From Behind the Lens to Behind the Wheel: The Story of My Autozam AZ-1
If you’ve ever dreamed of owning something rare, quirky, and guaranteed to draw a crowd at every gas station, let me introduce you to the newest toy in my garage: a 1992 Autozam AZ-1. Born from Japan’s golden age of kei cars, this bite-sized sports coupe combines lightweight engineering, a mid-engine layout, and gullwing doors — all in a package shorter than a first-gen Miata.
The AZ-1 was designed by Mazda under the Autozam brand and sold through Suzuki dealerships, blending Mazda's fun-first design philosophy with Suzuki's kei-class engine know-how. Under the hood — well, technically behind the seats — is a 657cc turbocharged 3-cylinder engine making 64 horsepower and 64 lb-ft of torque. Power goes to the rear wheels through a 5-speed manual, and while it’s not built for straight-line speed, the car’s 1,587-pound curb weight means it feels more like a street-legal go-kart than a commuter.
With a wheelbase just 88 inches long and a roofline that barely clears your waist (it stands at 45.3 inches tall), the AZ-1 is comically small, yet surprisingly capable. The driving experience is raw and engaging, and the gullwing doors? Pure theater every time you get in or out.
Fewer than 4,400 AZ-1s were ever made, and only a handful have made their way stateside under the 25-year import rule. It’s the kind of car that makes you smile every time you drive it — or even just see it in the driveway.
How I Ended Up with My Dream AZ-1
My journey with the Autozam AZ-1 didn’t start with ownership — it started with a camera.
Back in 2015, I had the chance to photograph one for a friend of mine, Neal Heffron, at the Larz Anderson Auto Museum in Brookline, MA. Neal graciously let me sit in it — and that was it. I looked at him and said, half-joking but dead serious: “If you ever sell this car, I want first dibs.” He just smiled and said, “I’m never selling it.”
Well… fast forward ten years, and now that very same car sits in my garage, grinning back at me every time I open the door. Some mornings it still doesn’t feel real — I almost expect it to vanish and be replaced by my wife’s daily driver like the months before I bought it. But then I blink, and it’s still there. My AZ-1. Mine.
After that first encounter, my fascination only grew. I began photographing the annual Bubbledrome event, organized by Charles Gould — a wonderfully quirky gathering of micro and mini car enthusiasts who take over the roads of central Massachusetts. I had the opportunity to drive Charles’s AZ-1 in two of those events, and the itch became unbearable. The handling, the joy, the reactions — it was all addictive. But at the time, I wasn’t in a place financially to justify spending $20K on what, realistically, is a toy. Still, the seed was planted. (Photos are from this year’s event, as I finally got to have a car be a part of this)
Then in 2018, I made my first pilgrimage to Monterey for Pebble Beach. John Mims let me stay at his place — and casually tossed me the keys to his modified AZ-1 for the week. That week changed everything. Driving the car along the coast, the attention it drew was unreal. I’ll never forget a guy in a McLaren Senna GTR getting out of his car in traffic just to snap a photo of the AZ-1 with the ocean behind it. It was wild. I met so many amazing people, and it was entirely because of that little car.
MotorTrend even stopped by the house I was staying at, as it happened to be sitting in the driveway next to John Mims’ other car, the DeLorean, and they asked if they could feature it in their JDM booth at the entrance to Pebble Beach. I thought John would’ve loved that, so I said yes — and drove the DeLorean for the week instead.
And then came one of those funny twists of fate. I had a microcar book (The Big Book of Tiny Cars by Russell Hayes) on my desk for months — a gift I picked up for Charles Gould. One day, I finally started flipping through it, and near the back, I spotted a photo I’d taken years ago of Neal’s AZ-1 at Larz Anderson. For a split second, I was irritated — no one had asked to use it. But when I checked the credits, there was my name... and next to it: (Alamy.com). Turns out, I’d uploaded that image to a stock photo site back in 2015. It sold for $50 and I made $5.
Three weeks later, Neal reached out. He was ready to sell the car.
Let’s just say… I’m no longer mad about that $5. My AZ-1 is in a book — and now it’s also in my garage. Full circle.
I made a special stop at Grenon's of Newport to pick up something that felt just as unique as the car itself—a watch to match. I’ve always believed the little details matter, and for the AZ-1, that meant finding the perfect accessory. I ended up acquiring a red and black Behrens Starship II, a bold and futuristic timepiece that echoes the spirit of the car in both design and personality. It wasn’t just about the look—it was about carrying the energy of the AZ-1 with me, right on my wrist.
Behrens Starship II
From Virtual to Reality — And Becoming a Daily Driver
Before I ever owned the AZ-1, I was driving it in Forza Horizon 5. Yep — the car is in the game. You could snag it in the auction house if you had the credits or pick it up through a weekly event. I’m one of those weirdos who doesn’t just race in Forza — I play it for the photo mode. I’d cruise around the virtual world just lining up shots.
One day, I parked the AZ-1 next to a massive earth-moving dump truck in-game, snapped a photo, and thought: How amazing would this be in real life? And then it hit me — I actually knew the perfect place.
When I used to live in Lunenburg, Massachusetts, I was just down the road from Keatings Construction. Every now and then, one of those giant dump trucks would cross the street in front of me, and the scale was just mind-blowing. I reached out to some of the workers there and arranged to swing by on a quiet day when the site was dormant. They were incredibly kind and welcoming — and let me have a blast photographing the AZ-1 next to the heavy machinery.
