The Mazda MX-5 has only been on the market for a little over two decades, but it has quickly built up a wide fan base and is considered to be a classic in the making by many observers.

While it was produced and designed in Japan, it is very much seen as a vehicle that was inspired by the kinds of two-seater sports cars that were a staple of Britain during the 1960s. It takes its cues from a number of classic models, such as the MGB and the Lotus Elan, but packages everything up with plenty of modern features so that contemporary audiences can enjoy it.

The first generation of the Mazda MX-5 was unveiled in 1989 and it would remain on sale for the next eight years, selling 400,000 units in the process, which is impressive for a relatively specialist vehicle.

The MX-5 actually made its debut before the press at the Chicago Auto Show in the US and at the time was priced at a very reasonable $14,000. The MX-5 was noteworthy because of its light weight, made possible thanks to the extensive use of aluminium in its construction. A 1.6 litre engine producing 115bhp gave it enough power to feel sporty without also being costly to run.

In 1994 a number of updates were made, including the addition of a 1.8 litre model which upped the power output to 131bhp while slightly increase the weight.

In 1998 the MX-5 would return in its first proper second generation form, this time with yet more power under the bonnet and a range of external style choices which were intended to reflect aspects of Mazda's RX-7 sports car.

In 1999, 10 years after the launch of the MX-5, a 10th Anniversary model was launched, with plenty of special features included in order to celebrate the growing legacy of this vehicle. A six speed gearbox was one of the upgrades, which meant that a higher top speed was achievable, despite the slight dip in acceleration.

A facelift to the MX-5 kept things looking contemporary from 2001, but in 2005 the third generation proper was introduced, retaining all the excellent performance and handling capabilities that had made the range popular while modernising many aspects to keep it up to date.

The Mazda MX-5 has proven to be one of the most popular cars in its class, regularly regarded as living up to its aspirations of echoing the two seaters of the 1960s. It has seen off many competitors and managed to win a place in the hearts of drivers from across the globe.