Honda · Civic

Honda Civic 3rd generation

Years: 1983–1987
Drivetrain: FF / 4WD

Story

Developed on the M-M philosophy, its 3-door, 4-door and 5-door types were each made as cars with a clear character of their own.

Stories

This time, not listening to the company

Amid a severely strong yen, the second-generation Civic was allowed neither a new design nor a new engine, and became a car that got by using the first generation's CVCC engine. Because of that frustration, Ito was determined with the third generation not to listen to the company and to build something new somehow. One development goal was a "50-mile car" that goes 50 miles on a gallon.

Hiroyuki Ito

Chassis

Front

Strut

Rear

Torsion beam

Curb weight: 740-850kg

US import eligibility

Earliest cars: Eligible since September 200825 years after sales began in September 1983
Last cars: Eligible since 201225 years after sales ended in 1987 (month not recorded)

Eligibility depends on each car's month of manufacture on its build plate, not on the sale dates shown here (NHTSA).

Japanese cars by US import year →

Engineers

Hiroyuki Ito

Development chief of the third-generation Civic (the "Wonder Civic").

Shinya Iwakura

Hometown: Wakayama City, Wakayama Prefecture

A car designer who designed many Honda cars at Honda Motor Co. His representative works include the first- and second-generation Prelude, the first- and third-generation Civic, the first-generation CR-X and the first-generation Odyssey. He served as a managing director (in charge of products) of the company.