1994 Mazda Eunos Roadster RS Limited

‘M955 NTA’ is a Eunos Roadster that was imported from Japan on the 26th of July 2005, and the fact its online MoT history stretches all the way back to the year it was imported without a single mention of structural rot or corrosion, is something that should make your heart beat just that little bit faster all by itself. 

But we aren’t finished there, because it is believed to be one of the rare and highly desirable ‘RS Limited’ models. Only 500 cars ever rolled off the production line, and all were finished in Montego Blue coachwork with a red ‘RS’ decal on the nearside front wing. 

They were also fitted with Bilstein suspension, a yellow strut brace, 15-inch multispoke BBS alloy wheels, a Torsen limited-slip differential with extra bracing to the structure in that area, a thicker front antiroll bar and a thinner rear, a lightened flywheel, and a lower, 4.3 final drive ratio within a Torsen limited-slip differential. 

Plus, some of the nicest seats we’ve ever seen made by Recaro from carbon Kevlar.

All of which means that it is going to sell for an awful lot more than the average NA model – but probably still a bit less than you think. Read on for more…

The seller bought his MX-5 RS Limited from Dave Burkinshaw of Deepcar Autobodies in December 2023. Dave had brought it out of storage, where it had lain unused for a number of years; there is a pause in the MoT record between 2016 and 2023.

He treated it to a full respray in the original Montego Blue Mica paint, colour code M8. This is an interesting colour that changes hue depending on how the light falls on it, shifting subtly between shades of dark blue and green. 

The correct RS decal is fitted to the nearside front wing above the side repeater too, which might be a small thing but the fact this has been done – and only done to the correct wing – speaks of an attention to detail we find impressive. 

The finished job still looks terrific with good shutlines and a very healthy shine to that special paint.

The headlamps pop up and down as they should, and all the lamp lenses are in great shape. The glass is all good too, and the windscreen has two stickers on it for membership of the MX-5 Owners’ Club, which is never a bad sign. 

The soft-top is a black mohair jobbie with a proper glass screen. It’s in great shape overall with no rips, tears or other damage. There is green tinge to it though, so you’ll want to give it a deep-clean as a priority. It’s still got the cover though, which keeps it nicely out of sight when it’s folded down and helps give the MX-5 a wonderfully clean look.

The recent respray also saw the 15-inch multispoke BBS alloy wheels being treated to a full refurbishment including diamond-cut lips. They’re still in great shape with no dents, dinks, or scrapes AND they’re fitted with a full set of matching 195/50R15 Toyo Proxes tyres that were made in 2017.

We will never get tired of telling you that experience shows that matching high-quality tyres are an infallible sign of a caring and mechanically sympathetic owner who is prepared to spend the appropriate amount in maintaining their car properly. 

There are a few jobs to do because one of the curses of buying a recently repainted car is that some of the smaller jobs you’d be able to ignore on a lesser example stick out more than they otherwise would.

So, the headlamp wells have a small amount of surface rust on them. This is obviously only noticeable when they’re up, so it’ll usually be dark anyway but once you’ve spotted it you won’t be able to unsee it. 

The nearside quarterlight frame is similarly patinated, there are a few light scratches to the nearside door, some pitting to both door handles, the front numberplate plinth has a nick on the offside top, and the nearside front wing has some marks just ahead of the RS decals.

Shall we deal with the glorious Recaro carbon Kevlar seats first? Stolen from the RX-7 parts bin when Mazda created the RS, splurging out on them was a rare fit of extravagance on the Japanese firm’s behalf, but one it clearly considered was worthwhile for the weight the car lost – and the style it gained – as a result. 

And, you don’t have to go back to far to reach the point at which even the nicest MX-5s were worth only a few thousand pounds, which was about the same as the carbon Kevlar seats were all by themselves. This led an awful lot of owners to commit economic suicide by selling them off and retro-fitting their now massively devalued RS with a pair of standard or aftermarket seats. 

These have survived the years very well. Sure, the material is a little rumpled and stained in places but a clean should help minimise the latter, while a decent car trimmer could probably help with the former by tightening it up a bit.

