Mazda emerged from relative obscurity at the 1964 Tokyo Motor Show when it debuted a sports car concept. With its rotary engine, Italian-inspired lines and balanced rear-wheel-drive platform, the Cosmo set the tone for Mazda’s sports cars for decades to come.

The fledgling automaker began series production in 1967, and the Cosmo’s 110-hp rotary engine soon proved itself in an 84-hour marathon exhibition at the Nürburgring. Mazda licensed the rotary engine design from German engineer Felix Wankel. The unique design uses an eccentric rotor to convert pressure into rotational motion. Unlike traditional piston engines, the parts in a rotary move in one direction.

Barely a year later, Mazda stretched the Cosmo’s wheelbase by 38 mm in a bid to deliver more stable handling and a better ride. A 128-hp version of the Wankel sat under the hood of the Cosmo Series II, where it was mated to a five-speed manual.

This 1971 Cosmo Sport Series II, finished in the quintessential colour combination of white over a black interior, was delivered new to the Japanese market. Presented in very good condition, it shows just 94,000 km from new and would make a thrilling addition to any collection of sports cars as a lovely driver and a wonderful part of Japanese automotive history.