The Honda Civic Del Sol was one of the rare swings and misses Honda made within its sport compact lineup, but as recent history has shown, the company is not immune from misreading the market. Still, as a curiosity of the 1990s, few vehicles were as memorable as the Del Sol, and this 1993 Si trim example listed here on craigslist features a rare color, stock condition, and the preferred manual transmission. The seller is asking $10,000 for this Del Sol, which is painted in a rare shade known as Samba Green Pearl.
Honda recently introduced the Prelude, which obviously left the lineup several years ago. To say it has been a disappointment is an understatement, with the new car being both overpriced and underperforming, falling well short of the memory many enthusiasts had of Honda’s sporty front-drive coupe. The Del Sol suffered the same fate when it was introduced as a replacement for the beloved CRX. Riding on Civic running gear with a removable top (shown here stowed in the trunk) that made for wet noodle-like handling, it was a far cry from the car it was intended to replace.
Unlike the modern Prelude, the Del Sol still provided plenty of eyeball appeal and a fun-seeking demeanor to make up for the fact that it wasn’t the second coming of the CRX. The interiors were splashed with color, and the driving position felt racy; after all, it was still a true 2-seater. If you could get over the lack of structural rigidity and the inevitable leaks, the targa roof panel would deliver a driving experience typically reserved for more expensive sports cars. The fact that the seller’s Del Sol still looks this good all these years later is a testament to all the owners who were clearly committed to keeping it in excellent shape.
Don’t get excited – this isn’t the VTEC engine that makes the Del Sol truly sing. The 1993 Si came with a mid-range engine option good for around 125 b.h.p. In the final years of production, Honda finally dropped in the B16A3 / B16A2 engines, combining a healthy 160 b.h.p. with an 8,000 RPM redline in the finest Honda tradition of embedding the car’s true potential at the upper reaches of the tach. While this Del Sol may not be the one that helped absolve some of the model’s shortcomings, it’s still a survivor-grade car in a wonderful color – and there’s still plenty of summertime left to enjoy it. Thanks to Barn Finds reader Curvette for the tip.
In 1996 I installed 3 10″ JL Audio subs behind the seat of one of these in this same color. Dude that owned it was probably 6′ 3″ with a 90s mullet. It sounded amazing but his tall goofy head poked out of the top of that tiny car when he drove away. Asked me if I wanted to go cruising around that night. Naw I’m good.
When trying to rationalize a 2-seater convertible, back in the day, choosing between a Del Sol and a Miata was an exercise in futility. Had I not opted for something a little more practical (and within my income level) I think the Del Sol would’ve won. Don’t see many any more, and those I see are almost always enhanced beyond desirability.
I always found this shade of green to be a bit too bright on the eyeballs, but in the city I resided in, they seemed to be as common as any other colour. $10k for a stock Del Sol with a manwell transaxle seems reasonable.