Hatch Heaven

The 1984 Honda Accord had style, per for,acne and power. It had a 1.6 liter engine for the deluxe models and a 1.8 liter for the Executives – both with a 12-valve crossflow that had 3 valves per cylinder giving it greater efficiency, more lively performance and all-around economy. Transmission options included either a 5-speed manual gearbox or a 4-speed fully automatic unit including overdrive, with an advanced direct-drive-lock-up clutch for an extremely smooth drive. Its concealed wipers, an upswept tailgate and an agresive slant nose gave it slippery aerodynamic lines.

The 1983 Honda Accord had a lower front for less wind resistance with its retractable headlights. It had a larger 2-liter engine with revised mounts to absorb vibrations. It had a unique double wishbone suspension system never before used on a front-wheel drive car. Despite its lower roofline, the interior had more headroom and the rear seatbacks split vertically for versatility with 37% more cargo area and had a rigid cargo area cover. The steering wheel adjusts, panel switches worked with a touch and a new front seat offered better support. It even had a quartz digital clock.

The Honda City Turbo II  was produced by Japanese automaker Honda between 1982 and 1986, based on the naturally aspirated Honda City AA. The City Turbo was the brainchild of HirotoshiHonda, son of Honda founder Soichiro Honda as well as founder and owner of Mugen. The City Turbo is one of a very few turbocharged Honda road cars. Hirotoshi took one of Honda’s most unassuming vehicles and successfully turned it into an aggressive street rocket, considered to be well ahead of its time. Impressed, Honda took Hirotoshi’s idea and made a production version, introduced in September 1982. This little rocket had 110PS from its turbocharged and intercooled 1,2 Liter (1,231 cc) Inline-four, 12 valve CVCC-II SOHC engine. (image source: AutoWP and partial text from WikiPedia)

This 1976 Honda Civic, powered by a 1.4 liter inline four engine showcases the variety of options available at the time. Some of which included two kinds of roof racks. One for luggage and one for skis. For the bottom, there were color cordinated side protective molding, decal striping and mag style wheels. And for in-between, air cinditioning, custom FM 8-track or FM cassette stereo players, optional speakers, tachometer instrument grouping, outside sports style mirrors, bumper overriders, everything from rear deck tonneau covers to special gearshift knobs.

1986 Honda City Turbo II with Motocompo. It could not be a more rare combination. Even if you removed the folding 50cc Motocompo scooter, (which was included and fit in the rear hatch) in this original Japanese-spec vehicle you would still have an impossible task ahead of you in trying to find one, in any condition. The Turbo II was the factory “hot rod” model of the Honda City. One of the first (and only) production Honda cars with a turbo-charger. It had a 1300cc Turbocharged 4 cylinder engine and a 5 speed manual transmission.

The concept for the Motocompo scooter was that in crownded cities like Tokyo, where parking is at a premium, one could park as close as possible to work and ride the Motocompo in the rest of the way. The little bike is fully equipped with lights, mirrors and horn. It simply folds up tight in the back of the car. Seat and handlebars pop up…and you are ready to ride! If that’s not rare enough for you, the dash top storage is refrigerated for keeping drinks cold! It is currently for sale at California Car. (source: California Car)

With servo-assisted, ventilated front discs brakes the 1983 Honda Civic S 1.3 could stop you in your tracks when you needed to. From the sharply angled bonnet to the spoiler on the hatchback, this car attracted the most serious of motorists. They noticed the smoked glass sun-roof, the air dam skirt under the grille or the very handsome interior. It was superbly appointed with 3 stage adjustable headrests and fully reclining and two-tone bucket seats. The engine was a 1335cc 4 cylinder OHC transverse with Twin Keihins carbonation producing a maximum horsepower of 70ps at 5,750 RPM. It had a 5-speed transmission, with front hydraulic servo assisted ventilated discs and rear leading/trailing drum. Both front and rear suspension were heavy duty, independent with MacPherson strut and stabilizer.

A 1974 Honda Civic is a rare bird these days, but to see one with what Honda called “Vinyl Roof Decor” is almost unheard of. This vehicle has and assortment of exclusive accessories only available thru a dealership. Two different styles of the Vinyl Roof Decor where available. A full vinyl roof with decorative moving (shown below) or a vinyl halo for a simple rooftop accent. Both were constructed of heavy duty cloth-backed vinyl. It also includes a rear window defroster controlled from the dashboard, Special decal stripping available in black or white, for that racy look, body side moulding made of vinyl mounted on extruded aluminum, a chrome plated luggage rack permanently affixed to the roof and Mag-Style wheels constructed of heat treated aluminum for extra strength. (image source: John Lloyd)

1986 Honda Accord AeroDeck was sold as a three-door hatchback with a flat roof over the rear seats. It was offered only in Japan and Europe where it was known as a shooting-brake. The tailgate is a “gulling” door, which makes loading easier. Retractable headlights further reduce drag giving the Aerodeck an impressive 0.34 Drag Coefficient. It was available in two models, the EXi, which had a 1955 cc engine developing 122PS and the EX at 106PS. The EX had an MSRP of £9.7900 and the EXi at £9,950. You can even take a peek at the AeroDeck TV spot from Japan. (images: Tamerlane’s)

$5,399 got you into the 1985 Honda Civic, complete with front-wheel drive, rack and pinion steering, full carpeting, door glass defrosters, steel-belted radial tires, overtaking headlight flasher, power assisted self-adjusting front disc brakes, trip odometer, torsion bar front suspension, trailing link rear suspension with nitrogen gas filled shock absorbers, front air dam, remote-control outside mirror, a coin box, day/night rearview mirror, reclining front bucket seats with adjustable headrests and opening rear quarter windows, all pushed by a a 1342cc engine.

1982 saw the introduction of the new and improved Honda Accord, which was roomier inside and longer outside. It rode smoother and handled better. With the 5-speed, a gallon of gas got you 30 miles in the city or 41 on the highway. It still had its proven front-wheel drive and transverse-mounted engine.

Honda has been making automobiles since 1962 and designed the Civic in response to the pollution and fast rising costs of operating a car. The 1978 Honda Civic’s CVCC engine cuts exhaust emission levels at the source – in the cylinder and more efficiently burns fuels to boost economy. It was the first car to pass strict 1975 U.S. exhaust emission standards by a wide margin.

The 1986 Honda Civic Si hatchback had a 12-valve, 1.5 liter engine with fuel injection and had 91 hp. It also had sport suspension with front and rear stabilizer bars plus a removable Moonroof.

The Honda Civic GL was a fun little ride, with it’s 1488cc engine. It had front disc brakes and rear drum breaks. It was front wheel drive and a 5-speed transmission. Even back in 1985, it got 35mpg (46 highway).

The all-new 2011 Honda CR-Z sport hybrid coupe, made its U.S. production debut at the 2010 North American International Auto Show in Detroit, and introduces sleek styling and sporty handling to the hybrid segment.

“The CR-Z is a personal sport hybrid coupe for people with a spirit of adventure and an elevated sense of responsibility toward the environment,” said John Mendel, executive vice president of sales for American Honda. “It’s the first hybrid designed to maximize style and fun, in addition to efficiency and economy.”

Set to go on sale late summer in the U.S., the CR-Z is powered by a 1.5-liter i-VTEC engine with Honda’s compact and lightweight Integrated Motor Assist (IMA) hybrid-electric system. The two-passenger CR-Z introduces a new three-mode drive system that allows the driver to select between Sport, Econ (Economy) and Normal driving modes. Read the rest of this story on Cartype.