A Designer And A Car Enthusiast
Tsutomu “Tom” Matano, the Mazda designer known to car enthusiasts as the “father of the Miata,” died on September, 20, 2025, at age 76. The news circulated on social media, with no official statement on the cause of death thus far.
As chief designer for Mazda North American Operations, Matano oversaw the design of the first-generation NA Miata, and worked with Bob Hall to get it intro production. In addition to a long and varied career in automotive design, Matano was a regular fixture at car events, so his loss will be felt acutely in the Miata community.
Father Of The FD RX-7, Too
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Matano graduated from Tokyo’s Seikei University in 1969, then moved to California to study at the Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, the premier design school for the automotive industry in the United States. Beginning in 1974, he held various positions at General Motors, Volvo, and BMW before joining Mazda in 1983 as head designer for the Japanese automaker’s North American division.
He may be the “father of the Miata,” but Matano also oversaw development of the FD-generation Mazda RX-7, as well as numerous other projects. He eventually moved back to Japan to work as executive designer in Mazda’s global advance studio, and then became general manager of Mazda design, overseeing the automaker’s global design efforts, before retiring from the automaker in 2002.
Matano’s Legacy
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Matano was the rare automotive executive who forged relationships with the enthusiast community while also serving as an effective voice for those enthusiasts within the company. The NA Miata and FD RX-7 are iconic designs, and the current ND Miata stays true to the original’s mission of providing driving fun at an affordable price. Not a bad legacy.
