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The Maestro of Miatas By Peter Manfredi Now, he’s taken a new approach with this vehicle, known as the
Miata Italia. Simpson chose the name to give credit where credit was due (Mazda), and to
emphasize the Italian impact on his own design themes over the past 25 years. And, although the 42-year-old Simpson has no formal training in design, his work has been recognized and respected. "Pete Brock once told me he would sponsor me to the Pasadena Design Center," says Jim, "If I ever wanted to go. But Pete said, ‘I don’t know why you’d want to, because you’re already doing what the guys who go there are dreaming about.’"
Based in the Houston suburb of The Woodlands for many years, Jim has now moved the whole operation to Langley, Washington, which is on Whidbey Island in Puget Sound, 40 miles north of Seattle. And while California might offer Simpson more automotive contacts, he made the move for love. "I lived in Washington at one other point in my life, and I fell in love with the area." And, yes, Simpson’s fascination with the little Miata sports
car continues, and -- seriously – the car is a wonderful starting point. It offers
unsurpassed reliability, championship handling, relatively good performance and great
economy from its current 128 horsepower, 1.8-liter engine. While the basic Miata is lovely (The fact that over 400,000 have been produced confirms this.), there are many individualists out there who want something different. And, yes, while there are spoilers, ground effects, wheel variations and startling paint schemes, they can’t really disguise the fact that it is still a Miata. So Jim Simpson, caught in the grips of an appreciation for things
from the ‘60s, developed the Miata Italia. The Italia crosses many boundaries. The would-be exotic car owner has a stylish car he can depend on, with solid good looks that earn him a thumbs-up sign from all the other dreamers out on the freeway. But more than the in-car enjoyment, there are many of us who actually want to create something unique on our own. The Italia fits this need as well. The Italia is offered in three forms – basic conversion, total
package and turnkey. The total package – including all the panels, hardware, lights and structural epoxy you need to finish the job yourself – will run you about $5,450. The assembly process is very straight forward. The hood, front
enders, headlamp assemblies, taillights and rear plastic filler panel, front and rear
bumper covers – along with their plastic reinforcements – are removed from the
Miata. As an aid, Jim provides each kit buyer with an assembly manual. "I think it’s one I can be proud of," he says. Oh, and he also provides his own personal touch. "If anyone has a question, I’m only a telephone call away. I’m perfectly willing to take as much time as necessary to walk them through a problem." The new hood installs on the original factory hinges, and latches
onto the factory latch without relocating the units. Removal of the fuel door and antenna
allows the one-piece rear body to be bonded in place. The first few Mazda Miatas were produced in 1989 as ’90 model automobiles, and they came with a 116 horsepower 1,600cc engines. That was bumped up to 1,800cc’s in ’94. But Simpson is adamant about several things. First, all the engines are very dependable, and because a car has high mileage, that’s not a reason for eliminating it as a possible donor vehicle. He also says that the bottom line price on a Miata is about $4,500 for a car that has not been wrecked, and the prices go up from there! However, if you’d like to have a Miata Italia of your own – without getting your hands dirty – you can either drive or ship your Miata to Simpson and he’ll transform the car for you. That conversion will cost you $8,800. For that sum, you get the panels all installed and painted with a high quality PPG paint, but for that price you don’t get road wheels. For the specifics, though, we suggest you speak with Jim directly. Brainstorm Products, in Georgia, is also working with Simpson as a distributor. Simpson Design & Development
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Back in 1992, Jim actually designed a car, called the
Blue Ray III, for the Italian automotive accessory company, Nardi. That steel-bodied car
was the key display at the Concours Italiana during the Pebble Beach weekend when Nardi
celebrated its 60th anniversary. 
Modestly, Simpson says, "I’ve been told
I have a reasonable flair for design." 
But those are merely overall exclamation points! The car is a nice
place to be. Like a pair of old jeans, the interior is comfortable. While sitting in the
driver’s seat, you can reach out and touch the opposite door, so you feel completely
"attached" to the car when you start zipping through the switch-backs, and the
frequent use of the five-speed transmission keeps your right arm well toned. 
Over the years, you see,
he had done a large number of high quality restorations on exotic European automobiles,
and that was his focus. However, he knew all the problems that go arm-in-arm with owning
an exotic. He didn’t want the hassles of high initial expense, and the ongoing cost
of keeping a thoroughbred running smoothly. 
The basic conversion is designed for the
do-it-yourselfer who has a keen eye for keeping things within his budget. It includes only
the four main body panels for about $3,800. If you want the stylish lights and
accessories, they’ll cost you extra. 
A small portion of the Miata’s outer core support,
along with the inner fender apron in the front, is trimmed away to allow for headlamp
clearance. Finally, the one-piece front body panel can be bolted in place using the
Miata’s original fastening points, and most of the Miata’s hardware (along with
hardware supplied by Simpson Design & Development). 
Alignment is regulated by the trunk lock and license bolts. The
simple bending of the lower lip of the trunk lid allows the rear spoiler to be epoxied in
place, and this completes the rear body transformation. A little filler around the
feathered edges of the rear body panels and the character lines on the two doors finishes
up the required bodywork prior to preparation for paint. 
