Member Stories
Ron’s Miata/MX-5 Journey
I’ve owned sports cars since 1971—usually more than one at a time. Until 1990, they were all British, ranging in marque from MG, Triumph, Austin-Healey, and Jaguar.
By 1990, I was getting tired of carrying spares, tools, and coveralls everywhere I went. In 1989, I noticed a new Mazda called the Miata that looked suspiciously like a Lotus Elan or an MGB.
I was living in Ottawa at the time and took one for a test drive. It was love at first sight. I bought a Classic Red “B” package with daisy wheels, and I’ve been happily driving it ever since. It has moved with me across the country several times but has never been driven in winter. It now has 44,000 km on it—essentially a brand‑new 36‑year‑old car.
I’ve also owned three NDs; my current one is a 2022 Soul Red Crystal roadster, which shares the garage with my 1990 NA. When UMN was founded in 1995, I was a senior Naval Officer, and I was a bit suspicious of the word “Underground” in the club’s name. So it wasn’t until 2017, when I bought my first ND, that I finally joined. It turned out to be one of the best decisions I’ve ever made. I’ve had more fun, driven more back‑road twisties, and met and enjoyed the friendship of fellow Miata enthusiasts from day one.
Ron Buck
Steve’s Miata/MX-5 Journey
I grew up with British heritage and a love of cars. A succession of MGBs, MG Midgets, and Triumph TR7s eventually led me to a firm “never again!” state of mind.
Our last MGB was sold when we found out we were expecting twins.
My step‑mother had an original 1990 Miata — a base model with steel wheels — that Leah and I borrowed for a road trip. I was impressed by the reliability and fun the car offered, without any of the fuss that British cars require.
A few years later, we purchased a BRG NA. It was actually red underneath and had been painted green… every chip made that painfully obvious. One day I came across an NA that needed restoring, dragged it home on a trailer, and suddenly owned two Miatas for the first time — until the BRG sold.
We eventually moved on to an NC. I repaired some collision damage it had, sourcing parts from all over North America. That made it the second time we had two Miatas in the driveway.
We sold the red NA and the NC, and after getting an amazing trade‑in on a mint 2005 convertible Mustang at Kanata Mazda, we bought a 2023 Soul Red ND. Not long after, a friend decided to sell her 2007 NC. I bought it, cleaned it up, and prepared it for sale — the third time we had two Miatas.
After selling that NC in the spring, we enjoyed having just one Miata for a year… until a Blazing Yellow Mica 2002 Special Edition found its way to the driveway — the fourth time we’ve had two Miatas.
And through all of this, a 1962 Daimler SP250 has been sitting in my garage… patiently waiting for its turn in the sun.
Steve Leu
Keith’s Miata/MX-5 Journey
Owning a Miata is a dream for many. After reading Thomas L. Bryant’s Mazda MX-5 Miata: Twenty-Five Years, owning a 2008 Special Edition was Keith’s. He drooled over pages 96-97. He loved the Icy Blue paint and the Dark Saddle Brown interior with matching blue stitching. But his would be a Canadian example—not the British car shown.
That meant his dream car would be one of only 105 produced for the Canadian market. In addition to Icy Blue paint and Dark Saddle leather, all came fully loaded including PHRT (Power Hard Retractable Roof). The U.S. got 250—but all had a dark brown canvas top.
The PHRT is the best part of this dream machine. Watching the top fold up like a jack knife, into the same space as the soft top, and the hard tonneau cover seal shut is a marvel of engineering and a joy to behold. No RF (my apologies to RF owners) can match this experience.
Turning dream to reality for Keith started with a search on Autotrader. The car was found sitting on a Mazda dealer’s lot in Granby P.Q. After an e-mail to confirm it was still there, Keith headed East—and made the car his.
Evidence suggests the car made many trips to Florida and sat for long periods in the sun. The car had lots on the odometer. The paint was a little faded. And anything that should have been black in the interior was closer to grey. But, it was mechanically sound, drove like the dream Keith had imagined, and well, “Miata Is Always The Answer”. And so, this 2008 SE became his.
With a little TLC, involving a clay bar followed by a good wax, the paint sparkled. With some good products and a little elbow grease, the dash returned to black and the leather looked like it would not crack when you sat on it.
Then with car in hand, Deb and Keith pitched up to their first UMN meeting and signed up on the spot. And so, the dream has evolved to include fun things we do with the car and the people we have met as part of this great club. This includes two C2M2s, lots of tours/ ICRs and memorable multi-day trips.
Keith Vodden
Deb’s Miata/MX-5 Journey
The first part of Deb’s journey parallels that of Keith and his 2008 SE. But Deb missed the purchase trip because of a visit to a daughter in Toronto. While supportive of Keith’s journey, it was never as much fun in the passenger seat. And besides, Deb’s dream car would be yellow and not blue. And so, a 2002 Special Edition in Blazing Yellow Mica became part of Deb’s journey.
The car has a long history within the Club. Deb purchased the car from its original owner–a former UMN member. Interestingly, current member Jim Charlton withdrew his offer for the car with a Montreal dealer so that the first owner could make the purchase. That purchase was necessitated by an unfortunate accident in which the first owner’s previous Miata was written off during a UMN tour. (The only such incident in UMN history.) So, Deb is the second (almost third) owner in the Club.
Deb keeps the UMN name badge of the original owner in her trunk as a reminder of the car’s UMN roots. Another tie to UMN, the car bears the signature of Toshihiko Hirai, the father of the Miata. In a visit to UMN, Mr. Hirai signed member’s trunks and added the Japanese four-character compound Jinba ittai—roughly rider (jin) and horse (ba) as one body (ittai).
Deb’s car is affectionately named the Blazing Bee. The car is Blazing Yellow Mica with a black leather interior with an embroidered Miata logo on the seat backs. The car came with a number of features unique to the SE including 16 inch Enkei alloy wheels. There were 250 examples of the 2002 Blazing Yellow Special Edition made for Canada and Deb’s is one of three in the Club.
Deb enjoys her little Blazing Bee. With it she goes to the golf course and the occasional ICR. But her enjoyment of it took on a whole new level after she participated in a recent UMN Driving School. Now Keith and Deb must take turns on which car goes on the longer UMN tours.
