An 80-year-old woman loses her driver's license and donates her classic car: "The requests kept multiplying"

A Japanese woman celebrated her 80th birthday in an unusual way. She donated her manual Mazda RX-7, a vehicle that had been part of her life for 25 years. The decision coincided with turning in her driver’s license, bringing her time behind the wheel to a close.

Over more than two decades, she drove nearly 48,000 miles across Japan, making the RX-7 a constant companion. The vehicle had replaced a Corona Coupé and became part of her everyday and personal life.

When she turned 80, she decided to find a new home for the car and turned to Facebook to offer it. The response was immediate, with a wave of messages from interested buyers and enthusiasts. The attention soon caught the interest of Mazda Motor Corporation as well as local media outlets.

A new home for a very special car

The woman explained that her wish was for the RX-7 to go to someone who would truly appreciate and care for it. In the end, Mazda itself offered to take responsibility for the vehicle and preserve it. The company’s CEO, Masahiro Moro, presented her with flowers, the car’s original license plate, and several design sketches of the model as a gesture of gratitude.

Today, the car is displayed at Mazda’s Research and Development Center in Yokohama, where it is used for special events and public relations activities. The company stated that the RX-7 will be preserved along with the personal story of its owner.

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