Famous for its iconic orange-and-green livery and arguably one of the rowdiest exhaust notes in motorsport history, a legendary rotary-powered racecar caught fire a few days ago at Laguna Seca Raceway.

Motorsport fans watched in horror as footage circulated online showing the iconic race car engulfed in flames inside the Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion paddock.

The car that caught fire in the WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca paddock was the iconic Mazda 767B, clad in its famous orange and green Charge/Renown livery.

While early social media reports speculated that it was the No. 55, 1991 Le Mans-winning 787B or the factory-restored No. 202, 767B-002, the vehicle was actually No. 203 with chassis 767B-003, one of the few modern Mazda prototype racers in private ownership.

Rotary royalty

Only three examples of the 767/767B were ever built. Originally developed to house Mazda's legendary 4-rotor engine and pioneer the Charge/Renown livery, chassis 003 served as a reserve car at the 1988 24 Hours of Le Mans. It formally took to the Circuit de la Sarthe in 1989, securing 12th overall and 3rd in the GTP class with drivers Yojiro Terada, Marc Duez, and Volker Weidler.

Upgraded to 767B specification for 1990, chassis 003 etched its name in racing history when both of Mazda's main 787 entries retired with mechanical issues. As the sole surviving Mazda entry that year, 767B-003 pressed on to finish 20th overall and take 1st place in the GTP class.

Following its retirement, the racecar was sold to a privateer team in Japan, making it a rare non-factory-owned Mazda prototype. After passing through collectors in South Africa and Germany, it crossed the auction block at Amelia Island in 2017, fetching USD 1.75 million or PHP 107,294,250.

Rebuild and race again  

Thankfully, eyewitnesses report that fire crews extinguished the blaze quickly, and no injuries were sustained in the incident. While the extent of the damage remains unconfirmed, current owner Ghost Rider Racing issued an official statement following the fire:

"During yesterday’s Monterey Motorsports Pre-Reunion event, Mazda 767B #203 was involved in a paddock fire. Most importantly, no one was injured, for that, we are deeply grateful. The car is special to every member of our team, and to history. It will not complete the remainder of the Reunion event, but its story is not over. #203 will be restored once more, and sing again."

While it won't return to the track for the rest of Monterey Car Week, rotary enthusiasts around the world can rest easy knowing this piece of Le Mans history will eventually return to howl through the circuit and send shivers down our spines once again.