WAY back in the late 1980s Mazda introduced an all-new model that would go on to become one of the great automotive success stories for more than a quarter of a century, by sticking to a simple recipe.

The pretty MX-5 sportscar shamelessly borrowed more than just a handful of styling cues from the original Lotus Elan but it was the way the little car drove that would earn it so many followers and record-breaking worldwide sales.

A simple but revvy 1.6-litre four-cylinder normally aspirated engine at the front of the car sent power to the wheels at the back, and in the middle were two seats and a folding roof. The MX-5 was the perfect sportscar, which in its 25th year has topped 940,000 worldwide sales.