Success in design was also evident in the interior, which continued the theme of the first and second-generation cars. 32, the four-door was more aerodynamic than all other US market sedans, bar the Audi 5000 and Mercury Sable. In 1986, this was paydirt, and the looks were functional as well. Styled in-house, the shape was less successful in predicting the future than Ford’s Taurus, but its crisp edges and lean proportions conveyed sportiness in a way no sedan on the market did. The gamble paid off: while the Accord was the seventh best selling car in the US in 1985, it held the number one spot four years later.
With a long wheelbase of 102.4 inches, a radically low cowl, slim pillars and wrap-around rear window, it was a presentation of optimism that completely ignored the postmodern disillusionment of the prior decade and a half. The result was a four-door sedan with a height of 53 inches and the nose of a sports car the 3-door hatchback, now in its final generation, was even lower. For the first time, it was accompanied by an unequal-length control arm set up at the rear (patent here), making the new Accord the first front wheel drive car with control arms locating the wheels at all four corners. With its design fully locked-in well before the NHTSA repealed its ban on composite headlights, Honda chose to ignore the imposed styling limitations by using retractable headlights, as they had done on the Prelude.ĭouble-wishbone front suspension, also seen on the Prelude, both enabled and fulfilled the promises put forth by the lithe sheet metal. The successful third-generation Civic, which followed a year later, brought the same look to one of the company’s biggest sellers, justifying the risk of peddling sportiness in a conservative segment.Īs the best seller in its biggest market, Honda had even more riding on the Accord’s shoulders. That began to change in 1983 when the second generation of the Prelude debuted with low-slung, wedge shaped styling. But despite a reputation for a satisfying driving experience, sex appeal was never a part of the equation. The new Accord was therefore the product of a very smart as well as bold company.Ī smaller player in Japan than its domestic rivals, Honda made a name for itself in the US by selling cars which combined shrewd engineering and high quality with good value. The success of cars like the Celica and GTI exploited this gap to good effect, and Honda sought to apply a similar philosophy toward its own product design.
While the high end of the market was full of rationally conceived cars designed with some extra flair, low to middle priced offerings of the day were often coldly utilitarian or crude and gimmicky.
Occurring at the height of the decade’s zeitgeist, the launch of the third generation of Honda’s biggest US market seller occurred at the best possible time. An early production hatchback or sedan would be closer to the designers’ original intent, but the difficulty in finding any after multiple attempts to do so highlights the rarity of these nearly thirty-year-old cars in states where salt is used. The late production coupe pictured here is a well-loved example, as evidenced by the OEM replacement exhaust and fresh attempts to halt the spread of rust. Honda, however, managed to cook up a new Accord for 1986 that appealed to sobered-up flower children and cut-throat yuppies alike. It usually takes a few years for car design to catch up with buyers’ expectations, making product planning more difficult than in other industries. (first posted ) The 1980s are not remembered as a time of subtlety, and after nearly fifteen years characterized by social consciousness and morality, overindulgence was back in.