Strengthening a Bond Between Daughter and Father with MX-5 Miatas
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.
It all started in high school for Christy Haynes, when car magazines started featuring the MX-5 Miata. At that moment, she promised herself that as soon as she could afford to buy one, she would. Fast-forward nearly 22 years and she’s now the proud owner of not one, but three MX-5’s.
After purchasing a second MX-5, Haynes moved her first MX-5, a 1992 model, to her father’s house, about an hour away from where she lives. She gave him the keys and told him, “pretend it's yours. Go out and have fun with it, if you have some time.” Not too long after that her father told her, “I want one for myself.”
They were both on the hunt for another MX-5. A few short months later, her dad bought his own and convinced Christy to join the local Miata club with him.
“The community and the passion around the MX-5 is incredible, and it doesn't matter if you're online or in person, everyone is very accepting,” Haynes said. “I've only been part of the club for two years, and I'm kicking myself because I've been driving a Miata since 1996, and I don't know why I never thought about officially joining a club--I really missed out.”
While she's found a great community within the the club, a deeper connection with her father has been the most rewarding thing about being part of the MX-5 community.
“He's worked so hard all his life,” Christy explained. “And to see him enjoy himself and get away from the projects at home, it's really, really awesome.”
And the two of them now spend more time together working on their cars and further restoring their MX-5’s.
“I had always wanted to restore a car with my dad,” Christy said. “And one day last winter, he said, ‘I'm gonna buy a lift for my shop.’ And so I went over to his house, and I helped him install it, and ever since then, we have made an ongoing project out of restoring our MX-5s."
And now, with every drive of her MX-5 Miata, even on the frigid-winter days in Ohio, Christy can’t resist dropping the top and turning on the heater and seat warmers.
“It's like taking a little teeny, tiny vacation to and from work,” Christy said. “Why would you not just put the top down?”
