Mazda's Director of Design is Derek Jenkins, a man who immediately gets my respect because he drives a self-built Myers Manx, grew up working on VW Things, and designed the VW Microbus concept back in 2001. Also, he likes cars that look happy.
I got a chance to sit down and talk with him about cars that don't look like jerks, heritage Mazda designs, and got his opinion on a Miata variant I think we'd all like.
I love hearing car designers talk about what they do, and Derek is a great one to listen to.
Mazda Design Director Derek Jenkins Explains Why Mazdas Are So Happy