Prelude To Market Dominance: 1982 Honda Prelude

The first generation Honda Prelude was one of the un-thanked foot soldiers who fought the great Japanese invasion of the American automobile market a few decades ago.  The folks who purchased them had no expectation they would be better than the Chevy Citation their neighbor purchased, but were still driving it when the guy next door had moved on through two Berettas and a Cavalier.  Find this 1982 Honda Prelude Coupe here on eBay bidding for $3,100 with 2 days to go, located in Louisville, KY.

The Honda Prelude isn’t a car that will make you do a double take very often, but this one is strangely well preserved that it certainly gave me a start.  The seller advertises it as a one owner (before he picked it up for a flip) survivor that only needs front brakes, new belts, a seal replaced and AC serviced.

Power comes from a 1.8 liter single overhead cam 12-valve CVCC Honda EK inline-4 that puts out 72 horsepower and 94 ft-lbs of torque.

This one is shifted with a 3-speed automatic gearbox, which won’t make it the sportiest of rides, but it will give you more time to gaze upon that hallucinogenic red interior….which is surprisingly well preserved, this thing must have been left in a garage or hermetically sealed in a giant pickle jar. Wait, what’s this white powder all over the floor mat…

Bonus interior shot.

See another red/red modern classic? tips@dailyturismo.com