I was eighteen and had just graduated high school when the October ’73 Oil Embargo hit America. Lucky me. I was lucky because I was driving my dad’s hand-me-down ’65 VW Beetle. Sure, I still had to get in gas lines (where purchased days were based on whether the last number on your license plate was odd or even), but I made out better than some buddies who were handed down the family’s 10-mpg land yacht or full-sized station wagon. Yes, things changed real fast in America and the automobile industry in that 6-month nightmarish gas crisis, and they’ve really never been the same. As consumers were scrambling to find smaller, more fuel-efficient cars, I kept noticing more of these Mini Cooperish-looking, two-door hatchbacks with a Honda name on them. Honda? The motorcycle guys? Yep. Timing is everything they say, and the Honda Civic, which became the EPA’s fuel-efficiency king, was the right little car at the right time. As a matter of fact, the 1977 Civic featured here was America’s most gas-stingy car of 1977 with an EPA rating of 54 mpg! It also topped 100,000 in sales that model year. Impressive for a brand that had only been selling cars in America for five years or so.
So, what happened to these early “historic” Honda Civics? The little car that established the Honda brand as an import juggernaut in the good old USA? Well, most were driven to death and although they had a reputation for quality and reliability, the same can’t be said for their rust-out issues. Here’s a first-generation ’77 Civic with the desirable 5-Speed gearbox package that isn’ perfect, but is being touted as being in “highly original unrestored condition.” The seller believes that it’s been a local Washington state car since new and still retains “most of its factory Caroline Yellow paint and dealer-installed pin-striping, other than front right fender.” The body is described as solid, photos show a clean trunk, and it has some shown rust in the lower valance corners and some surface rust and bubbling spots.
When I first saw a friend’s ’77 Civic 5-Speed up close and personal, I was genuinely impressed with the little car’s interior. I thought it would be just another all-vinyl seat, cheap-looking plastic econobox interior, but I was wrong. I liked the houndstooth cloth inserts in the seats and the genuine wood rim steering wheel. This car’s interior looks very clean and in great shape for a car that is nearly 50 years old with 127,000 miles on the clock. Sure, the Civic was inexpensive, but it didn’t scream “cheap” if you know what I mean.
Under that bright yellow hood is a clean Honda 1,488cc SOHC four-cylinder engine. It produced 53 horsepower at 5,000 rpm when new, has 127,000 miles on it, and is mated to a 5-speed manual transmission. The seller shares that the little gas-sipper was used as a weekend driver before being taken off the road and stored indoors for the past ten years. He recommends having it thoroughly checked out before getting it back on the road and that it’s an ideal candidate for a full restoration. Also included in the sale are the original keys, owners and workshop manuals, a bunch of service records, and some miscellaneous spare parts. This nice ’77 Civic survivor is located in Friday Harbor on San Juan Island in Washington state and is for sale here on craigslist for $6,950 cash, no trades. A big thank you to civic-minded Scott for sending this little yellow Honda our way.
Ooh, my heart goes pitter-pat!
Ron,
I don’t believe that you could buy this version of a Civic in ’77
$2800.Maybe a 1200 stripper.If I remember correctly,dealers were
selling these for over sticker price then.I paid about $5300 for a new
Ford Fiesta Sport in late ’79.
If you want to check out this car, your best bet is to take the ferry as a walk-on.
This is really a perfect San Juan island car. It deserves to find another home there.
LS it. There I was first to say it.
Ist time i seen tires with only 2 tread channels.
I wonder what the mpg was with the 2 speed Hondamatic.
My girlfriend in 1977 bought a Civic on Vancouver Island during a port strike. Supplies of Japanese cars dried up but she got her sand coloured Civic and paid a premium; $5,000 Cdn.
Great little car which she took with her back to Ontario and I’m sure rusted away long before the powertrain bit the dust.
