Folding for pop-up headlights
Within the Mazda 323 range, the 323F has always been the visual highlight. But, when’s the last time you saw one? The 323Fs, like their more conventional hatchback and sedan brethren, have rapidly disappeared. In this episode of Fancier Wanted, a fairly early copy of the first 323F does its best to evoke nostalgia.
Over the years, Mazda has supplied several 323 variants with a strikingly sloping roofline. We know of course the 323C of the eighth generation 323, a three-door hatchback with a sloping butt. That 323C also had a 323F next to it in Europe, the five-door version – without pop-up headlights – which was in fact not a 323 but a Lantis. The red 323F that tries to win your car heart in this edition of Fancier Wanted is the predecessor of that model, a car that was called Familia Astina in Mazda’s home country Japan.
Mazda 323F
Like the first generation Mazda MX-5 (NA), the first 323F introduced in 1989 was endowed with pop-up headlights, but that was by no means the only attention-grabber with which the 323F hoped to profile itself as a more exciting model. The Mazda 323F got taillights that were optically fused with each other through a red panel, a nice detail given the taillights now tied together by an LED bar that you see on many models these days. Fun fact: The rear lights of the 323F are interchangeable with those of the Aston Martin DB7 introduced in 1994. Above the taillights is a spoiler integrated into the tailgate. The rear window of the 323F is part of the tailgate, with an easily accessible luggage compartment.
Aston Martin DB7 with well-known taillights.
This red 323F is a 1.6i LX and that means we are dealing with the basic version. Nevertheless, this entry-level car does not disappoint, at least in the engine area, because the 323F already received the 87 hp and 128 Nm strong 1.6 injection engine in basic trim, while the three-door hatchback and sedan had a 1.3 as basic engine. If we are to believe the owner, he or she took it over from someone who drove it around for 23 years and always kept the car warm and dry inside. That of course explains the – at least on the outside – the absence of rust. According to the ad text, this car has been well maintained and had its last service in March this year. Preventive maintenance has even been carried out and new speakers and a radio with bluetooth and DAB + make it possible to pump your hits in this 32-year-old Japanese. Mud flaps, time-coformed alloy wheels: we totally approve of this 323F.
Are you sensitive to rock solid Japanese technology that is packaged in a playful way? Then you have to invest a small 2 mille to make your car heart beat faster in the coming time. Of course, with the 323F 1.8GT with 131 hp you get out of the starting blocks faster, but better performance does not always mean more automotive pleasure. And moreover: in 11.2 seconds this red rascal helps you to a speed of 100 km/h. What more do you need, after all we are not all the sultan of Brunei.
Are you on the hunt for a forgotten classic, a nice youngtimer or just a young used car? Then take a look at the AutoWeek second-hand offer.
.
– Thanks for information from Autoweek.nl