Mitsuoka Roadster launches in the UK – looks like a Jaguar XK120, is actually a Mazda MX-5

Mitsuoka Roadster (pictured) launches in the UK

The Mitsuoka Roadster, a retro-looking sports car from Japan that looks like a cross between a Jaguar and Morgan, launches in the UK in June 2015.

Mitsuoka is not a car company many outside Japan have heard of, but that looks set to change with the launch in the UK of the Mitsuoka Roadster later this month.

We first reported on the Mitsuoka Himoko Roadster back in 2008 and, as it’s very much a homage to classic British sports cars, nothing much has changed in the meantime except for the fact you will now be able to buy one in the UK, although at £53,800 it’s not exactly bargain basement.

For your £53k you will get a Mazda MX-5 – including its very quick folding roof – that’s been clothed by Mitsuoka to look like a Jaguar XK120 (with a few influences from Morgan too), and comes complete with the modern touches that make it a very usable everyday car.

That means leather, climate, ABS, EBD, DSC and either a six-speed manual or six-speed auto ‘box. It may look like a 1950s British sports car, but it’ll drive pretty much like a Mazda MX-5. Which is no bad thing.

The Mitsuoka Roadster is being offered by T W White and Sons, a Mazda dealer based in Surrey, who are going to display it in a number of their showrooms. Jen White, White’s project manager for the Mitsuoka, said:

The UK represents one of the largest classic car markets in the World. The unique design of the Mitsuoka Roadster draws inspiration from the classic Roadster heritage and combines this traditional styling with the latest state of the art technology.

At £53,800 – and an extra £620 for posh paint – the Mitsuoka isn’t cheap, but if the retro styling and modern underpinnings float your boat, T W White & Sons can certainly help you spend your money.