata built from Monterey, California, to the Northeast U.S. and on through the Midwest for the first half of an 18-stop journey. The trip was created with one goal in mind: Giving back to the loyal fans that have supported the MX-5 Miata for 27 years, making it the world's best-selling roadster.

Since it started its journey nearly six months ago at Mazda's global headquarters in Hiroshima, Japan, thousands of loyal fans from around the world have already signed the one-millionth MX-5, a right-hand-drive, Japanese-spec roadster that was built April 22, 2016. The tour now reaches the second half of its U.S. journey, running from the Southeast and moving westward until it finishes in Monterey, California, on October 1-2 for the annual "Miatas at Mazda Raceway" owners' event.

"From first-time MX-5 owners to longtime, multiple-Miata families; and from driving everything from original-condition 1990 cars with just a few thousand miles to heavily modified MX-5s with hundreds of thousands of miles, we've seen an outpouring of enthusiasts come to sign the one-millionth MX-5," said Robert Davis, senior VP, U.S. Operations, MNAO. "Everyone has had a unique story with their car, but all of those stories come back to a common theme: Falling in love with open-top driving."

The tour continues tonight in Charlotte, North Carolina, near Long Road Racing, the exclusive builder of MX-5 Cup racecars. There, much the same as any other stop, enthusiasts will have the opportunity to sign one of the 4,320 spots reserved for the U.S. leg of the tour, as well as receive T-shirts and other memorabilia to commemorate the event. When the one-millionth MX-5 is finished with the tour, it will head to Australia before retiring to the Mazda Museum in Hiroshima, Japan, where it will be covered with more than 20,000 signatures from enthusiasts worldwide.

Remaining Millionth Miata Celebration Tour stops are as follows:

The one-millionth MX-5 is accompanied around the U.S. by one of the earliest-produced Miatas, a Classic Red 1990 model that was one of the first three shown to the world at the 1989 Chicago Auto Show. It is the 15^th ever built.

"MX-5 carries a lot of heritage for Mazda, from its inception to winning the 2016 World Car of the Year Award," added Davis. "It may be the smallest car we make, but it is the torchbearer for Mazda's entire lineup of performance vehicles."

More information on the Millionth Miata Celebration Tour can be found at http://insidemazda.mazdausa.com/events/millionth-miata-tour/.

Mazda North American Operations is headquartered in Irvine, Calif., and oversees the sales, marketing, parts and customer service support of Mazda vehicles in the United States and Mexico through nearly 700 dealers.  Operations in Mexico are managed by Mazda Motor de Mexico in Mexico City.  For more information on Mazda vehicles, including photography and B-roll, please visit the online Mazda media center at www.mazdausamedia.com.

Notes: Due to anticipated demand, the tour stop originally scheduled for Roger Beasley Mazda in Austin, Texas, has been moved to Circuit of the Americas. The tour date remains unaltered.

Tour stops on weekdays are anticipated to operate from 4:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. Tour stops on weekends operate from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Mazda North American Operations reserves the right to change or cancel the dates or locations of "Millionth Miata Celebration Tour" without notice.

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SOURCE Mazda North American Operations

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