Tom Matano, “Father of the Mazda Miata,” has passed away at 76

If there’s one car that’s been incredibly influential on the entire automotive landscape, it’s the Mazda Miata. Specifically, the first-generation NA model.

At a time when automakers were slowly ditching niche, novel sports cars in favor of family haulers, the Mazda Motor Corporation chose to go in the opposite direction with a driver-focused, top-down, and most importantly, affordable sports car. This was the NA MX-5, or more popularly known as the Miata.

While the NA project was not entirely in the hands of Tsutomu “Tom” Matano, he was the head designer of the NA, meaning it was his hands that crafted the iconic look of the roadster that has the world captivated, and has kept the nameplate in popularity until this day.

Matano was born in Nagasaki back in 1947, having graduated from Seikei University in Tokyo in 1969 with an engineering degree. Although he wanted a career in automotive design, he went to the US to enroll at the Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, California, in 1970.

From there, he had a few short stints in the likes of General Motors for Oldsmobile and Holden (in Australia), then he moved to Germany to work with BMW. Shortly after, he moved back to California to become the chief designer of Mazda’s North American design studio in 1983.

This was where he eventually penned the design of the NA Miata, and after an internal competition between its design studios, Matano’s design won. He also eventually had a hand in shaping the look of the FD-generation RX-7.

Matano eventually became the Vice President of Design for Mazda R&D North America, then became the Executive Vice President of Western Operations, and also held a position as the Executive Designer for the Mazda Motor Corporation until 2002.

After his retirement, Matano held positions at various schools of design and companies, but deep down, he was a car guy at heart, and was a common sight at events around the world, including the Philippines, where he attended several prominent events, including the launch of the 30th Anniversary MX-5 in 2019.

Just as his iconic “Always Inspired” signature says, he has touched the hearts and inspired many around the world the same way that his creations have. Rest in peace, Matano-san.

^{Photos from Mazda and Sam Surla}