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A Fourth Generation Meant as the Culmination
Following the third generation, Hiroyuki Ito went straight on to take charge of the fourth-generation Civic as well. Toward the end of the third generation, the Shuttle's 4WD had been changed from part-time to real-time 4WD with a viscous coupling, and that technology was carried over to the fourth generation. The "Grand Civic" adopted a newly developed four-wheel double-wishbone suspension on every model, and also introduced the Hyper 16-valve engine, which achieved four valves and a center spark plug with a single camshaft. One of the happiest moments for Ito was the Golden Steering Wheel award in West Germany, which recognized the car's high driving performance in Europe. Ito had thought this fourth generation would be the culmination.
