www.edmunds.com/insideline/do/Features/articleId=46009
It was our country's bicentennial, Jimmy Carter was elected president, "Rocky" was the big movie that year and Romanian gymnast Nadia Comaneci attained the first-ever perfect scores in Olympic gymnastics. Joining the successful but diminutive Civic, the larger Accord was a smash success right away. Having felt the sting of an oil crisis a few years prior and realizing that, indeed, fossil fuel is a finite entity, Americans began seriously considering (and buying) small, economical cars. With the Civic, Honda had quickly established itself as a builder of a high-quality, fun-to-drive, dependable and fuel-stingy little car. The Accord took this concept to a higher level by offering more room, style and power while still being economical, reliable and easy to park. The interior layout featured a combination of comfortable seating, logical control/gauge placements and high-quality switchgear. These characteristics would all become associated with Honda in the years to come. Another reason for the Accord's success was the car's generous standard equipment list (for the mid-1970s, anyway), which included features such as AM/FM stereo radio, rear defroster/wiper/washer and remote hatch release. With an output of 68 horsepower, the Accord's 16-liter four-cylinder engine pales in comparison to some "economy" cars of today that have double this output from their four bangers. But remember, back in '76 many American V8s were struggling to put out 140 horses. A unique feature of the Accord's engine was Honda's CVCC head design that promoted cleaner, more efficient combustion. The CVCC design, introduced a year earlier on the Civic, did not require a catalytic converter nor unleaded fuel to meet emissions standards. Nearly every other US market car underwent the change to exhaust catalysts and unleaded-only fuel requirements the year before. Transmission choice consisted of the standard, slick-shifting five-speed manual gearbox or a two-speed "Hondamatic" that blunted any attempts at peppy performance. There were no changes in the Accord's sophomore year, 1977. An LX version debuted in 1978 and had standard luxury accoutrements such as velour upholstery, air conditioning and a digital clock (the last item was a big deal back then). Accord's popularity grew rapidly as sales rose from 18,643 in 1976 to over 120,000 for 1978. Though it shared the same platform and wheelbase as the two-door hatchback coupe, the sedan was nearly 9 inches longer due to the three-box body style. Unlike the coupe, the sedan came only in one trim level; The engine grew in size to nearly 18 liters and output went up to 72 horsepower. Other improvements included the addition of an oil cooler, power steering and a tachometer to the standard features list, a larger radiator and more efficient exhaust system. Other than the optional automatic transmission having three speeds instead of the former two, and minor cosmetic upgrades, not much else changed for 1980. In 1981 a full-blown luxury trim level, called the SE, was offered. Sending out the first- generation Accord in style, the SE stocked an Accord Sedan with leather seating, power windows and door locks, alloy wheels and a sound system with cassette deck. Though this may not seem like a big deal now, back in 1981 manual window cranks and vinyl seats were typical for small cars while leather seats were reserved for big American luxury cars or expensive European makes such as BMW As far as pricing went, a 1976 Accord was $3,995. By 1980 the base hatchback's price had gone up 50 percent, to $5,949, and the LX version was $1,000 more. Unfortunately for consumers, demand for the early Accords was greater than supply, so dealers would typically add a second window sticker next to Honda's. Appearing on this second sticker would be vastly overpriced dealer-added options such as pinstripes, mud flaps and rustproofing. U" (which stood for Additional Dealer Mark-Up) or the words "Market Value Adjustment" followed by a dollar amount that could oftentimes exceed $1,000. Nonetheless, people were willing to pay a premium to drive this jewel of a small car. Increases in the wheelbase (by about 3 inches) and length (by less than 2 inches) provided more room for rear seat occupants. And a restyled body and interior presented a more upscale look and feel than the first generation. Under the fancy new skin (and aside from a slight increase in horsepower for the 18-liter engine from 72 to 75 hp), the Accord was basically unchanged, with mechanical components carried over from 1981. Pricing for the '82 Accords was $7,399 for the base two-door hatchback, $8,245 for the four-door sedan and $8,449 for the LX version of the two-door. By 1991, this Marysville, Ohio, plant had produced over 350,000 automobiles for American consumers. Other than that, the 1983 Accords were similar to the 1982s. Found under the hood of the freshened 1984 Accord was a new 18-liter engine good for 11 more horsepower over the '83 models, for a total of 86 ponies. Honda did away with the CVCC head design, as more stringent emissions standards required a new approach and the use of a catalytic converter. The body's facelift included a new grille and headlights along with smoother, more integrated bumpers. The two-door models also received suspension revisions that imparted sportier handling. An LX Sedan was added to the lineup, fully equipped with A/C, power windows and door locks, and a four-speaker stereo with cassette deck. This time it was called the "SE-i," the small "i" indicating that the engine's induction was by fuel injection, as opposed to the other Accords, which had a carburetor to handle feeding duties. A healthy increase of 24 horsepower added a bit of sizzle to the decked-out SE-i, which also had exclusive alloy wheels, bronze-tinted glass and leather seating added to the LX's already substantial standard features. Bigger and better was the theme, with an increase of nearly 6 inches in the wheelbase and 3 inches in overall length. The new Accord also had a much sleeker look, with pop-up headlights (unusual on a sedan) and much better aerodynamics. Even the rain gutters were flush with the body in order to make the car quieter and more aero-efficient. Sedans came in base DX, luxury LX and loaded LXi trim levels. The top dog LXi included all the features of the LX (such as air conditioning and power everything) and added fuel injection, alloy wheels and, on the sedan, a power moonroof. To handle the bigger, heavier Accords, the engine was increased in size, from 18 to 20- liters and produced either 98 horsepower (in the carbureted DX and LX trims) or 110 ponies in the fuel-injected LXi. An all-new suspension featured "double-wishbone" design at all four wheels. Derived from Formula 1 racecar chassis design, this setup allowed precise handling (by always keeping the tire perpendicular to the road surface) while still delivering a comfortable, slightly firm ride. As the family sedan battle between Toyota and Honda heated up, it seemed that those interested in sporty handling went for the Accord, while those who weren't looking for a poor man's BMW and who preferred a softer ride chose the Camry. Pricing for the 1986 Accords ranged from $8,429 for a DX Hatchback Coupe to $12,675 for the LXi Sedan. Catering to those who prefer a formal coupe body style with a trunk, an Accord Coupe joined the hatchback and sedan for 1988. As with the hatchback, the new notchback two-door was available in either base DX or loaded LXi trim. Very minor tweaks to the sedan's taillights and bumpers were the lone visual changes for the '88 Accord. Functionally, a bump in horsepower for the LXi engine (from 110 to 120 hp) improved the performance of the top Accords. By now Honda's reputation for building extremely well-built, reliable and long-lasting cars was common knowledge, and sales of over 360,000 units for 1988 confirmed the public's affection for the Accord. In accord with Accord tradition, Honda brought out an SE-i version of the Accord to mark the last year of a generation, in this case 1989. Chock-a-block with luxury features, some highlights of this special Accord included p...
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