The Matchmaking MX-5 Miata
Celebrating 30 Years of the MX-5 Miata begins with celebrating our fans and their stories. We asked owners and enthusiasts from around the country to submit their MX-5 stories to celebrate the debut of the 30th Anniversary MX-5 Miata at the Chicago Auto Show.
For Scott Fricke, the Mazda MX-5 Miata Clubs were key to his love story and his family’s obsession with the iconic roadster. And with most great life choices, it all started with a nudge from his mother.
“I was just out of college and still living at home,” Scott explained. “I came home from work and my mom was reading a magazine comparing the Toyota MR2 and the Mazda MX-5 Miata in 2000. “She said, ‘You should go buy yourself a little fun car.’”
Scott agreed. When he pulled into the Mazda dealership and saw the 2000 Special Edition MX-5 Miata, it was love at first sight.
“When I saw it sitting in the showroom,” Scott recalled, “I fell in love with the way it looked. It instantly brought back fond memories of learning how to drive stick on a family friend’s 1981 Fiat Spider.”
After purchasing his Mazda, Scott joined the Windy City Miata Club at the encouragement of his friend and former scoutmaster.
“I was one of the youngest owners in the crowd with the brand new car, and everybody was excited to see it because it was a special edition,” Scott said. “I just fell in love with the people, and the car and the club.”
After Scott’s purchase, his mother and brother both followed suit and purchased MX-5s of their own.
“When I joined the club in 2000, my brother also joined the club, and met his now wife,” Scott explained. “Later, after they started dating, my brother’s now wife asked her college roommate to come to the McDonald’s to see about 60 MX-5 Miatas and to meet her new boyfriend.” This fateful invite led to Scott meeting his wife. “That was in the fall of 2002, “Scott said. “Soon after we started dating, and eventually got married.”
Today, Scott and his wife have an 8-year-old son and a 3-year-old daughter. Together, the couple has taken their MX-5 from the Chicago suburbs up to Door County, Wisconsin, and across Colorado, Arizona and New Mexico.
“We went to a lot of national parks, and saw a lot of the U.S. in it, which was a lot of fun,” Scott explained.
“Our Miata holds a special place in our hearts,” Scott explained. “Now that we have two kids we don’t get to spend much time driving around together anymore. However we do find some time to sneak away just the two of us in the MX-5. My son has also developed an interest in the MX-5 and I hope he and his sister are able to share it someday.
