First Honda Civic
Middle East conflict spurred initial sales.
By Bill Vance
The Honda Civic made small cars really acceptable, and in the process, thrust Honda onto the world’s automobile stage. It was launched in 1973, only 11 years after Honda built its first car. There had been Honda cars before the Civic, but Honda was still better known for motorcycles.
That changed when the front-wheel drive Civic was introduced. In a lucky stroke for Honda, the Civic’s arrival coincided with the first oil crisis of the 1970s.
In October, 1973, on the eve of Yom Kippur, Egypt attacked Israel, which, with U.S. support, emerged victorious. Humiliated, the Arabs struck back by embargoing oil shipments to the West. The price soon quadrupled from about $3 (U.S.) a barrel to $12.
North America, particularly the United States, panicked. There were long, sometimes violent line-ups at gasoline pumps by motorists more concerned about the supply of motor fuel than the price. In was a scenario made to order for a fuel-efficient car.
Although not as small as the BMC Mini, the Civic was still diminutive. Within its 3551 mm (139.8 in.) length, and 1501 mm (59.1 in.) width, it accommodated four passengers and a reasonable amount of luggage.
A wheelbase of only 2200 mm (86.6 in.) made rear legroom snug, and taller passengers’ heads brushed the roof. But with only two aboard, the utilitarian hatchback’s fold-down rear seat carried an enormous 20.7 cubic feet of cargo.
As in the Mini, the Civic’s 1170 cc, overhead cam four sat transversely between the front wheels, although its four-speed manual transmission was on the end of the engine, not in the sump.
Performance was adequate for our driving. The 730 kg (1610 lb) Civic’s 50 horsepower could sprint it to 60 mph (96 km/h) in a respectable 14.1 seconds, and reach 146 km/h (91 mph).
But motorists weren’t really buying Civics for performance, although they did delight in zipping through tiny holes in traffic, parking on the proverbial dime, and shifting the buttery-smooth transmission. They were buying 35 mpg economy.
The Honda Motor Co. was clearly on its way in the four-wheel world. And the Civic would prove that Japanese engineers were a force to be reckoned with.
In the early ’70s when auto emission standards were being established, American automakers complained about being forced to use expensive catalytic converters and other power-robbing devices.
Honda produced a stratified-charge, low-pollution engine with three valves per cylinder. They called it Compound Vortex-Controlled Combustion (CVCC), and when tested by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in 1973, it comfortably met all pollution standards without a converter or other add-on hardware.
With the Civic launched, Honda soon moved up market with the Accord, and is now a fully competitive global automobile manufacturer.
First Honda Civic
Years in Production 26
Engine 1170 cc. 4-cyl.
Horsepower 50
Transmission 4-sp. manual
Brakes f/r drum/drum
Top Speed km/h 146
Cumps
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Edited by: kombota at: 13/4/07 17:14
