Tsutomo Matano Passes Away, Designer and One of the Fathers of the Miata, One of the Best Sports Cars in History

There are names that will always remain in the legacy and thoughts of car enthusiasts. Perhaps you wouldn't have recognized Tsutomu “Tom” Matano as one of the most respected and beloved car designers if you are not deeply involved in automotive culture. However, for Mazda fans, he was a true institution.

The designer responsible for sketching the lines of the legendary MX-5 NA, the first generation Miata, has passed away in his home country, Japan, at the age of 76. His hands also produced other well-known vehicles, such as the third generation RX-7, the RX-8, and the original Mazda6.

But undoubtedly, the Miata was the vehicle that left the greatest legacy. Matano was a regular at Mazda gatherings and, according to those who knew him, he was a very approachable person for fans. He even signed his cars, always with a smile on his face.

To the United States and Back to Japan

Tsutomu Matano was born in Nagasaki, Japan, in 1947, just after World War II. He was able to study engineering in his country, at Seikei University, but at the age of 22 he moved to the United States aboard a freighter from his grandfather's company. There, in Pasadena (California), he enrolled in the Art Center College of Design in 1971.

He joined General Motors in Detroit thanks to a sketch that made a futuristic representation of a Pontiac. From there, he was assigned to the Holden brand, specifically in Melbourne, Australia. And later to Europe to work at BMW in Munich, where he was able to participate in the development of the Series 3.

He left behind the cold German winter to return to California, but this time to Irvine to join the North American division of Mazda, more specifically in its design studio. His presence in North America and Europe was vital, as he was able to savor the sweetness of cultures completely different from his own, which surely gave him a perfect perspective to do everything he did afterward.

We tell you the incredible story of the Mazda MX-5 in this video.

He was already at Mazda, the brand that gave him fame and where he stayed until 2002 with an incredible legacy. Indeed, from his hands came the lines of a Mazda MX-5 NA that, more than 35 years later, remains an icon and the best-selling roadster in history.

Mazda had commissioned three sketches when then-journalist Bob Hall recommended the brand's leaders create a small, lightweight, and economical convertible. One inspired by British roadsters, but with the reliability that corresponds to Japanese manufacturers.

As you know, Matano's sketch was the one that triumphed and was put into practice in the late 80s. Don't miss the video that accompanies these lines to learn about the history of the Miata from my colleague Óscar Magro, you won't regret it.

Fuente: Car and Driver