1969 Mazda R130 Luce + 1970 Mazda L10B Cosmo - Reader Ride
We caught up with Roberto Formato and his Mazda R130 Luce & L10B Cosmo at the recent All Japan Day in Adelaide
"My R130 Luce is only four weeks into Australia and was just registered last Thursday. Being fresh from Japan, I didn’t really know what I was getting, but this one turned out to be really good. For instance, it’s got no sun damage, which is amazing for a 50-year-old car.
"The Luce was the only front-wheel-drive rotary Mazda ever made and runs a rebuilt 13A motor. The idea was to make it more spacious and stable on the road; in fact, it was called ‘The King of the Highway’ when it was advertised in Japan. Although they were supposed to come to Australia, they never did and with only 976 made, it’s even rarer than my Cosmo.
"The Cosmo is my dream car; it’s a 10A-powered, L10B long wheelbase. This Cosmo was purchased brand new in 1970 by a gentleman in Burnside, South Australia. I suspect it came in through Singapore or something to make it look like a second-hand car as the dealers couldn’t access them. An executive within Mazda Australia bought it in 1984 and the company was custodian until 2015. It’s had a good life."
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