Unless you grew up under a rock, in America, it would be tough to overstate what this car was. Funny the author mentions the Bug, this car was the modern equivalent tho the VW, in that, like the VW, it was popular and changed peoples ideas about small cars. Let me be the 1st to say, 54mpg was a bit optimistic. Under ideal testing conditions, maybe, but what was clear, 35-40 was possible, and unheard of before. People were willing to give it, comfort, power, safety and styling of the LTD, all away for that. This car changed all the misgivings of a “Honda” car, the 360, that left a bitter taste for most. Good enough for most that bought these Hondas, they continue to buy them today, and this car takes all the credit for that. They were driven until your touchas dragged on the ground, or unsafe, whatever was first, and to see one at all is amazing.
Well said, Howard. I don’t think the Civic gets enough credit, frankly, for being the game changer that it was. I can only go by my shared experience. Many first-time car buying friends and family members bought a first-generation Civic and were hooked on the Honda brand. They’re still loyal Honda owners 50 years later!
The infamous 360 was a Subaru, not a Honda. The first Honda cars sold in the US, the N600 and Z600, did not suffer from that bad reputation; they were just too tiny and quickly replaced with the Civic 1200 in 1973.
Ha! Thanks, pal, and a double thanks for being cordial. I get those 2 confused and realized it after posting and one can’t edit early access. I think Datsun and Toyota both made micro cars, but never chose to market them here that I can find, and probably a wise decision. There was a Datsun “Baby”, but can’t find any Toyotas. Have a decent day!
Traded a rusty 68 Porsche 911 in on a ’75 version of this (CVCC 5-speed). Loved it to death but salt roads in Vermont ate it alive.
Great looking little car, I’d be happy to own it. My late wife had a 4-speed Civic when we met, a couple friends had them too. I’ll always have a soft spot for them. No power but still fun to drive.
When I was in high school we had a 1200 – 73 or 74. As my Saab 3 cylinder, followed by a 69 Sprite and then a 72 midget, was often laid up, I drove the Civic a lot. Loved that car! It handled great, I could get it airborne on a couple of back roads, superior ride to the Spridgets, just didn’t have a drop top.
Don’t remember why it went away but then my parents got another one (orange 74) which I subsequently took over in college. Great, great cars.
On another note, I also had an AN 600 which was even more fun but not much of a trip car.
My Brother had one in the early 80s exactly like this one, I came back in the country and borrowed it for several weeks. Cleaned the plugs and ignition, changed the oil, new fuel filter great car. Already rusting away and best I got MPG wise was about 33MPG. Been looking for it or the elusive 510 Datsun only cars I want.
They didn’t have a 5 speed in 77. It is a 4 speed.
I bought my Civic 5-speed in 1976 and it was a 5-speed just like the one shown above.
My father, a 6’2″ physician, had one of these, I believe a 76. One day, he ran out to the doctor’s parking lot because the attendant was going to have it towed because “A doctor would never own one of these.” Ha.
Fort Wayne can be very snowy and icy, and he loved the front wheel drive and Honda reliability.
First car I ever rolled – twice!
Good times!
Love these.
Mine was a ’76. I put about 35,000 miles on it and traded it for a ’78 Accord. I got about 50 mpg on one trip in the Accord, but never calculated the mileage on the Civic. Mostly drove the Civic at or above 90 mph so the mileage wouldn’t have been a factor.
Bought a ’74 back I think in the ‘early 80s – funnniest way to prevent vaporlock in the carb I’ve ever seen, & this was in Detroit area. The engineers had added a tiny version of an office desk fan, complete with wire safety cage, next to the carb to blow supposedly cooler engine compartment air on the carb!!!
I almost laffed myself silly when I saw it, but the engine was a jewel & after I replace the bias ply tires on it, I realized all the AWFUL road wander, which I thought said the front suspension bushes were all shot, that it was those ancient bias tires were the cause! It drove very straight after I changed them! I’d never driven on bias tires before, having grown up Michelin Xs!
