Mazda MX5 Designer Tsutomu Matano Has Passed Away At The Age Of 76

Tsutomu “Tom” Matano, the man behind the design of the original Mazda MX-5, has died at the age of 76.

According to Auto Express, Matano most recently worked at the Academy of Art University in San Francisco as an executive director, but it was with Mazda that he made his name in the automotive industry.

After General Motors and BMW, Matano joined Mazda in 1983, where he worked on the creation of the first generation “NA” MX-5, which was introduced in 1989. The lightweight two-seater was a big hit thanks to its agility, affordability and simple, friendly design. Over 35 years, 1.2 million examples (all generations combined) were produced, with the latest fourth-generation ‘ND’ MX-5 adopting a more aggressive look. The original design ethos of the car, however, has always remained consistent with Matan’s original design.

Mattano also worked on other cars during his time at Mazda, including the Wankel-powered Cosmo of the 1990s and the legendary FD-generation RX-7.

Matan’s enthusiasm for Mazda went beyond his work, as he drove a silver RX-7 generation FD and MX-5 M Edition, and attended and supported various Mazda-related events around the world. Even Matan’s Instagram name is “MiataPapa.”

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