"After a long list of troubles with so-called modern cars (Alfa 156, MkIV Golf GT TDI PD) I wanted to get back to a reliable car, something with down-to-Earth maintenance costs, something to enjoy year in year out. "

"I looked at modern cars again and couldn't find something that pleased me completely. Either they were too expensive or plain ugly. Then, in a corner of my mind I thought about the MX5. Being a long standing fan of the original Lotus Elan, I loved the little Mazda as soon as it came on the market back in 1989. However, back then I couldn't afford one and afterwards, family reasons prevented me from getting one. "

"It was about the right time to indulge myself and get one. Living in Belgium may mean cheap beers but when it comes to MX5s, it's a different story. We Belgians are not convertible addicts and there aren't that many MX5s for sale here. I found a few, yes, but they were all red and with stratospheric mileage going for silly money. Soon I decided to get one in a 'special' colour, either yellow or metallic blue and source it in the UK. RHD is not a problem for me so this seemed the perfect solution: many cars to choose from and a wide range of prices."

"Where should I look for a 'proper' one? That was in November 2002. As everybody does, I looked up the classifieds. Yes, there were plenty of cars, some cheap some expensive but I wanted complete peace of mind so buying from a back street dealer making a monkey selling a freshly imported grade 1 Eunos with a forged or dodgy history definitely wasn't what I wanted"

"Being a motoring writer, I talked about it with some colleagues, in particular with Chris Rees, the editor of 'Car Buyer'?. Chris is highly knowledgeable in grey imports matters. He sent me to Dandycars as a reliable source for a Eunos Roadster. I phoned up some other friends in the UK, they put me in touch with 2 other Eunos owners that recommended David from Dandycars as a serious and honest car dealer too. "

"I surfed the Internet, checked up the clubs links and Dandycars was in there. I visited some other dealers web sites as well but I must say none seemed to have cars as good looking as David's. The next step was going to the UK and see some cars. I visited some 'grey' dealers. They all had Eunoses but none that I would touch even with a barge pole!"

"Back in December 2002, I eventually had the opportunity to go to North London and visit David's Eunos heaven. The first contact sealed it for me. This was no classy show-room with comfy leather seats I would have to pay for!"
"David was very friendly and gave me the key of one of his cars straightaway without asking questions. I went for a test drive with a friend and there and then, I was hooked. I had to have a Eunos Roadster and I would buy it from David. I was really impressed because David's cars were all looking very good, the pictures on the website look good, true, but in the metal they're even better! When you think some of them are now 10 year old or so, that's a tribute to Mazda's know-how and craftsmanship. The car I tested was yellow but I thought the BBS wheels didn't suit it too well, I wanted something more 'retro' looking. "

"Soon afterwards, David put some pictures of a yellow 'J limited' roadster that was on its way from Japan. I had to have it. That was about New Years time. I kept in touch with David and asked him to reserve that car for me till I could check it and make up my mind on whether I would buy that one or another. The car eventually arrived at David's premises late in January 2003. Then, it had to be SVA tested. David was going on holiday so when I finally saw the car in the metal it was the end of February. "

"Again, I was really impressed: it was really nice and even better than in the pictures! By then, I was nearly expecting it, having seen David's other cars I tested it, hood down, of course, and didn't change my mind, I had to have that yellow one."

"Sorting out legal aspects, export matters and everything took another couple of weeks and I took delivery of it mid-March 2003. David had it valeted for me, he always did what he had said he would do, everything was ready and handled in a very professional way. "

"Driving it back to Belgium was a real treat as the sun was shining. I couldn't resist it and drove all the way with the hood down! Back home, my wife was impressed too. At first, she thought I was a bit silly to fancy a convertible, what is more with the steering on the 'wrong side' but when she came with me for a ride, she liked it too. And the best bit was my 3 year old son Paul-Edouard saying 'Miata yellow' as soon as he saw it. He instantly jumped in the car and kept on saying 'this is mine!"

"The buying process took about 4 months, between the first contact and the delivery of the car. Every time I phoned up Dandycars or I visited them, David and his team were friendly and always helpful. There never was any pressure at all, we only talked about money in the end. There were no hidden charges, no 'small print' that turned out to be costly. David's cars sell themselves: they're all really nice and after having seen some wrecks elsewhere, I was feeling lucky to buy one from David. True, many Eunos' are cheaper in the classifieds but come with no warranty, no history, no RAC inspection. Living abroad, I wanted complete peace of mind and David delivered it completely. "

"As a conclusion, I'd say that if you want a really good Eunos Roadster and buy it in total confidence, David from Dandycars is the only one to talk to."

Taken directly from an email by Dimitri Urbain