Equipment
Pushbutton radio, fender mirrors, hubcaps, Toyo tires.
Condition
Decent repaint and new interior. Pitted trim chrome Stiff, cracked body seals, cracked dashtop patched with black goop. Worn, curled original carpets. Very clean, orderly engine compartment said to have been gone through by a Mazda rotary specialist. Ugly old underbody. A strange, and not reassuring, mix of a little good and a lot that is not good at all.
Market commentary
Offered last August by Bonhams at Quail Lodge with a somewhat higher estimate range and sold here for a price that balances its inherent rarity and technical appeal with its singularly scruffy presentation. It is a car with no good surprises for its next owner, and few technicians with the skill or experience to address them properly. Cataloged as 'recently undergoing a thorough restoration, ... in incredible condition throughout' it is nowhere close to that standard and Bonhams, having had it at Quail Lodge, should take responsibility for the misleading description, an event which reinforces the importance of never believing a catalog.