Mazda 323 Mk2 and Mazda Midge South Africa!

Well now, partner—let me tell ya ‘bout ol’ Fattern’s Mazda 323. That little green wagon had a short but memorable life in our family. He only owned it from 1992 to 1995, and though that wasn’t long, it sure left a mark.

The Mazda Midge Legacy

Down in South Africa, the 323 kept rollin’ off the line as the Mazda Midge all the way to 2003. It’s a tough little car that carried its weight for years, even if it got a bad rap for rustin’ out on the back end.

The Family Wagon

I remember that Mazda best from our camping trip to Blefjell in the fall of ’92. Fattern loaded it up with me, my brother, my sister, a tent, and enough gear to survive a week in the wilderness. The car was small, sure, but it had a big heart—got us up the mountain without a hitch. Fattern joked the road might just stop before we made it, but that Mazda held strong.

It wasn’t just for adventures, though. That car was brutter’s favorite ride to football practice and games. He seemed to love it more than the old Ford we used to have.

A Short Life, Cut Too Soon

In the summer of ’95, tragedy struck. The poor Mazda got crushed in an accident, and that was the end of it. Fattern had bought it gently used from a Ford dealer in Asker—looked like it had belonged to some old retiree who barely drove it. The car was practically new when we got it, and if it hadn’t been smashed up so bad, I reckon it could’ve lasted a good while longer.

Still, Mazdas like ours weren’t immune to rust or bad luck. I remember seein’ a bunch of ‘em later in the 90s, all dented and beat-up—didn’t seem fair for such a good drivin’ car. Folks said it handled better than a Volvo 240 or a Ford Sierra, which were all over the place back then.

Mazda in the Spotlight

Now, here’s a wild twist: a newer version of the 323 made it onto TV. In the final season of Asylet on NRK1 in 1997, one of these Mazdas starred in a car chase that ended in a serious crash. The car flipped onto its roof, and a teenage boy ended up in a coma for the rest of the season. Watchin’ that as a little kid left quite an impression on me.

Poor Mazda 323—seems like that car just couldn’t catch a break, whether on screen or in real life."

How’s that for a tale of a hardworking little car that gave its all?

(This is how you can pimp a Mazda 323, like in the Asylet series)


(Mazda 323, as it looks like the 2003 model in South Africa)


(This is what my dad's Mazda looked like, except it was green and not gray)

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