Sometimes, even the plainest of cars can become collectible solely because there are no decent surviving examples left. Hondas from the 80s and 90s have certainly been elevated to this status not only because so few were preserved but also because they were surprisingly good cars to drive despite their modest underpinnings. This 1987 Honda Civic GL has under 60,000 miles and is listed here on the Q Auto Center website for $9,998.
$10,000 for an old Civic may seem insane to some of you, but I guarantee you there is someone out there weighing the purchase of this exact car. The clean body panels, lack of modifications, and low mileage all make it a standout compared to most Civics from this era that are pockmarked by rust, sitting on cut springs, and beaten down with 200,000 miles or better on the odometer. This is a poverty-sped special, not even wearing hubcaps to jazz it up.
But that was what made Hondas from this era so great: you could buy the basest of base models and still have a willing chassis, excellent sight lines, and driver controls that fell right where they should. Honda and other import brands really did put a lot of thought into the engineering of their cars, even the cheap ones, which is why they succeeded to the degree that they did in the US. The interior of this Civic is in excellent condition, with not a blemish in sight.
The engine bay is also spotless, and while Honda – like many manufacturers – relied on a sea of vacuum lines to control emissions and other aspects of engine performance, these cars still generally ran well in the years leading up to mass adoption of fuel injection. The paint is in very nice shape as are the trim and lenses, and while this Civic may not sell for $10,000, I doubt it will go for less than $8,000.
This must be Canadian. I see the speedo is in KM/hr. I don’t think we got a GL. We had the DX as the base model. and I think our DX was fuel injected
I want this for that corduroy velour interior alone. Those seats were so comfortable. Put a good set of speakers in this and it’d be the perfect daily commuter.
I don’t know why, but for every manufacturer I have worked for as a dealer tech the cleanest cars were always base models. Bargain basement cars seem to get the most love from their owners. Anyone else notice this phenomenon?
Prolly because base-model buyers tend to be frugal, and taking fastidious good care of a car is a frugal way to make sure the car will last as long as possible, the ounce of prevention that avoids (or at least delays) a pound of cure.
Yes ! On a similar note, I noticed all the cars I ever found for demo derbies were always the top of the option line models. Country Squires, not Country Sedans , Fury lll, Gran Safaris , etc. never a low option car . Even later on when 4 cyl derbies became popular, it was fully loaded Topazs and K cars.
It was never a plain tan Biscayne sedan
Typical Lynnwood car dealer asking $9,600 for a $3,500 dollar car
They most likely gave the elderly owners $500 in trade as a favor to take “that obsolete old thing” off their hands.
At 8K would make a great commuter car, most likely be able to put another 200K on the odometer. Great on gas and not high $ for insurance. If I needed a commuter car I would jump on it!
I like the looks of this car yellow don’t bother me as much as green, but everyone has their preference. I wouldn’t be afraid to be seen driving it.It will make someone a nice little ride.
The 80’s when things where normal and nice! Well I see this came from the Great White North JCA.. you are correct it read top speed of 180 km and it’s a GL .. 12 valve engine with carburetor. It’s a shame it’s not stick instead of the slush box. $8,000 is a fair price. I noticed the Mitsubishi radio in the dash. This was baby driven. I know a few people who would grab this since they had Honda’s back then. You couldn’t kill them they where great until Mr. Rust showed up for dinner. That was the downfall of these…. It’s amazing it’s looks great and no rust. Good luck to the next owner. 🐻🇺🇸
We owned an 87 Accord and it was a great car. We kept it longer than we kept most of our Hondas because I had a daughter getting ready for college in 1991 and a second daughter in high school. As with all of our Hondas (from 1979), it was a great car… and yes, we took excellent care of our cars… still do, and we are retirees (me at 2002, wife at 2007). We always got great trade in values as a reward.
Having owned this cars twin I would say steer clear. Mine had 62k original miles, auto and carburetorated. Smog controlled nightmare and when the head gasket toasted it was utterly impossible to fine a usable head, simply nonexistent. Mine also was a beautiful example but was hexed with issues unique to these cars. My 2 cents
Fantastic little cars! It was an 1989 Civic that convinced me that front wheel drive can be fun. I am not surprised that it is an automatic… good luck holding out for a 5 speed with only 55k miles! I have owned many Civics (different generations), all have racked up around 300k miles… aside from the one that I am still driving, but it will be there soon enough. Thanks for sharing, great find.
Also sold in the UK as the Rover 200 series, with 1.3 and 1.6 litre engines.
I always loves the suffex designations that Honda, and others, used back in those days. I’ll guess that, oh, 0% knew what they meant. I mean, what does “GL” even mean? Grand Luxury? LOL!
GL = Gotta Love-it
You’re (almost) spot-on there. GL is Grand-Luxe and DL was De-Luxe.