Sadly, after exploring a Motown junkyard for other car parts and noting that there were a fair no. of these Hondas rotting away. and even finding one where someone had tried to save his by welding angle iron across the enging compartment to stabilize the front shock towers which had dissolved in Detroit salt, I decided to head off that same potential problem – mine was a Western car & pretty clean – and sold it. Sad to see it go, but knew what the future was. Some time later, I heard they recalled a lot of them just to get them off the roads and avoid destroying Hondas reputation!
This car is a CVCC engine. All Civics at the time with a 5 speed were the larger CVCC engines. The Civic was introduced in Europe (maybe just England because of the right hand drive) before released here in the states. This was good for me because we were a Pontiac store that took on the Honda car franchise as soon as it was available as the Civic here in the states. Our part owner and general manager was a “little car freak” and before we actually received cars I already had a showroom display with roll bars, headers, 3 different style of allow wheels and various other parts like front spoilers and fog lights. We had a friend take one of our new distributors and recurved the advance. Once installed and the base timing was increased it woke up the little 1200 to a screaming tiger! It would pull very hard to 8,000 RPM before the valves would float. They were an absolute blast to drive when set up that way. We (our dealership) ran a 1973 Civic in the SCCA soloII events and took 2nd at the nationals. (Found out later to a Super Beetle with a 2.0 914 engine in it) We never had any warranty issues with the cars and when a transporter would come through town, it led a parade of people wanting to get one that was yet to be unloaded. We had a few fights on the sidewalk that we had to break up. We
just had a blast selling and racing them. I later bought a 1978 1200 (for $2,150 including tax) sedan ( not a hatch) and it always won the local autocross and ice racing events. I miss that car alot. If I were to buy this car. I would swap the head for a 1200 cylinder head, a header and a Weber and just have a ton of fun with it.
The television series Wheeler Dealers came across the pond to Los Angeles where they purchased the same brand 1977 Honda Civic (they called it Honda CVCC) identical to this Barn Finds featured car. Edd China restored it closely to its new purchase specs (50mpg). They drove it to the Honda Headquarters Museum where it was thoroughly inspected wherein Honda made a deal to add it to their museum collection.
I had 2 of these, a “76 that my wife totaled, and a ’77 that replaced it. We kept that car until 86. Paid $3350 + tax and license for each one. Great little car.
I got a new 75 that looked exactly like this. I was a senior in high school, and traded my 1st car, Mom’s hand me down 69 Riviera. The Honda blew the engine after one year. I still miss that gorgeous Riviera.
Considering how many ’69-’81 camaros & other old chevies with frames & subframes are still around – & how many ’81 & earlier Honda anythings are left, makes no sense that Honda survived.
I bought a ‘76, orange (called it our Easter egg). The Ford dealer in Lakewood Colorado was trying to get a premium. I noticed an ad from Boulder advertising $2850. I walked into the Ford dealer and bought this brand new for that amount. Take it or leave it cash. They took it. I was attracted to the car because the transverse mounted four-cylinder engine a.k.a. like the Austin mini and MG 1100. Unfortunately those were junk and this was a well built tight little car and fun to drive. Moved up to VW rabbit because of space in a couple years. Great little car.
I bought a ‘76, orange (called it our Easter egg). The Ford dealer in Lakewood Colorado was trying to get a premium. I noticed an ad from Boulder advertising $2850. I walked into the Ford dealer and bought this brand new for that amount. Take it or leave it cash. They took it. I was attracted to the car because the transverse mounted four-cylinder engine a.k.a. like the Austin mini and MG 1100. Unfortunately those were junk and this was a well built tight little car and fun to drive. Moved up to VW rabbit because of space in a couple years. Great little car.
Hi Howard, V here. I was fortunate enough to purchase a 1977 Honda Civic golden color for $3500 brand new, from Diamond Motorsports in Dover, Delaware. I can honestly say during my four years station at Dover Air Force Base on active duty, I got over 50 miles per gallon driving back-and-forth to my home in Northern New Jersey.
I could drive 185 miles there and back on the same tank of gas. At a Ispeed of 55 miles an hour. I was able to get 52.5 miles per gallon. It was truly the best car I ever owned.