Mazda MX-81 “Bertone Aria”

Honda’s MX-prefix goes back quite a ways, and this MX-81 Concept from 1981’s Tokyo Motor Show was the brand’s first, even if it was just a concept. Otherwise known as the “Bertone Aria”, the MX-81 looks every bit as good now as it did when it was new. That’s because Mazda just performed a full restoration after it was discovered in a warehouse. The car was then sent off to Mazda Italy, which sent it off to SuperStile in Turin to take on the meticulous job of bringing it back to its original glory. The car was created by Bertone using a Mazda 323, and the finished product looked nothing like the original. It had a crazy interior with TV-screen instrumentation, pushbutton controls, a recessed square belt steering system (instead of a traditional steering wheel), and some crazy side-swing front seats. The wedge-like exterior and massive greenhouse gave it a radical and exotic look, and the aerodynamic wheels added a dose of the future. While none of the current MX cars (MX-30 crossover, MX-5 Miata roadster) look anything like their predecessor, the MX-81 will stand as the forefather of both.