Father Of The Mazda Miata, Tom Matano, Useless At 76

In 1989, the Mazda Miata modified the world. It revived the components of basic British roadsters, a compact and light-weight technique to get the wind in your hair, however with the reliability of a Japanese producer. Earlier than the Miata might change the face of auto enthusiasm, although, somebody needed to change the face of Mazda. That man was Tsutomu “Tom” Matano, who handed away on the age of 76 on September 20, 2025. He might be dearly, dearly missed by the automotive world. 

Matano held all method of positions in Mazda between 1983 and 2002. He was Chief Designer at Mazda’s North American studio, then Vice President of Design for Mazda of North America, then later Govt Vice President of Western Operations for Mazda R&D of North America in addition to Govt Designer & Director for Mazda North America. Ultimately he moved to Japan to proceed his work with the corporate, the place he grew to become an Govt Designer on the firm’s World Advance Studio, and Common Supervisor of Mazda Design globally.

When Matano arrived at Mazda’s California design studio in 1983, it wasn’t even anticipated to ship automotive ideas — he was there to watch tendencies within the U.S. market. The primary-ever clay mannequin out of that studio got here throughout Matano’s tenure, and it went on to turn out to be the NA Mazda Miata. Wherever that mannequin identify went, Matano himself enthusiastically adopted. He would seem at automotive meets, communicate with followers, even his Instagram profile glided by the identify @miatapapa. Matano cherished the Miata as a lot as — if no more than — the remainder of us. 

Matano designed loads of enduring automobiles for Mazda. He gave us the MX-6, MX-3, even one of many all-time best trying automobiles ever put collectively within the FD RX-7. However the Miata, that early design, will all the time be the one which sits alongside his identify. When you’ve ever owned a Miata, pushed one, and even seemed longingly at one in a car parking zone or on Fb Market, pour one out for Tom Matano tonight. You will have him to thank.