80-year-old woman donates her 25-year-old manual RX-7 to Mazda after giving up her license

Proving to be a moving reminder that cars are part of the family and deserve a retirement, one 80-year-old woman celebrated her birthday by donating her 25-year-old manual Mazda RX-7.

Some drivers change keys like they swap socks, frequently and without care.

But for many others, cars can become part of the family and serve as lifelong ride or die duos.

For one woman, that life partner was a Mazda RX-7, which spent 25 years taking her 48,000 miles around Japan, and she bade farewell to it in the most heartwarming of ways.

VISIT SBX CARS – View live supercar auctions powered by Supercar Blondie

80-year-old celebrates her birthday by giving up drivers license and donating a Mazda RX-7

In one of the most heartwarming automotive stories we’ve ever seen, this Japanese woman went above and beyond to make sure that her special Mazda RX-7 went to a worthwhile new home.

Originally bought for 3.2 million yen (roughly $20,230), this Mazda RX-7 was Naoko Nishimoto’s replacement vehicle for a Corona Coupe.

At the age of 55, she rolled out of the dealership with the bells and whistles of the Type RB S variant, boasting suede seats, a rear spoiler, and ZR-rated tires.

Popularized in the Noughties by Fast and Furious: Tokyo Drift, she drove the Mazda RX-7 for nearly 50,000 miles, looking like the trendiest driver on the roads.

The car would last her 25 years, even though she was scared that she wouldn’t be able to find a replacement after the series was shelved by the Japanese manufacturers.

But as she turned 80, she took to Facebook to ask if anyone wanted the car, as she was donating it alongside giving up her license.

She received floods of emails, and the story was quickly picked up by Mazda.

Appearing in local news stories, she told Mazda that her beloved car should be used by someone who holds it in the same esteem as her – or, would at least grow to.

So, the brand itself offered to take it off her hands and champion it.

Click the star icon next to supercarblondie.com in Google Search to stay ahead of the curve on the latest and greatest supercars, hypercars, and ground-breaking technology

CEO calls it a ‘moving reminder’ that cars are a partner in life

On a day when she was gifted with flowers, the license plate from her car, and design sketches of the RX-7, she also moved the Mazda CEO, Moro Masahiro.

“This was a moving reminder that you see a car not just as a means of transportation, but as an important partner in life,” he said.

“It was also the first model for which I was responsible for marketing after joining Mazda, so it is a car that holds very special memories for me.

“We will treasure this car, along with stories of the days when you lived a happy, energetic, and vibrant life, drawing vitality from the power of cars.”

Mazda now holds the car on display at the R&D center in Yokohama, using it for special events and public relations campaigns.

DISCOVER SBX CARS: The global premium car auction platform powered by Supercar Blondie