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This Original-Owner 1983 Mazda RX-7 Is a Rotary-Powered Unicorn

Very few automakers have offered rotary engines because they’re not as reliable or frugal as inline or V designs. Japanese automaker Mazda kept developing the Wankel when everyone gave up on it, and they are still working around the clock to bring it back in the form of a range extender.
Original-Owner 1983 Mazda RX-7 18 photos
Photo: Bring a Trailer
Original-Owner 1983 Mazda RX-7Original-Owner 1983 Mazda RX-7Original-Owner 1983 Mazda RX-7Original-Owner 1983 Mazda RX-7Original-Owner 1983 Mazda RX-7Original-Owner 1983 Mazda RX-7Original-Owner 1983 Mazda RX-7Original-Owner 1983 Mazda RX-7Original-Owner 1983 Mazda RX-7Original-Owner 1983 Mazda RX-7Original-Owner 1983 Mazda RX-7Original-Owner 1983 Mazda RX-7Original-Owner 1983 Mazda RX-7Original-Owner 1983 Mazda RX-7Original-Owner 1983 Mazda RX-7Original-Owner 1983 Mazda RX-7Original-Owner 1983 Mazda RX-7
The longest-running series of rotary-powered cars from Mazda is the RX-7, which numbers just over 811,000 units produced from 1978 through 2002. The 1983 model we’re covering on this occasion is a unicorn that racked up a total of 128,785 miles (207,259 kilometers) on the original mill.

12A is how the powerplant is called, and the biggest difference over the 13B from 1984 is the injection system. The carbureted rotary was rated from the factory at 100 horsepower and 105 pound-feet (142 Nm) of torque in North America, which doesn’t seem like a lot even by the standards of the day. Be that as it may, the RX-7 from this era is extremely light, therefore it’s capable of hitting 60 miles per hour (97 kilometers) in less than 10 seconds.

Resealed in 2021 when a replacement alternator was also fitted, the 12A in this car may be hard to restart after driving according to the first owner. That could mean a lot of things, ranging from the spark plus going bad to the apex seals wearing out. But given the simplicity of the double-rotor design, the next owner can easily fix whatever may plague the powerplant.

Offered with a squeaky-clean history report from Carfax and a clean title in the first owner’s name, the RX-7 in the photo gallery came in Tender Blue Metallic from the factory. Repainted eight years ago, the fixed-head coupe shows a few cracks in the paint as well as a crack in the lens of the left-hand-side taillight. A piece of black rubber is missing from the passenger-door molding, which isn’t a deal-braking issue if you ask me. Still fitted with the original 13-inch steelies, the vehicle now rides on 2016-dated Westlake Radial tires that measure 185 by 70. Upholstered in black vinyl with velour inserts, the cabin still is nice despite this fellow’s age and mileage.

With seven days of bidding left on Bring a Trailer, the highest offer for this well-maintained sports coupe stands at $6,100 at the moment of reporting.
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About the author: Mircea Panait
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After a 1:43 scale model of a Ferrari 250 GTO sparked Mircea's interest for cars when he was a kid, an early internship at Top Gear sealed his career path. He's most interested in muscle cars and American trucks, but he takes a passing interest in quirky kei cars as well.
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