1969 Mazda Cosmo 110B Coupe (RHD)

The first Mazda to employ the Wankel Rotary engine was the Cosmo 110S, a pretty sports coupe launched at the 1964 Tokyo Motor Show. The original Series I (L10A) Cosmo was powered by a bi-rotor engine producing around 110hp (hence the 110 moniker) with four-speed transmission, independent wishbone front suspension, De Dion rear end and disc brakes up front. With adjustable bucket seats, full instrumentation and Nardi-type steering wheel, the interior of the Cosmo was designed to appeal to the serious driver. Introduced in July 1968, the Series II Cosmo (L10B) was built on a longer wheelbase, with 15-inch wheels, five-speed gearbox, better brakes and a more powerful engine. In this form, the Cosmo could reach 120mph and did the quarter-mile in an impressive 15.8 seconds. Series production lasted from 1967 until 1972 and the Cosmo was virtually hand-made in very limited numbers, total production extending to just over 1,500 cars. The Cosmo even had a competition heritage, racing in the Marathon de la Route held on the Nurburgring in 1968. Today, the Cosmo has a huge following around the world and examples form part of some major collections, including that of TV talk show host Jay Leno. Along with the Toyota 2000GT, the Cosmo 110 is one of the most sought after Japanese cars from the Sixties and there are very few good examples currently resident in Australia.