This 1978 Mazda 808 coupe was converted to an IMSA-style race car by Arabian Motorsports, Inc. of Dhahran, Saudi Arabia, and was donated to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Foundation in 1987. The car was subsequently incorporated into the IMS Museum collection, where it spent the past decade in their climate-controlled storage facility. Power comes from a 1.6-liter inline-four paired with a four-speed manual transmission, and the car is finished in white with a period livery over a stripped interior. Features include a custom front air dam, a full roll cage, a single racing seat, and a cowl-mounted electrical cutoff switch. This 808 race car is now offered at no reserve by the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Foundation in Indiana with a bill of sale.
Largely identical to the contemporary RX-3, the four-cylinder 808 was offered as a coupe, sedan, and wagon from 1971 to 1978. This example is finished in white with blue, red, and gold stripes as well as a period livery. Features include Lexan windows, a custom front air dam, and a cowl-mounted electrical cutoff switch. Body damage on the right roof and fender can be seen up close in the gallery.
Blue-painted wheels feature polished lips and are mounted with older 22.0–7.0–13 Goodyear raised-letter Blue Streak Sports Car Special tires.
The stripped interior features a full roll cage, a single racing seat trimmed in black and red upholstery, and a Luke Racing Systems harness. Equipment includes a fire extinguisher, a map light, a window net, and a battery box mounted on the passenger floorboard.
The leather-wrapped Formuling steering wheel fronts a custom dash panel with a 10k-rpm tachometer, toggle switches, and Stewart Warner gauges for oil pressure, water temperature, oil temperature, and fuel pressure. A Suntune gauge pod is mounted below the dash. Total mileage is unknown.
A plaque highlighting the donation of the car in honor of King Fahd ibn Abdulaziz is mounted on the roll cage.
The 1.6-liter OHC inline-four is paired with a four-speed manual transmission.
Additional underside photos are presented in the gallery below.
Located inside the famed 2.5-mile Indianapolis Motor Speedway oval, the IMS Museum is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization that relies on the support of visitors, members, donors, and corporate partners to make possible their daily operations, exhibits, restoration and preservation initiatives, and educational programming. To learn more about the IMS Museum and the many ways you can show support, including their “Adopt-a-Car” program, please click here.
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