It varies a lot, IME.
Last Saturday, following a classic rally around, I was in/around Harrogate/Ripon/Thirsk/Helmsley and got six out of six waves/returns, and spent a lovely hour or so standing talking to another owner at one of the venues.
Two days later on a much longer run from Thirsk to Skipton, I only manged one return from five waves (and I didn’t include my errant wave to a Jaaag XK8…)
Glad its not just me that waves to the wrong car sometimes! 
I often wave to MX-5 drivers when I’m not in my MX-5. I get the impression they don’t know what I’m doing.
I think the wave is dead.
Surely on this Furness Peninsula it truly is.
Local bixches never waved back 3 years ago, and they haven’t made any major change since!
Today I was on a country road, and out of the 5 cars I passed, one was another NC, and the droopy driver didn’t wave back.
It’s not like he couldn’t see me, we were the only two moving objects around at the time.
People have no respect for good old British values…
I love to give and receive, only yesterday I let my husband drive my car and driving on the A25 to eventually join the M3 a silver MX5 gave us a wave, only my husband totally missed him and didn’t wave back:roll_eyes:! He didn’t dare do that again!!
I wave whenever I can, returns are patchy. This is around West Midlands.
waving is such fun, always puts a smile on my face. I once had a double both hands in the air from driver and passenger! very extravagant. I do think the ND owners are less likely to wave though…and annoyingly, if I’m in a different car, that’ll be the only time I ever see another crystal blue NB like mine and I can’t wave because they’d think I was mad.
Got a wave from a Porsche driver this morning!
I got two waves from both MX5 drivers in the Yorkshire Dales I saw this week. With the roof down weather we are having you wave cab be as big as you want
Should probably rename this topic! Who did you wave to today!
After barren run,My faith has been restored by the grey mark 4 that waved and flashed lights to me in red RF and my mates blue mk1 near goodwood circuit this morning! Thanks whoever you are! Got day off to great start
I’m a lifetime hopeful waver from my Morris Minor Convertible days back in the 70s, and an hilarious spell with a 2CV in the 90s. All my other cars have been too dull for anyone to bother. So it’s nice to have finally bought the MX-5 that’s been in the back of my mind for 20 years and to find that there is a lively waving tradition that works for about 50% of encounters. But I fear I’ve waved at a lot of Toyotas whilst missing as many MX-5s.
As a newby MX5 owner (only owned for 8 weeks) I love the wave! It’s like being out on the bike. I live on the Furness peninsula and, unlike Christopher1, I find most earlier version owners wave back. NDs tend not to, but I’m not bothered, I’ll keep waving 
. I have missed a few but as I drive with the top down most of the time, I just stick my hand up after they’ve passed. So if you see a bright red NC soft top with an old duffer driving, give me a wave 
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I will!
“The Wave” is still alive from my observations - even from NA/NB/NC owners 
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I hope it long continues to be a ‘thing’ as it is refreshing to see a bit of ‘camaraderie’ among drivers in these days of inconsiderate motorists hell bent on trying to prove something or other! 
Takes me back to when I was a kid in the car with my dad and drivers of similar cars would give a wave as they passed (he drove an MG Magnette then an Austin Cambridge). I’d be sat in the front with my plastic steering wheel stuck to the fascia and I’d wave back at them…
When I drove up to Speyside last year to visit family, I think every MX-5 driver acknowledged me. It did make me wonder if it was time to resurrect that waving hand on a wire stuck to the windscreen that you used to be able to buy!!!
Maybe MX-5 OC should bring out a version?..
that almost a bad as putting eyelashes on the lights… 
I had four very nice unprompted waves from different marks of MX-5 around the South Lakes area yesterday afternoon I was in a Soul Red ND. Cheers!
Here’s a wave for everyone.
I stand corrected.
I got a very joyful wave from a very shiny red softop ND this week while waiting at the traffic lights in Ulverston.
Sweeeeeeeeeet!
After having faith restored by ND near goodwood I’ve concluded Must just be a north herts thing. No one seems to bother around here
Plenty of waves given & returned this weekend, ND RF, lovely blue NA and an NC. Lovely weather for top down exploration
