1998 Mazda MX5 Berkeley |

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1998 Mazda MX5 Berkeley

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Sold Price

£7,209

Mileage~21,900
TransmissionManual
Engine1.8L
LocationLeasingham

SOLD

1998 Mazda MX5 Berkeley

I WANT ONE

Introduction

Isaac Wass

Professional Automotive Photographer and Consigner

A truly iconic sports car and this low mileage 1998 Mazda MX-5 Berkeley is number 54 of only 400 ever made.

Instantly recognisable, the Mazda MX-5 is one of the most famous and successful sports cars of the last 50 years, hailed by many as one of the best little sports cars, period.

Inspired by the British and Italian compact sports cars of their time, the Mazda MX-5 is the Goldilocks of automotive design - every aspect of the car having been designed in a manner that feels ‘just right’. With a stiff but engaging chassis, rear wheel drive, front mounted engine, and convertible roof - this car soon became the fan favourite we know and love today.

The Berkeley edition MX-5 was introduced at the very end of production of the MK1 NA MX-5 in 1998 as part of a marketing collaboration with the Berkeley Hotel in Knightsbridge, London. It features Sparkle Green Metallic paint, Berkeley exterior badges, a black and light grey interior, and five spoke 15 inch alloy wheels exclusive to this model. This car also comes with custom weatherproof luggage built to fit to the luggage rack on the boot.

Powered by a 1.8 litre four cylinder engine, coupled to a five speed manual gearbox, and driven by the rear wheels, this plucky yet iconic sports car ticks every box.

This vehicle has just ~21,000 miles on the clock and in its 24 years of which all but 900 miles have been with the current owner, Chris, who purchased the car in 1998 and has since spent over two decades enjoying it.

As is to be expected with so many years of ownership, this car comes with a folder full of paperwork - from MOTs, services, and body inspections all the way down to the original bill of sale.

This auction listing was written from information supplied by Isaac after meeting Chris the owner, and having visited and photographed the vehicle.

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Secure Auctions

We verify all our sellers and buyers to keep our community safe whilst also providing the highest levels of website security.

Full Transparency

8 out of 10 people that buy cars via our service don’t feel the need to visit due to the transparency and thoroughness of our listings.

Vehicle Delivery

We're there every step of your buying journey and will even arrange pick-up and delivery of your new vehicle.

Meet the owner

This car has been my pride and joy - it’s taken us all over Europe and back and never missed a beat.

Chris purchased the car in 1998 with only 900 miles on the clock and probably didn’t foresee his consequent ownership lasting more than two decades, however as with most owners of these brilliant sports cars, Chris fell in love.

The drive, the style, the fun, everything about this car just puts a smile on his face. Having spent his career serving in the RAF, Chris is no stranger to travelling and as such this wonderful MX-5 has not been limited to British roads, having been over the channel and across Europe on more than one occasion.

A running joke with his regular garage, every year they would greet Chris with the same line - “Hello Mr. Kirman, done 10 miles this year have you?”, this being a nod to the exceptionally few miles this car does and the condition in which it has been kept. However over the last couple of years, between lockdowns and a knee replacement, Chris simply hasn't been able to enjoy the vehicle as he usually would, with the exception of taking it out of the garage for some short runs to keep things ticking over.

Chris will be sad to see it leave, but happy to know it’s being enjoyed by a new owner - please feel free to ask him any questions you might have in the comment section below.

Chris

Vehicle Owner

Chris saved £1,260* when they
sold their Mazda with us.

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EXTERIOR VIDEO

Exterior

This car has been meticulously looked after, garage stored for all 24 years of its life - it looks and feels brand new.

Wheels and Tyres

The 15 inch five spoke alloy wheels, unique to this edition, are all in relatively good condition with the exception of some very light scuffs to the outside rim of the alloys and aside from some slight wear to the centre caps, these wheels appear to be straight and true, with no major faults or defects.

