E U N O S C O S M O "History"

With the success of the MX-03 & the Japanese economic bubble growing, Mazda had Yen to burn. They took the hint & gave the production version the go-ahead. As posted here, design themes where set in motion & by looking at them we can be thankful that some where not chosen. Typically, its a mix & match from various models that end up getting the approval to full scale clay versions.

Once the approved drawings where moulded into 1/5th scale clay models each version was viewed by the project leaders. From there, various aspects of the models would get approval for the next stage & that means full scale. You can see Mazda's intensions with two of the full-scale models. Note the lhd steering wheel in the 2nd + 3rd images below. Yes, the Cosmo was bound for the USA under the (Still born) "Amatai sales channel". Some how, the "Eunos" name must not have washed well for the Americans, but the idea of a powerful touring coupe certainly would have.

The styling was extremely important for this model. Destined as an export model to take on the world it must have been important to sit alongside a Jaguar XJS or BMW 850c & feel totally at home. Yes, the Cosmo was to set many firsts for Mazda, beyond just its rotary power. You can see the L10 Cosmo (67-72) influence, especially in the angle of the c-pillars. The designers certainly had heritage as an influencing factor to bear in mind.

Its one thing to get the lines of the car correct, but fail with the interior design & you will fail with the sales. As can be seen from the design sketches, the artists had both interiors determined which then required translating into an actual "buck". As is usually the case, some look close & others are way off. You can see that in the examples above, then it all comes together in a final assembly. Below is the approved interior Buck in Type-E.CCS form. Back in 1990 this would have been sensational & years beyond its design. Testament to this is its contemporary appearance even by todays standards.