She could have just passed it down or sold her Mazda RX-7 which is worth a pretty penny
Yesterday, I wrote about a very silly story and today, I’m back with a tear jerker instead. So here it goes. In 1999 at age 55, Naoko Nishimoto-san, became the proud owner of a new Mazda RX-7, it began a journey with her beloved ‘Seven’ that would last 25 years. She drove it with care and passion, but on her 80th birthday, Naoko-san made a very difficult decision.
This decision was to voluntarily surrender her driver’s license and return her cherished RX-7 to Mazda Japan. Naoko-san’s plan to part ways with the RX-7 gained widespread attention when her story was featured on YouTube in September 2024, sparking a wave of public fascination. I mean she didn’t have to return the car but it is her choice at the end of the day.
Moreover, the feature covering this story went viral, and Naoko was flooded with over 400 emails from admirers and well-wishers, including one from Mazda’s Public Relations department. As fate would have it, a Mazda engineer happened to see the program. Deeply moved, they immediately contacted the PR team.
When Naoko-san read the message from Mazda, she smiled and said, “It was an email filled with such enthusiasm and sincerity, it truly seemed to shine for me.” As a final farewell to her companion of 25 years, she went on a road trip to see the cherry blossoms with her son, Makoto-san.
And then on 18 December, the day of her 80th birthday, a ceremony was also held at a Mazda dealership in Nagasaki. Naoko-san handed over the keys to the car she’d lovingly maintained for 25 years.
On top of that, reflecting on her bond with the RX-7, she stated, “When I came here today, I drove in with my ‘Seven,’ but I’ll be leaving alone. This car has been my companion for 25 years. I’ve enjoyed every moment with it, so I have no regrets about saying goodbye. I just want to say one last thing to my ‘Seven’—thank you. Thank you for 25 wonderful years.”
Her RX-7, remarkably preserved after 77,000 kilometers, will first undergo maintenance in Hiroshima before heading to Mazda’s research center in Yokohama. There, it will continue life as a public relations display vehicle, sharing its story and timeless appeal at events. After the ceremony and the keys were handed over, she also surrendered her drivers licence.
This story is more than just a tale of a car, it’s a tribute to passion, care, and the enduring relationship between a driver and her machine.
