Hmm… I’ve had a Roadster for a little over a week now. Been really fortunate with some fine weather and enjoyed having the roof off this wk end. I was delighted to see another MKI coming towards me on Sunday afernoon so waved. Ignored. Surprised me. I’ve had Classic Alfa’s and Lotus’s in the past and i’d expected the same level of fun / interest from fellow enthusiasts…
I’d put it down to a one off, but later in the day I saw another MK1 who looked at me as if my hair was on fire when I waved.
To be honest, I think I’ll just carry on waving and hope I pass someone more friendly sooner or later!
Down here in Kent I’ve generally found most MX-5ers pretty good. Mk1 owners are the best without a doubt - I almost always get a response. There is a BRG mk1 I see quite regularly when I got for a blast down on Romney Marsh (might be on here) and I always get a wave. Generally mk2 owners wave about 60%+ of the time. I got a ‘whoohoo!’ from one lady when we passed in a traffic jam last year!
Mk3 owners seem rather snooty though (20% or less) (Sorry! - Though my next door neighbour has a mk3 and he waves!)
It was ever thus though, enthusiasts tend not to own the latest model until it filters down into affordable price ranges. The ‘I only have a new car’ brigade will have already moved on.
When I had my mk1 Golf GTI other Mk1-ers always waved, but the car was 27+ years old, so it was a bit of an event to see another one on the road! No modern Golf drivers would wave though…
Dubbers are pretty good as a rule. My old camper got a wave 95% of the time, and my various other modded golfs etc used to get oher drives throwing the vw horn pretty often, too.
Well ive had my MK2 since January I can only assume that all theother MX5 drivers in Bournemouth (there are lots you know who you are) have their arms glued to the steering wheel despite lots of waving from my car i have only received 1 back. So if you see a silver MK2 in or around Bournemouth give a wave.
Well to confound those who say this of Mk3 owners i wave and i have found that it matters not what mark or colour or gender i have been waved to and ignored by all inc. those in my own colour and model. [curses to that woman in Torquay last year]. And there’s no hard and fast rule about brolley on or off. It really is down to the bod behind the wheel.
The wave must stay alive and we must continue to wave at all and sundry no matter if we’re regarded as numpties. It is our duty to educate the ignorant* IT IS THE MX5 LAW!
Im in Kent, I’ve got a MK3 and always wave to everyone but more often than not all i get in return is a very stange look… like nutty woman why she waving at me ? !!! might try flashing instead, see what response i get then
I use my mk 2 everyday on the cat and fiddle and always wave to every mark and only about 1 in 5 respond during week but always get more on sunny weekends. Always a good atmosphere up there when the suns out and have even have had waves and nods from bikes and other roadsters (mg’s, tvr’s, boxters etc)
I finally got a wave from someone I see on the way to work sometimes, after I waved to her many times. So just being persistant can work, hopefully now she will start waving to others too . Now if I can just get that mk3 also…
I’ve only had my MX for 2 days (never had one before), going out in it a bit later for a cruise.
If I see anybody in another MX I will try and wave, but at the mo I’m still getting use to the car, so please be patient with me, I struggle to put the indicators on (cos they are on the opposite side of my Corsa, my wipers work good tho! hahahaaaaaa!!) let alone take my hand off the wheel!
Anyway, if you see a White G reg MX cruising the Northants area, please wave, if I don’t wave back I’m not being rude, I’m just struggling to take my hand off the wheel…
I have found that i get a lot more waves and flashing when in the Mk 1 to the Mk 2 even though i make a point of a peep ,wave or a flash in the Mk 2 you still get this blank look,but i still do it anyway,one day they may realise that basicaly they are the same car at the end of the day.
When I was a kid my Ma had a Beetle and waving/headlight flashing was what pretty much all Beetle drivers did to each other on the roads, so I assumed the same when we got our first MX, partly out of being chuffed to bits to be in the thing, mostly as it feels like you just should… not a single response in London in two years. Won’t stop doing it.
The one time we did get the nod? We loved our first MX so much that we drove down to the Dordogne and back in the space of a single weekend for a wedding last August, on the return leg we passed an english plate silver MK2.5 on a D Road in some valley somewhere, and they were flashing and waving so much we thought we’d lost a wheel or something. Brilliant.
I am so pleased you have put a post on the forum about this. I’ve had my dark green MX-5 Mark 2.5 since November, and I too get excited when I see another one, regardless of being a 1,2 or a 3 and always smile and wave but rarely get any response. I did get a smile from a lady in a green Mark 1 and it really made my day, but that’s the only one I’ve had. We went to Stratford upon Avon on Saturday with the roof down (of course!) and saw an elderly couple in a Mark 3, also with the roof down, so of course we both waved and smiled, but they just looked very disdainfully at us! Surely other MX-5 drivers are like us and love their cars and really enjoy driving them, so share the enjoyment!! So if you are driving around the Lichfield area and see me wave, please wave back, it really does cheer me up. I will continue to wave and also think it should be law, so will continue to uphold it!!!
Did get a wave from a Porsche 911 driver which was quite nice!!
I certainly get less than i give out and receive and are ignored by all MKs. My very first wave was from a chap in a BRGmk1 in Devizes just over a year ago. It was a joyous moment having had nothing back from the 5s i saw between there and mid Wales. I’ve had a few here n there now n again. Oddily enough best i had was from a beautiful red 5… a TR5 at Bishop’s Castle. I was so agast at the honour i had to do a restrospective wave
Whilst out on a run last sunday between Machynlleth and Aberystwyth a silver mk2 travelling north completely blanked 10 eager wavers (plus passengers). How can fail to, at least, raise a smile to those further down the line? Never mind. We all had a grand day out
So… in Radnorshire if you see a Stormy Blue 1 will wave (me) and another won’t… but i am working on that one lol. The non-waver lurks around the Crossgates area.
despite lots of waving from my car i have only received 1 back. So if you see a silver MK2 in or around Bournemouth give a wave. 
but more often than not all i get in return is a very stange look… like nutty woman why she waving at me ? !!! might try flashing instead, see what response i get then 
