Shednesday: Mazda Carol Me Lady
Ben Carter finds a Mazda Carol Me Lady on Facebook Marketplace. He stops just short of asking Carol if she'd like to go on a date with him.
Merry Shednesday. This week’s Facebook Marketplace find is a kei car. These miniature heroes have engines no larger than 660cc and are small enough to fit into the tiniest Japanese parking spaces. You're probably familiar with cars like the Suzuki Cappuccino, Honda Beat and Nissan Pao, etc.
Not to mention PetrolBlog's Daihatsu Cuore Avanzato.
Lady in red
I say ‘red’, it’s more of a reddish pink. Whatever the colour, this week’s car comes from Mazda; you may have seen its cousin, the gull-winged door Autozam AZ-1. This car is also an Autozam: a second-generation 1991 Autozam (Mazda) Carol Me Lady edition. She’s £1300 and in Wellingborough. Yes I said ‘she’ – look at her full model name; her automotive gender couldn't be clearer.
While sadly an automatic, Carol is the top spec G version, which means she has a retractable canvas roof (stop thinking about Carol with her top down, you brute) – great for the summer, but hopefully water tight for the rest of the year. Nobody wants Carol leaking everywhere throughout the year.
Oh! Carol
Under her bonnet is a 657cc 12-valve engine putting out 53bhp, but then she weighs just 660kg, so she's likely to be quite sprightly. The seller claims to have managed 70mpg in Carol. Not bad for a petrol car from the 1980s.
The seller also mentions a rear spoiler that you can re-attach. If it’s what I have seen online here I wouldn’t bother, but I would consider moving to some bigger wheels. After all, Carol deserves some nice shoes.
Lady maintenance
Carol has travelled just 56,000 miles, she has an MOT, but does feature a little rust. She is also based on the first-generation Suzuki Alto, so while you may never see another like her, parts are hopefully slightly easier to find, despite being an imported car.
Here is Carol. Let’s see what Gavin thinks of her.
What does PetrolBlog think?
You can go off people. Not only does Ben's latest Shednesday piece serve as a reminder that I really, really, REALLY shouldn't have sold the ‘box of frogs’, but I find myself spending far too much time on Facebook Marketplace. It's a goldmine of cheap motors, providing you're happy to sift through the dirt.
Little Carol looks fab. Those alloy wheels would be whipped off in no time at all, replaced by some authentic white steelies. Are those aftermarket daytime running lights on the front? If so, they'd also be removed. I'd actually fit the rear spoiler – you can see it in situ on Flickr.
Fabulous find, Ben, and a great alternative to the Mazda 121.
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