The legendary Mazda MX-5 has officially entered the Guinness Book of World Records as the 459 officially recognized vehicles from 16 countries formed the longest continuous MX-5 parade of all time at the grounds of the UNESCO Zollverein World Heritage site in Essen. The previous record had been set in New Zealand with just 249 cars.

“The excitement leading up to this event was amazing,” said Jeff Guyton, President and CEO Mazda Motor Europe. “Over 600 MX-5 owners applied to take part; so many that we didn’t have room for them all because of technical reasons. The event, the parade, the many visitors – Mazda MX-5 showed today why it’s still one of the best-loved sports cars on the planet.”

Cars from 16 countries took part in the world record attempt, whereby the lion’s share of parade participants came from Germany. A group of MX-5 fans from Russia made the longest trip to Essen as well. Everyone celebrated the world record together afterwards on the grounds of the Zollverein World Heritage Site.