Honda Civic
First Generation (1973-1979)
The first Honda Civic debuted in the fall of 1972, marking Honda's first major foray into the automobile business. Before the Civic, Honda was known around
the world mostly as a builder of well-designed, high quality motorcycles such as the 100cc "Cub", and the famous 1969 Honda 750. The tiny Honda N360 coupe
was introduced in 1967 in several countries, but not in the United States, as it was too small for the U.S. market. When the slightly larger Honda Z600
coupe was introduced in the U.S. in 1971, it sold well enough. However, customers immediately requested something similar, but larger, with front disc
brakes and a more powerful engine to handle the higher speeds found on American highways.
Honda began selling the 1169 cc (70 in³) transversely mounted inline four-cylinder Civic for about US$2,200 (AU$2,804). The car produced roughly 50 hp
(37 kW) and included power front disc brakes, vinyl seating, reclining bucket seats and a woodgrain-accented dashboard. The hatchback version added a
fold-down rear seat, an AM radio and cloth upholstery. Options for the Civic were kept to a minimum, consisting of air conditioning, an automatic t
ransmission, radial tires and a rear wiper for the hatchback. The car could achieve 40 mpg (6 L/100 km) on the highway and with a small 86.6 inch
(220 cm) wheelbase and 139.8 inch (355 cm) overall length the vehicle weighed 1,500 pounds (680 kg). The four-wheel independent suspension and four
speed manual transmission (or two-speed "Hondamatic" automatic).
The Civic's features allowed this "econobox" to out perform American competitors such as the Chevrolet Vega and Ford Pinto, which had been manufactured
to a lower level of quality compared to the Civic to keep their costs down. When the 1973 oil crisis struck, many Americans turned to economy cars.
Reviews of American economy car quality were poor, and getting worse due to spiraling costs for manufacturers. Japanese culture had a long-standing
tradition of demanding high-quality economy cars, and the growing American desire in the 1970's for well-made cars that had good fuel mileage benefitted
the standing of Honda, Toyota, and Datsun in the lucrative U.S. market.
For 1974, the Civic's engine size grew slightly, to 1237 cc and power went up to 52 hp (39 kW). In order to meet the new 5-mph (8 km/h) bumper impact
standard, the Civic's bumpers grew, making its overall length increase to 146.9 inches (373 cm), 7.1 inches (18 cm) more.