The tyres have been fitted for approximately five years, however they have seen very little use and are showing little to no wear with deep dread still visible on all four tyres and no obvious signs of age or cracking to the sidewalls that we could see.

Bodywork

The bodywork stands up to inspection, during our time with the vehicle we noticed no visible signs of damage, with all panel gaps being uniform across the vehicle - a good indicator that the bodywork is all original.

The underside of the vehicle is in a fair condition for its age, and Chris tells us that it's not needed any welding throughout its life, this vehicle is just beginning to show the faintest signs of oxidation around the edges of the lower sills and the wheel arches, however this is all pictured in our extensive gallery, so we encourage viewers to make up their own mind regarding this.

We have taken hi-resolution images and videos of the car for you to assess the condition of the bodywork for yourselves.

Paint

The Sparkle Green Metallic paintwork is in good shape for its age, showing no visible defects and only two very small stone chips that we were able to see. The colour is also an even and matched tone across all panels.

Again, please take time to review all the images and videos showing the paint from different angles and reflections, to assess the condition for yourselves.

Glass and Trim

The glass on this vehicle is all in great condition, with no chips, cracks, or scratches at the time of our inspection. This vehicle also benefits from having had a heated glass rear window stitched into the original convertible roof, this is fully functioning and once again in great condition at the time of our inspection. You'll also see in the pictures, some custom weatherproof luggage built especially for the MX5.

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INTERIOR VIDEO

Interior

A colourway unique to the Berkeley Edition MX-5, this two tone leather interior sits well with the dark burl wood accents and three-spoke Momo steering wheel.

Seats and Carpets

The leather is in good condition, showing little more than general age related marks. There are no rips, tears, or stains to the hide and the original carpets and mats are in similar condition - suffering no major visible damage to the pile or the piping on the factory original floor mats.

Dashboard

The dashboard and centre console are in generally good condition across the board, with the exception of a small scuff just above the glovebox, and some minor fading / cracking to the dark burr wood inserts. These can be seen in the gallery, so please feel free to inspect for yourself the condition of the interior.

Steering Wheel / Gear Stick

The steering wheel and gearstick are both in good condition overall - the gear stick suffering from some build up over the years, we believe this could clean up well but once again please feel free to make your own mind up using the reference images we have provided.

The Momo steering wheel is in good condition, with the leather being fully intact and not having suffered any major visible wear over the last 24 years. The Momo badge is still in good condition and clearly visible, showing no signs of wear.

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'ON THE ROAD' VIDEO

Mechanics

The Mazda Mx-5 is engineered to last and every aspect of this car demonstrates that perfectly.

Engine and Gearbox

The engine runs beautifully for its age and mileage, starting first time with no major smoke, taps, or knocks. Upon settling to idle it feels smooth and controlled, ticking over effortlessly and with little noise - Chris has replaced the standard air filter with a K&N filter, adding a moderate amount of intake noise to the engine note under acceleration and giving the car a slightly sportier sound.

During our time with the vehicle we didn't see any signs of the gearbox showing wear, it changed gears smoothly and pulled evenly throughout each gear with no audible crunches or grinding.

Suspension and Brakes

The car rides smoothly, not feeling crashy or lumpy when driving over bumps and making no untoward noises that we noticed. The brakes felt responsive and sharp to bite, indicating that the pads and discs are in good condition.

The Drive

The vehicle drives just as every MX-5 should; fantastically. With little to no body roll, a fantastically stiff chassis, and just the right amount of power, this car goes exactly where you want it to go, exactly when you want it to go there.

As a passenger in one of these cars you can really begin to appreciate the experience this fantastic Japanese roadster provides. Whether you’re pootling through the village, or threading through corners on a local B-road, this car is nothing but purpose built pleasure.

Electrics and Other

Speaking to Chris about the electrics on this vehicle, to which he has made some minor alterations such as the heated rear windscreen and motorised radio antenna, he has nothing but good words to say about the reliability of the electrical systems on this car.

