In 1985 a group of forward-thinking individuals at Mazda came up with the idea of designing a reasonably priced two-seater sports car to replace the declining British versions which had been popular for so long.

They put together their ideas to create a car with the ethos that it would be fun to drive and affordable. They approached the company’s board with their plan and within four years they would see it come to fruition at the Chicago Motor Show in the shape of the MX-5.

It was an instant hit and sold 14,925 worldwide. By 1994 the 1.8i engine was installed and it went on to sell 580,000 across the world.

Then in 1998 came the mk2, which saw a number of changes. The flip-up headlights were outlawed because of public safety concerns and the re-shaped and equipped second generation sold a total of 700,000 cars before it was replaced by the mk3 in 2006.

Despite being thought of as a little heavy by purists, the mk3 was actually just 10 kilos heavier than its predecessor. It would see new innovations to design and handling features with the petrol tank and battery moved to keep the 50-50 weight distribution which made the MX-5 so popular in the past. This car went on to sell 47,271 in the UK as part of the 953,261 global sales.

Knowing about the dangers of standing still, unlike the British manufacturers of the past, Mazda has continued to keep ahead of the game with its new MX-5 incarnation.

And to do this they have returned to the car which made that bold statement 30 years ago. In the fourth generation MX-5, they have encapsulated not only the ethos, but the drive and all the fun of the iconic original as well as making it affordable.

Mazda have completely rebuilt and redesigned the car from the ground up. The lightest since the original, and 100kg lighter than the mk3, it is also shorter, lower and wider than the outgoing car and has the lowest centre of gravity yet.

The result is a stocky, broad-shouldered, yet elegant roadster with clean-cut looks and a delightfully menacing snarl beneath a long, sweeping bonnet.

I was fortunately able to drive it through the challenging countryside of the Scottish Highlands, where the balance, pinpoint steering and performance of this terrific little car were tested to the full in this constantly changing terrain.

There are nine models which give a choice of a 1.5-litre 121PS four-petrol or a 160PS 2-litre engines. There is little difference between the two, but it is easily noticeable when you put your foot down.

The electric steering gives great feedback and gives a feeling of being securely planted on the road even while being pushed hard.

A fabric, manual roof is simple and can be dropped or raised one-handed and being manual also keeps the overall weight down.

I could go on for ages about the suspension, safety and braking features or the sat-nav and entertainment system which Mazda has painstakingly developed so well over the years, but for those who need to know the full ins and outs, those things are easily accessed at the Mazda website.

All you really need to know is, this truly delightful car delivers and it does so in spades. As in that first MX-5 in 1985 it is all about the pure enjoyment and fun of driving at an affordable price.

And, while those who are 6ft and beyond will struggle a little with a lack of legroom, at 5ft 6in, it fits me – or I fit it, just perfectly.

Mazda MX-5

Price: From £18,495 to £23,295

Engine: 1.5litre 131PS and 2-litre 160PS

Transmission: Manual

0-62 mph: 1.5 in 8.3 seconds, 2.0 in 7.3 seconds.

Fuel economy: 1.5, combined 47.1 mpg; 2.0, combined 40.9 mpg.

For more about the MX-5 and other Mazda vehicles go to www.mazda.co.uk