Mazda sold Wankel-engined vehicles in the United States from the late 1960s through the final RX-8s in 2011, and (while you can buy a new Mazda series hybrid with a tiny Wankel inside) we can assume the days of genuine Mazda rotary power are over.
Today’s Junkyard Treasure is an example of Mazda’s most famous no-piston vehicle: a first-generation RX-7, found recently in a Denver-area self-service car graveyard.
Colorado Auto & Parts also has a very complete second-generation RX-7 available for your parts-pulling pleasure, in addition to the 1969 AMC Rambler 440 sedan you see parked next to this car. I used to find quite a few discarded RX-7s during my junkyard travels, but now they have become quite rare.
This one has the GSL trim level, which means it’s packed with luxury and convenience features. These include a sunroof, power windows, and air conditioning, a decent deal for an MSRP of $13,085 (about $39,459 in 2023 dollars). The GSL-SE version was the factory hot-rod RX-7 for 1984, with more engine power and a limited-slip differential, and it cost $15,095 ($45,485 after inflation).
I prefer to call these engines “Wankels,” because a true rotary engine is one in which the crankshaft is fixed and the rest of the engine rotates (mostly used for aircraft applications but also in a handful of road vehicles). Mazda went with the “rotary” appellation from the beginning, though, so I’ll use their term for the rest of this article.
This is a 12A two-rotor engine of 1146cc nominal displacement, rated at 101 hp and 107 lb-ft. The GSL-SE got the 13B with 135 horses and 133 lb-ft. The curb weight for the ’84 was a mere 2380 pounds, so these cars were quick for the era.
An automatic transmission was available for $500 extra ($1507 in today’s dollars), but had few takers in a car that was all about spinning the engine to ridiculous revs. This car has the base five-speed manual.
This AM/FM/cassette radio with auto-reverse, digital tuning, metal capability, Dolby noise reduction, and a nine-band graphic equalizer was serious audio hardware for a new car in 1984.
It traveled just shy of 200,000 miles during its life. I’ve seen a first-gen RX-7 with close to 400,000 showing on its odometer, but that’s very unusual given the generally short lifespan of 12A apex seals on the street.
Why is it here? A VIN search reveals it was sold at a nearby auction service for $400 with “unknown” running condition, so perhaps nobody even tried to start it.
That’s some good tire screech for an American-market car commercial of the middle 1980s.
In its homeland, it was known as the Savanna RX-7.