Mazda Miata: The little sports car with big sales turns 20

It's put on a few pounds (331 to be exact) and grown 1.8 inches wider and 1.3 inches longer since its 1989 debut, but Mazda's MX-5 Miata is the best-selling roadster ever because it's stayed true to its guiding principle: jinba ittai, or, "rider and horse as one."

The decision to create Miata, which turned 20 this year, seems obvious today, with so many convertibles on the market. But in the mid-1980s, there was only one four-cylinder, front-engine two-seater on the U.S. market, so Miata seemed a risk. It succeeded because the car looked good and its lightweight, rear-wheel drive and nearly 50/50 front/rear weight balance made it fun to drive. It also helped that the Miata was affordable. It lacked the speed and power of that era's imported European roadsters but, at $13,800 in 1990 and Automobile Magazine's "Automobile of the Year," Miata was in a class by itself.

It still is. With more than 860,000 units made, Miata is the world's all-time top-selling roadster, according to the Guinness Book of World Records. Miata fans certainly see it as special. Sold in 60 countries with clubs all over the world and magazines and websites devoted exclusively to it, it's the little sports car that dared - and did.

Miatas have always made small a virtue. The first model was 65.9 inches wide and 156 inches bumper to bumper.

The base model weighed 2,116 pounds. (Today's corresponding numbers are 67.7, 157.3 and 2,447.) But a six-footer could (still can) fit inside and, while the 1.6-liter four-cylinder only produced 116 horsepower and went 0-60 mph in nine-plus seconds, its five-speed manual and handling quickly made it a driving favorite.

The first-generation Miata lasted through 1997, mostly with minor changes. Power grew to 133 horsepower, but, outside of special editions, keeping the car current and expanding exterior color choices, Mazda wisely decided not to mess with a winner.

The first redesign arrived in 1998 as a '99 model. It was a Car and Driver "10 Best," the first of 10 such designations Miata has received (the 2009 model nabbed the latest). The first generation's pop-up headlamps disappeared but now there was a larger trunk, a glass window in the convertible top and 142 horses. By 2001, Miata had variable valve timing and its first 16-inch wheels. Three years later, the limited edition Mazdaspeed MX-5 Miata had a 170-horsepower, 2.0-liter under its hood.

The third generation Miata arrived in 2006 with 16- and 17-inch alloy wheels, flared fender arches, steering wheel audio/cruise controls and an all-new independent four-wheel suspension, with the rear multi-link design borrowed from the RX-8.

Miata offered the industry's first side airbags with separate chambers for the head and torso (they're standard today). And, by measuring muscle tension during "enthusiastic driving," Mazda even shaped the steering wheel to reduce hand tension. Today's 167-horsepower, 2.0-liter four-cylinder is paired with five- and six-speed manuals and a six-speed automatic controlled by the shifter or steering-wheel paddles.

Miata remains affordable, with MSRPs for its four models ranging from $22,500 to $30,040 (before options). A top-of-the-line Grand Touring model can have leather-trimmed heated seats, keyless remote/start, a seven-speaker Bose sound system, modern safety features like brake assist and electronic brake distribution, Bluetooth hands-free phone capability, Sirius satellite radio, a sports-tuned suspension, a spoiler, a power retractable hard top that sacrifices no trunk space and more. All Miatas also don't sacrifice something fans have always loved about the roadsters - their fun-to-drive quotient.

What's in Miata's future? If the Superlight show car that debuted at this year's Frankfort Motor Show is any indication, more of the same, only with lower carbon dioxide emissions and even better handling, driving performance and fuel economy.