The Mazda Cosmo Sport, the world's first rotary-engine sports car, first went on sale in 1967.

The rotary engine, a small, lightweight, high-output dream engine, was successfully developed in 1959 by Felix Wankel in collaboration with NSU.
In February 1961, Mazda (then Toyo Kogyo) who had been interested in this technology, entered into a technical tie-up with NSU and finally succeeded in commercializing it, overcoming numerous difficulties.
In 1963, Mazda developed the prototype of the "Cosmo Sport", their two-seater sports car to be equipped with a rotary engine.
After further testing, the Cosmo Sport went on sale in May 1967 for 1,480,000 yen.

Its distinctive styling, often referred to as spaceship-like, was designed by in-house designer Heiji Kobayashi.
The chassis was a semi-monocoque type combining the floorboard and front compartment, and the suspension used front double wishbones and a rear De Dion axle.
The engine, equipped with a Zenith Stromberg single carburetor, was a 491 cc × 2 water-cooled, inline 2-rotor L10A unit, producing a maximum output of 110 hp. It was mounted in a front-mid position, making the most of its compact size.

Other features included rack-and-pinion steering, Dunlop front disc brakes, and a 4-speed fully-synchronized gearbox, all of which were advanced for a Japanese car at the time.
In 1968, the car underwent a minor update, leading to the development of the later model.
Externally, the radiator grille was enlarged, and a cooling vent for the disc brakes was added beneath the turn signal.

This example features the updated front mask with the larger radiator grille and the added cooling vent beneath the turn signal, which are characteristic of the later model.
Additionally, the steering wheel and wheels have been changed from the original.
The seats have been reupholstered in a classic houndstooth pattern combination.

The L10A was produced for only about a year, and was the first model of the Cosmo Sport.
Only 343 units were produced, and while the Cosmo Sport itself is considered to be a rarity with only 1,176 units, this is one with an even rarer VIN number.