ZZ25048 Tom Matano designer of MX5 dies. V01 230925

 

Auto Drive

23 September 2025

Tom Matano, the Japanese-born designer who made the Mazda MX-5 Miata a reality, passed away on September 20, 2025, in San Francisco at the age of 76. News of his death first surfaced on social media before the Miata Reunion—an event he had long supported—confirmed it with the hospital.

Matano’s career stretched across continents and marques, with spells at General Motors, Holden, BMW and ultimately Mazda. In 1983, he was put in charge of Mazda’s first U.S. design studio, where he shepherded the Miata from concept sketch to production car and also oversaw the third-generation RX-7. His work cemented Mazda’s reputation as a builder of proper sports cars throughout the 1980s and 1990s.

But Matano’s legacy went well beyond boardrooms and clay models. He became deeply woven into the Miata community itself, a familiar face at owner meets and track days, often signing cars with his trademark message: “Always Inspired.” He kept close ties with enthusiasts, supporting racers and attending reunions long after leaving Mazda.

 

In 2002, Matano stepped away from the company and took up a post at San Francisco’s Academy of Art University as executive director of the School of Industrial Design, where he trained a new wave of designers until his retirement earlier this year.

Born in Nagasaki in 1947 as Tsutomo “Tom” Matano, he earned an engineering degree at Seikei University in Tokyo in 1969, before moving to the U.S. the following year to study at Pasadena’s Art Center College of Design. After graduation he joined General Motors, working first at Oldsmobile and later at Holden in Australia. From there he headed to Germany, contributing to the early design work that led to the E36 BMW 3 Series.

Reflecting on that period, he once said: “At BMW, you end up spending decades working on one model,” noting that he wanted broader horizons. After just a year in Munich he returned to California to become chief designer at Mazda’s Irvine studio. It was around this time that journalist-turned-planner Bob Hall was pitching Mazda on the idea of a lightweight roadster inspired by classics like the Lotus Elan and Alfa Spider. Backed by rotary guru-turned-president Kenichi Yamamoto, the idea gained traction.

 

Mazda staged an international design competition for the car, and in 1986 Matano sketched out a roadmap to guide it across multiple generations. “I wrote the three-generation story, as if somebody 20 years later bought A Collector’s Guide to [the] Miata,” he explained. His vision ensured the car would endure rather than be treated as a one-off.

The RX-7 followed a similar process. Wu-Huang Chin penned the winning design, but Matano shaped the philosophy behind it. “My personal wish or goal was to make it a timeless design,” he said.

His success with both cars saw him rise through Mazda’s ranks, overseeing R&D in North America and later all of the brand’s global design studios. He was also a fixture at major events like Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance, where he served as a guest judge.

 

Even after moving on, Matano stayed close to Mazda projects, collaborating on stories about the RX-7 and the 1996 Miata M Coupe concept. He remained approachable and present in the Miata scene, with owners often recalling how he always made time for a chat.

At home, his garage reflected his passions: an FD RX-7 and a 1996 Miata “M” Edition, both driven regularly around the Bay Area. More than a million Miatas on the road, the still-gorgeous FD RX-7, generations of students he mentored, and the countless enthusiasts he touched—those remain the measure of Tom Matano’s influence.