By his own admission, every change he’s ever made has been plug and play as the wiring loom is complete from the factory, so the addition of the heated rear windscreen and the motorised radio antenna have both been very simple jobs.

The electrics on this car have never caused him any problems, with the exception of a battery many years ago which was subsequently replaced and has been faultless ever since.

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History and Paperwork

Having spent the last 24 years in the ownership of Chris, this car has never wanted for a thing, and if it has - there’s paperwork to go with it.

This car comes complete with a folder simply full of paperwork, dating all the way back to the original bill of sale in 1998 for £13,500.

Covering MOTs, services, and bodywork inspections the original service book has had multiple pages added by Chris simply to make space for the service stamps - 23 in total, it has had more services than it has had MOTs.

We have included in the gallery some 50+ images documenting the history of this vehicle for perusal at your leisure. Having only failed 2 out of its 19 MOT tests in over two decades for arguably easy fixes of windscreen wipers, headlight position and some low tread on tyres, the evidence is there in black and white regarding the care and maintenance of this vehicle. This car also comes with some custom weatherproof luggage as pictured in the exterior section, it is built to fit the external luggage rack on the boot.

We’ve done all our usual seller checks including photo ID, V5 and also actioned a HPi check on the vehicle.

We've summarised our own view on the car based on information gained from the seller in the listing above, however, and as you can see, we go to great lengths to photograph and video the car in hi-resolution detail - this has been done for you to make your own assessment from the comfort of your sofa. So please sit back, have a cuppa and take your time to review everything on this listing in order to make your own assessment on the vehicle's condition. Viewings are also welcomed with all our listings, so please get in touch with us to arrange a suitable time - we just need to speak to you first and receive a valid photo ID before confirming.

If there's anything you're unsure about, no matter how small, then please first ask the owner in the comments area below before placing your bid/s, as bids can't be retracted and form a binding contract if you win the car - just like a traditional auction house.

Service History

Date	Type	Mileage
10.01.2000	Service	660
25.01.2001	Service	3169
21.01.2002	Service	5634
20.01.2003	Service	7714
20.01.2004	Service	9581
14.01.2005	Service	12300
14.03.2006	Service	13983
23.04.2007	Service	16076
17.04.2008	Service	16523
14.04.2009	Service	17185
07.04.2010	Service	17511
20.04.2011	Service	18024
12.04.2012	Service	18517
29.03.2013	Service	18813
24.03.2014	Service	19291
23.03.2015	Service	19640
01.04.2016	Service	19974
23.03.2017	Service	20446
26.03.2018	Service	20751
02.04.2019	Service	21417
16.06.2020	Service	21667
26.05.2021	Service	21778
19.05.2022	Service	21876

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Key Details

ModelMX5 Berkeley
TransmissionManual
Reg. Date24.01.1998
CC1,840
Mileage~21,900 on clock
HistoryVery Good
ColourSparkle Green Metallic
Interior ColourBlack/Grey
Interior TrimLeather
Chassis #JMZNA18P200321445
Engine #BP299605
Last Service19.05.2022
MOTYes EXP. 15.06.2023
MOT ExemptNo
Road Tax ExemptNo
HPi ClearYes - Clear
Former Keepers1
Tyre TreadGood
Tyre Age~ 5 Years
# of Keys2
LHD or RHDRHD
VisitedYes
Sale TypePrivate
Owned24 Years
Key FeatureLow Mileage
Auction ID451645

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Vehicle Sold

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Ask Questions

Seller : ChrisK1 Sale Date 12.07.2022

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1 Comment

Kulraj Salh

Admin

2 years ago

Update – The reserve on this auction has been removed by the seller Chris, it will be sold to the highest bidder this evening. Good luck if you’re involved in the bidding. Best, Kulraj – Trade Classics

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Vehicle Location

Leasingham, Lincolnshire

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