The photos? Exactly what I envisioned — maybe even better. The AZ-1 looked like a Matchbox car next to those machines. It was a perfect example of how tiny this car really is.
And here’s the kicker: I don’t just take this car out for special occasions. It’s gone from museum piece to daily driver.
My poor Subaru Crosstrek has a layer of dust on it. I’ve put nearly 3,000 miles on the AZ-1 since May. Grocery store runs, meetups, random backroad drives — it’s just too fun not to drive.
Of course, with old cars — especially imported kei cars — the honeymoon doesn’t come without a few hiccups. About a week or two into ownership, the head gasket blew. That was a rough day. I had it towed up to Bayberry Vintage Auto in Hampton, NH, by the one and only Ted Yerardi with Yerardi Transportation. The shop is run by my good friend Jim Dunaway, and I knew it wouldn’t be stuck there collecting dust like I’ve experienced with other shops.
Jim had one of his master techs, Dan Harriman, jump on the project. Since we had the motor out anyway, we decided to go all in and fully rebuild the engine. We waited on some parts from Japan, but the whole process — start to finish — took less than four weeks, which is basically lightning speed for a car this rare.
A massive shoutout to Raymond Moy from AnythingWheeled.com. He’s an absolute legend when it comes to these cars — the AZ-1 guru — and lucky for me, he lives right in Cambridge, MA. He had most of the needed parts in stock and was able to source the rest through Japanese auction sites.
I even got hands-on with the project. I went up to the shop and tore down the engine with Dan, learning a ton along the way as he patiently walked me through the process. It was one of those unexpected bonding moments with the car — the kind that makes you appreciate every weird noise and vibration even more.
Now? I drive it with peace of mind. The engine’s fresh, the car’s happy, and I still catch myself smiling every time I see it parked — or realize I just ran an errand in something most people have never seen before.
Detailing Perfection Before the Show
Before the AZ-1 made its big debut at the Misselwood Concours, I wanted to make sure it looked its absolute best — and that meant turning it over to someone I trust completely: Toby Mushrush of Waxing Poetic in Leominster, Massachusetts.
Toby did a full, meticulous detail and topped it off with a ceramic coating that made the paint pop like never before. Every curve, panel line, and reflection on that tiny car was brought to life. His work gave the AZ-1 the finish it deserved — not just clean, but concours-ready.
When it rolled onto the show lawn, it wasn’t just mechanically fresh — it looked like a brand-new time capsule from 1992. Huge thanks to Toby for helping bring the AZ-1 to its peak, just in time for one of the most important moments in its story so far.
Full Circle at Misselwood: A Dream Realized
My most recent chapter with the AZ-1 might be the most meaningful of all.
Back in 2014, I attended my very first Concours d’Elegance — the Misselwood Concours in Beverly, Massachusetts. I was blown away by the level of cars on display. Each one had a story, a soul, and a presence. I was instantly hooked. At the end of that day, I shared a few of my photos with Darren Stewart, the host of the show. The following year, in 2015, he brought me on as the official event photographer, a role I’ve proudly held ever since.
Fast forward to this year: I finally had a car of my own to enter — my little 1992 Autozam AZ-1. To have Misselwood as the very first show it appeared in just felt right. It was surreal, honestly. I wasn’t expecting to win anything; I was just excited to finally be on the other side of the lens, to be a participant instead of the guy always capturing the magic.
As a photographer, I tried to place the AZ-1 in spots that would give others the best angles — I wanted to see how they’d shoot it, how they’d tell its story. But I quickly learned that owning a strange, tiny car at a show like this — while also trying to work the event — made for an interesting juggling act. People constantly stopped me throughout the day, asking what that thing was. Even when I was across the lawn, trying to photograph other cars.
Toward the end of the day, I strolled back over to my car to see if it had won anything. No ribbon. No big deal — again, just being there was enough. But as I was walking away, someone called after me: “You won a special award — you need to bring your car to the lineup.”
Still not knowing what award it was, I parked in the queue. As I was photographing the other winners, someone tapped me on the shoulder and said it was my turn. I hopped in the AZ-1 — and as luck would have it, Darren Stewart came walking by. I waved him over and said, “Get in.” We laughed and rode up together, just soaking it all in.
Then we turned the bend — and I saw Dean Cusano standing at the podium.
And that’s when it hit me. I started to tear up.
I had won the Dream Show Award — It speaks to the soul of the hobby. It’s about passionate owners who genuinely love their cars — not just those spending huge amounts of money for flawless restoration, but people who truly connect with their vehicles and the stories behind them. It’s as much about the bond between the owner and the machine as it is about the car itself. The man who gave me a chance to be part of this world was sitting beside me. The man who helped shape The Dream Ride event into something special was waiting to greet me. And the car that brought me so much joy was the one carrying me there.
The three of us — Darren, Dean, and myself — were all choked up. It was one of those rare, unforgettable moments when everything just… clicks.
My wife was there too, and she captured it all on video. I wish she could’ve been in the car with me, but she’d thrown out her back the night before — and let’s be honest, climbing into an AZ-1’s bucket seat is no easy task. Still, having her there to witness it meant everything.
They say everything comes full circle when you lead with passion and give it your all.
This little car was once a dream — now it’s part of my story, and I’m so grateful for every moment of it.
