Mazda Cosmo Series 1 Coupe, 1968
Chassis No.: L10A10233 Auction: Monterey 2017 Auction date: August 19, 2017 Lot No.: F92 $44,000 | Sold • Exterior: White • Interior: Black • Body: Coupe • 1 of 343 Series 1 coupes produced • Restored in Japan in 2009 • Imported to the United States in 2010 • Gen II 1.3L Rotary engine • Dual Weber downdraft carburetors • Performance headers • Custom stainless exhaust • Upgraded RX7 5-speed transmission • Upgraded RX7 4-piston front disc brakes • Upgraded cooling system and radiator • Auxiliary gauges • Era-appropriate 15 inch Wantanabe wheels • Wood steering wheel • MazdaSpeed Houndstooth sport seats After a prototype was introduced at the 1963 Tokyo Motor Show, the Mazda Cosmo entered production in 1967 as the first mass-production car powered by a two-rotor Wankel rotary engine. Fewer than 350 of the Series I Cosmo L110A cars were produced, and a correspondingly low number remain scattered around the world. Series II Cosmo L110B production began in 1968, with a total of just 1,519 hand-built Cosmo sport coupes being produced through 1972. Restored and modified in Japan, and then imported to the U.S. in 2010, this unique and rare 1968 Cosmo Sport Coupe combines its period-defining Italian-influenced style with a curated selection of genuine Mazda and Mazdaspeed performance upgrades. The Series I Mazda Cosmos were powered by a 110 HP 1.0L rotary engine that lent the 110S its export designation. The original engine was upgraded with a 1.3L two-rotor Gen II Mazda 13B rotary engine equipped with dual Weber downdraft carburetors, upgraded dual spark-plug ignition, performance header extractors and high-flow stainless-steel exhaust for 185 HP. The rotary engine is backed up by a 5-speed transmission and 4-piston-caliper front disc brakes sourced from a Mazda RX7. An aluminum radiator and electric fan help the upgraded cooling system match increased power output. The Series 1 body, with its wide-mouth grille and long rear deck, is finished in its original white color with covered headlights, chrome bumpers and dual bullet-style mirrors adding race-inspired accents to Bertone-influenced space-age style. The original speedometer and tachometer are joined by supplemental gauges and a contemporary audio-system head unit on the dash. Bolstered Mazdaspeed bucket seats and a handcrafted wood steering wheel wait for the driver to take control. The Cosmo rides on era-appropriate 15 inch Watanabe wheels outfitted with Japanese made Yokohama tires. https://www.mecum.com/lots/300065/1968-mazda-cosmo-series-1-coupe/
