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 Beginning
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.
Launch & Specifications
Honda began selling the 1169 cc (70 in³) transversely mounted inline four-cylinder Civic for about US$2,200. The car produced roughly 50 hp (37 kW) and included:
- Power front disc brakes
- Vinyl seating
- Reclining bucket seats
- Woodgrain-accented dashboard
- Fold-down rear seat (hatchback)
- AM radio and cloth upholstery (hatchback)
Options were kept to a minimum: air conditioning, automatic transmission, radial tires, and a rear wiper for the hatchback. The car could achieve 40 mpg on the highway with an 86.6-inch wheelbase and 139.8-inch overall length, weighing just 1,500 pounds.
Outperforming the Competition
The Civic’s features allowed this “econobox” to outperform American competitors such as the Chevrolet Vega and Ford Pinto, which had been manufactured to a lower level of quality. When the 1973 oil crisis struck, many Americans turned to economy cars, and the Japanese tradition of high-quality economy cars benefited Honda, Toyota, and Datsun in the U.S. market.
The CVCC Revolution (1975)
The CVCC (Compound Vortex Controlled Combustion) engine debuted in 1975 and was offered alongside the standard Civic engine. The optional 53 hp CVCC engine displaced 1488 cc and had a head design that promoted cleaner, more efficient combustion.
The CVCC design eliminated the need for a catalytic converter or unleaded fuel to meet emissions standards—nearly every other U.S. market car required these modifications. Due to California’s stricter emissions standards, only the Civic CVCC was available in that state.
A five-speed manual transmission became available this year, as did a Civic station wagon (only with the CVCC engine). Civic sales topped 100,000 units in 1975.
1978 Updates
The 1978 model brought slight cosmetic changes:
- Black grill
- Rear-facing hood vents (replacing sideways versions)
- New turn indicators
- CVCC engine now rated at 60 hp with 20 ft-lb torque
The easiest way to recognize a 1978 model is the front turn indicators: prior to 1978, they looked like foglights in the grill, whereas 1978 models had smaller rectangular ones mounted in the bumper.
Legacy
The first-generation Civic established Honda as a serious automobile manufacturer and proved that economy cars could be both fuel-efficient and well-built. It set the stage for over 50 years of Civic innovation.