Rare RX-500
Rare RX-500
Stumbled on a page about rare Mazda - the RX-500. Designed in the 70s, it had innovative messaging tail lamps and doors butterfly doors (Lambo doors), a twist from Mercedes gullwing doors before Lamborghini ran with the concept and made it their 'Kleenex'.
http://www.conceptcars.it/japan/mazda/rx500.htm
Perhaps the first Lotus Esprit, the S1, was inspired by this car's profile.
RX-500 (1970):

Lotus Esprit S1 (1976?):

Oh, it turns out there's a bit of news on this car too:
http://rotarynews.com/node/view/1000
http://www.conceptcars.it/japan/mazda/rx500.htm
Perhaps the first Lotus Esprit, the S1, was inspired by this car's profile.
RX-500 (1970):

Lotus Esprit S1 (1976?):

Oh, it turns out there's a bit of news on this car too:
http://rotarynews.com/node/view/1000
Oh, it turns out the Alfa Romeo Carabo was the first one to showcase the "Lambo" doors in 1968.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scissor_doors
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scissor_doors
damn, that's pretty cool.
there's a difference in the doors though. scissor/lambo doors open and move up. butterfly doors move outward.
i love butterfly doors... soo much more than lambo doors.
there's a difference in the doors though. scissor/lambo doors open and move up. butterfly doors move outward.
i love butterfly doors... soo much more than lambo doors.
Nice find. Never seen that one before. The high, horizontal back reminds me the original (60's) Lotus Europa which, ironically, was eventually replaced by the Lotus Esprit you mentioned. There was seemed to be a flood of good, interesting concepts that came from that era.
Last edited by JRichter; Aug 5, 2008 at 04:44 PM.
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