(Oh, and the odometer and backlighting have an attractive orange tint to it that matches the colour of the back of the seats, which might just be a coincidence but it’s a nice detail nonetheless.)

Given the value in cars like this is in their originality, we’re also pleased to see the correct Nardi steering wheel. It is lightly patinated but no more than that, and we like the honesty it brings to the party. 

A correct replacement Nardi gearknob has also been sourced from Steve Bloxham, of Goodwood Sportscars in Northumberland.

It left the factory sans stereo, so the seller has had a nice Pioneer headunit fitted, along with a Clifford alarm system to make sure it’s still there when you wake up in the morning.

Have we mentioned how rare and desirable the RS Limited is?. 

There is a ‘TUNED BY RÄZO’ sticker to the right of the steering column, who are a Japanese manufacturer of gear knobs, pedals, and suchlike. 

The door cards and carpets are all in a good condition. 

The boot lining is a bit grubby, but it isn’t holed or worn, so may respond to a good valet. There’s a spare wheel in there too.

Other work to do includes freshening up the seat runners, and it would make sense to get this done at the same time as you have the seats tidied up.

The pedals are scruffy too, the gearlever is rusty, the steering column is a bit tatty, the nearside seatbelt has a hole in it, the inner lining of the roof is faded and grubby, and the top of the dashboard is cracked.

With 113,000 miles under its belt, or around 183,000kms, you could excuse the engine bay if it looked a bit tired – but no excuses are needed because this one still presents very well indeed with a clean engine, decent inner wings, and factory stickers on the underside of the bonnet.

The yellow strut brace is in situ, as are the Bilstein dampers. However, the springs are lowered ones from HKS, so you might want to source some OE ones to bring it back to the factory specification. 

The timing belt, waterpump, and auxiliary belts were replaced in 2020 along with a genuine Mazda rocker cover gasket, the engine oil and filter, all four sparkplugs, and the coolant.

Other recent maintenance includes having new front upper arms fitted, along with new bottom ball joints, and a new rear brake caliper just before our vendor bought it.

There are plenty of invoices on file for other work, and he has also replaced the battery. 

Of course, being an MX-5 it starts on the button, idles like a Swiss watch, and revs beautifully. 

It’s also got a nice bark from the stainless-steel, Racing Beat cat-back exhaust system.

The underside has been recently undersealed and has never drawn an adverse comment from an MoT tester with regard to its solidity. 

Again, as with the headlamp wells, there is a little surface rust under the bonnet on some of the brackets and suchlike, as well as the inner wings. Some is some rusty pipework too, and some of the fasteners are unsightly, but rectifying these issues would be a very satisfying winter project.

Some of the hoses have been replaced with blue ones too, so you might like to change those back to the factory-specification. 

The Mazda’s MoT certificate, which is valid until July 2026, was a clear pass.

The recent Vehicle History Check is clear bar the marker for being an imported car. It also comes with two keys and remote fobs for the Clifford alarm system, as well as a pair of silver stickers confirming its status as an RS Limited, one of which is fitted to the offside door jamb, with a spare in the history file.

There are lots of old MoT certificates on file too, plus some expired tax discs, the manual for the Clifford alarm, the BBS spanner to remove the centre caps, and the old Nardi gear knob. 

It’s a well-known car within the MX-5 community and digging around on the Internet uncovered a couple of old blogs, one of which was from the time when it was owned by a motoring journalist. 

The NA MX-5 is a favourite among motoring journalists, with a surprisingly high number keeping a cherished example on their personal fleet, so the fact most of us feel our lives would be improved with one in our garages isn’t surprising. 

And, most of us would sell a kidney to own a rust-free RS Limited, with its carefully chosen factory upgrades that elevate the experience to a whole new level.

As for what it’s likely to be worth, we estimate it’s going to fetch somewhere between £10,000 and £15,000.

Viewing is strongly encouraged, and this lot is located at Bonhams|Cars Online HQ. Viewings are STRICTLY BY APPOINTMENT and we are open weekdays between 10am - 12pm or 2pm - 4pm. To make a booking, please use the ‘Enquire About This Vehicle’ button on the listing. Feel free to ask any questions, or try our ‘Frequently Asked Questions’.