Mazda 121 (1994) – Enthusiast Wanted

The Mazda 121 carries a model name that rests in the collective memory under a thick layer of dust. So Mazda’s smallest – which took on different shapes – never appealed to the imagination. In Europe we know three generations of 121, the first of which was a fairly meaningless city car and the last a rebadged Ford Fiesta from around the turn of the century. However, the middle one, which was on the market from 1991 to 1996, could count on a small number of enthusiasts. That was an extremely compact sedan with unprecedented round shapes for that time. These, together with the overall proportions of the car, earned him the name ‘bowler hat’.

In the Netherlands, roughly 10,000 bowler hats were sold in more than five years, so that children up to the 1990s will still remember the car from the streets of yesteryear. If you were very lucky, you could even come across one on teddy bear wheels – really – although most of them were on steel wheels. After all, it was cheap transport above all, partly because of which you hardly ever encounter 121s anymore. They were hardly cherished.

That’s why we didn’t have to hesitate for a moment when we found this copy in our used car range. A dark green Mazda 121 from 1994 in Yes! version, so with cheerful upholstery, but – unfortunately – without teddy bear wheels. You will have to look for it yourself, although that will not be easy due to its rarity. The Yes! the electrically operated front side windows, which are still appreciated in modern cars, and a digital clock on the dashboard. What more do you need?

Friendly face, blue ear.

Sprint Cannon

We have another one: a case for the what-is-not-on-it-cannot-break category. Due to all this simplicity, the car weight of the 121 remains nicely limited to 840 kg, which benefits the mrb rate, the driving characteristics and consumption. Add to that the fact that the Mazda’s 1.3-liter four-cylinder, coupled to a five-speed gearbox, puts out 73 hp and you can reach 100 km / h within 11.5 seconds with a little poking – pretty neat. For those who love country roads, this little one is not so bad at all, we guess.

Especially not because the known history of the 121 no no-gos shows. The mileage is not too bad at 72,091 and with two private owners, one of which drove it from 1994 to 2021, that aspect of the history also gives no cause for concern. The interior could use a few hours of polishing, but the exterior still looks neat. The Mazda only suffers from a blue left earpiece and may also harbor some rust here and there.

After all, a Japanese from the 90s wants to rust, but if it goes well with this 121, this is a nice offer. For €1,450 you can buy a unique model with a clear history, low fixed costs and a new MOT. The 121 isn’t very safe without ABS or airbags, but it’s nowhere near more deadly than that other iconic bowler hat – by Oddjob from James Bond film Goldfinger. If you are up for it anyway, you can set course for the far north. The 121 is offered in the Frisian Kootstertille. Who will seize the opportunity?