Not many people can say they bought their first car before they could drive, but Stefen Neuteboom did just that back in 2009. Inheriting a hand-me-down car from a relative might be the norm but the Dutch car salesman was certain that his first drive was going to be a Mazda – and a classic one at that.

“I was just 16 and working at my local Mazda dealership when I heard an owner of an ultra-rare Mazda 818 was thinking of selling. He had bought the 818 in 1973, but had left it standing for more than a decade when I first went to see it. Amazingly, the engine fired up instantly and I knew I had to have it. Since then I have cleaned the engine and repainted the body. It’s now perfect and almost too good for the road. It’s even on display at the Mazda dealer I work for.

“Will I ever sell it? It’s tempting with all the new Mazdas I get to drive, but my car is almost irreplaceable, there are only 10 Mazda 818s left in the Netherlands.”