I remember hearing the buzz about these first-generation Accords when they were introduced back in 1976. (Fifty years ago? Really??) They were only available as a 2-door hatchback and paint options were limited to metallic blue, gold, or silver. The Honda Accord CVCC was larger and roomier than a Civic (Honda marketed it as a “larger, family-size car”), was fuel efficient, and friends and family who had them had nothing but positive things to say about this new Honda. The only negative I heard was that it wasn’t available in a 4-door, but that would be added to the Accord lineup in 1979. Here’s a 2-owner survivor with only 33,758 miles on the clock. It’s currently not running (the seller says the engine is fine but hasn’t run in probably 10 years). The seller’s father was in the process of fixing some body rust issue before illness put a halt to the project. It is located in Portage, Wisconsin and is listed for sale here on craigslist for $4,450 cash only. Thanks, Barney, for spotting this first-generation Accord and sending it our way.
The seller doesn’t give us any history of this Accord or how it came to be a project his father was working on. Overall, it looks decent to be 50 years old and appears to be original and not monkeyed with. The metallic blue paint looks original and you can see where rust repair had been done on the passenger front fender. Based on the limited photos, the car’s glass, rubber, and chrome bumpers look good.
Inside is classic mid-70’s Honda with a blue vinyl and cloth upholstery on the front bucket seats and rear bench seat, blue vinyl door panels, blue carpet, and a gray and black instrument panel and dash. I’m not seeing major wear on the front seats or any cracks on the dash. Accords came standard with a tachometer and a pushbutton AM/FM radio. Honda also boasted about their thoughtful instrument panel that included “a coin box to hold change for parking meters or bridge tolls, and a built-in tray on the face of the panel to hold sun glasses, maps (remember those?) and a large lighted glove compartment, all at no extra cost.” You can see trim parts and such in the floorboard as well as the rear cargo area which is typical of a stalled project.
Under the hood is the legendary Honda CVCC 1.6-liter inline-four cylinder engine that is paired with a five-speed manual transmission. It hasn’t been started in 10 years, is not currently running, and has been driven only 33,758 miles. This first generation of Accords really put Honda on the map and changed people’s minds that Honda built only reliable motorcycles. Now in its 11th generation, 15 million Accords have been sold in the U.S. since its June 1976 debut. You used to see these first-gen Accords everywhere, but they were driven, racked up lots of miles, weren’t strangers to Mr. Rust, and disregarded by owners for the next generation of Accords. Here’s a survivor that could make an interesting restoration project for just the right person.
I wonder.