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I can understand the resistance to hIGGI, as this particular vehicle has some documented history with some very well-known names in rotary circles.
I would never agree to call it a "pre-production", personally.
It's a straight-up Euro-spec, early (1986) model strictly according to the VIN, period.
I've seen them and touched them with my own hands when I visited hIGGI a few years ago in CZ.
If the vehicle was destined for N.A. (North America) market, the VIN should've followed standard N.A. VIN rules - which it does not.
If you want to argue Mazda had no plans for the N.A. market, then wouldn't it use a Japan VIN standard?
Japan VIN's all start with "FC3S-".
Why stamp the chassis at all with any type of VIN if this is supposedly some prototype?
Or is "prototype" too strong of a word, and this the term "pre-production" is used here?
Why the use of the Euro-spec VIN?
I think Mazda grabbed a Euro-spec model fresh off the factory floor, and some exec thought it would be a good idea to ship it off to the USA.
Now, keep in mind that *ALL* FC's (well, all RX-7's) were built in Hiroshima, Japan.
They ll originated from Japan.
They were not partially built or assembled in their final country's destination.
Just because we call it a "Euro-spec" model, doesn't mean it was built or assembled in Europe.
All of the FC's came from one factory in Japan, period.
It doesn't take much to grab a Euro-spec model and ship it to the USA.
Remember, the first RX-7 was a 1978 model in Japan.
USA never got a 1978 model - it was only released as a 1979 model.
So, you ship a 1978 model from Japan into the USA and call it a "pre-production model"???
I put money the folks in Japan would laugh at you...
It's undeniable that the VIN is straight-up Euro-spec.
The guts are all Euro-spec - was the ECU ever confirmed it was an N32x model?
(I'd question the Turbo II transmission - can anyone take pics of the trans, driveshaft ends, and rear diff front?)
Paint, trim, stickers, plastic pieces can be easily changed or modified after leaving the factory floor.
Was there any black and white documentation of this claim that this FC was a pre-production model?
I don't think I read anything about that.
There's too much hearsay about people's claims.
-Ted
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