Matano may be best known for his work on the MX-5, but he also helped design other iconic vehicles such as the FD-gen RX-7.

Tsutomu “Tom” Matano, the former Mazda designer best known for bringing the Miata to life, has died at the age of 76.

In this world of efficient, competent, but ultimately uninspiring crossover utility vehicles, there is the Miata, a rolling ...

A reflection on the history of the "father of the Miata," who recently passed at the age of 76. He also gave us the third-gen ...

Tsutomu 'Tom' Matano, known to many as the 'Father of the Miata', has died on September 20th, 2025. The news broke via social ...

More than a designer of one of the most important sports cars ever, Matano engaged with fans and mentored students hoping to ...

The engineer's sunny disposition and love of car culture helped lead to cars that made all the difference for Mazda.

In the 1980s, Mazda engineers sought to recreate an iconic era when compact British and European sports cars ruled the roads.

Matano—”Tom” to his friends, of which there were thousands—died this past month at the age of 77. With his passing, the world loses a singular vision willing to take risks and push boundaries in the ...

Tsutomu ‘Tom’ Matano, the designer of the original Mazda MX-5, has sadly passed away.

The father of the Miata, Tom Matano, passed away at 76. He is the man who redefined the sports car segment by making the MX-5 ...

Tsutomu “Tom” Matano, the man behind the original Mazda MX-5’s design, has died aged 76. The news was confirmed by Mazda in a ...