I have a ‘92 Miata and have had a soft spot for them since they came out just around the time I turned 16 and I grew up in the ‘80s when pop-ups were the epitome of cool. I know the market for Miatas because I want to get another one as a project car to work on with my teenage sons and have been blown away by how much they are going for these days.
I get what you are saying about evoking the MGs and Triumphs, but I like the second generation (NB) Miatas as they are. They evoke the old roadsters with all the best elements of the driving experience: top down, short wheelbase, very light and tossable, tight cornering, joyfully ripping through the gears. Ford’s influence on the third generation lost the essence a little bit but the newest generation brought it back, once you get past the squinty head lights.
One thing I really like about the NBs is carry a lot of the design language from the drop-dead gorgeous third gen RX-7. Now there is a car with pop-ups... whoa momma!
When you did get a nice day and could run with the top down, it made you treasure it that much more. I had the car when I was stationed at Ft. Riley, KS where it's pretty flat, and driving through rural Kansas on a clear night you could see the stars from horizon to horizon - it was glorious.
The Miata, of course, had all the great features of the MG, plus the mechanical reliability, heat, comfort and safety factors that the MGB didn't. Yes it was nice, but I also found myself taking some of those things for granted, and not appreciating the beautiful days just quite as much as I did in the MG, just for that reason.