Car brands do some strange things in the name of marketing, but this might be one of the sweetest. Back in the early 1990s, Mazda teamed up with German confectionery giant Haribo to create something genuinely unusual: the Mazda 121 Goldy.
Yes, really.
The Mazda 121 Goldy was a unique venture, limited to just 1,000 units and targeted specifically at the German, Austrian, and Swiss markets — yes, the UK missed out on this piece of automotive fun.
The car’s design was inspired by Haribo’s iconic Gold Bears, featuring a striking “golden yellow” paint job and customisation by Hofele Design, known for its work on luxury German cars. The Goldy boasted several distinctive features, including a Momo steering wheel adorned with a Gold Haribo Bear emblem, a rear window shade decorated with colourful gummy bear designs, and custom wheel covers featuring Haribo bear motifs.
And 100 bags of Haribo Gold Bears
accompanied by a large Goldy bear stuffed toy.
The Goldy edition was a soft-top model that allowed drivers to bask in the sun on warm days, with the canvas top — available with a gummy bear print design — able to operate in multiple configurations, allowing for front-to-rear, rear-to-front, and simultaneous openings in both directions.
Under the bonnet, the Goldy was powered by a 1.3-litre four-cylinder petrol engine, producing 72hp. It could reach a top speed of 96mph and accelerate from 0 to 62mph in 11.4 seconds.
Introduced in 1991, the 121 was known as the Autozam Revue in its home market of Japan. Its small and quirky design quickly earned positive reviews and became a hit. The model garnered affectionate nicknames, with one of the most prevalent monikers being the “bubble car”.
While the Mazda 121 Goldy might not be the most renowned model in Mazda’s history, it holds a special place as a testament to creative marketing and cross-industry collaboration.
Today, one of these rare cars is preserved at the Mazda Classic Automobile Museum Frey in Augsburg, Germany. This particular vehicle was donated by a German couple from North Rhine-Westphalia, who had won it in a Haribo lottery.
The Mazda 121 Goldy remains a charming footnote in Mazda’s history, showcasing a sweet intersection of the automotive and confectionery worlds.
He is the founder of Huff Media, publisher of Professional Pickup, Professional Van, Average Janes, Average Joes, and CALIBRE. His work focuses primarily on light commercial vehicles, pickups, and real-world vehicle use, with much of his time spent on manufacturer launches, industry events, and long-term vehicle testing.
This Lego Renault 5 Turbo 3E looks good enough to become a real set