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Not everything within the confines of Honda's hall was sourced from the company's own archives, though. “We go about it like any other collector would,” Heath says of how he and his colleagues obtain the museum's appropriate artifacts, often times resorting to predictable channels, like online classifieds. “We know which cars have changed the marketplace.” If a non-sellable catalog car isn't available, then employees are called upon for leads, followed by the company's own dealer network, which is how nearly all of the museum's Accords were discovered. It doesn't end there, though. A 1995 Frost White Civic EX coupe once belonging to former museum caretaker and longtime Honda employee Lou Staller's daughter lays mere steps away from an assemblage of authentic CART racers. Out back, a seemingly new-condition and fully donated first-generation CRX awaits its own spot, which according to Heath, might be difficult to accommodate: “We need more room. We've kind of outgrown this space.”
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| Perhaps no other car better personifies the early Honda performance movement than the 1992-1995 Civic. This 1993 EX was donated to Honda's collection by Honda executive and former curator, Lou Staller, whose daughter once drove it. |
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| The 1986 Legend was one of two cars that launched Honda's all-new luxury brand in late-1985. Code-named Channel Two—before the Acura name was decided upon—the brand introduced V6 engines and leather seats for the first time to Honda consumers. Early Legends didn't even feature Acura's iconic caliper emblem, of which two versions exist. |
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| Launched just before the Legend for the 1986 model year and for the Acura brand's debut, the three-door and five-door Integra RS and LS feature a 113hp, twin-cam D-series engine. Similar to Japan's ZC engine, the D16A1 was among the first Honda engines to be taken seriously by tuners who experimented with side-draft carburetors and nitrous oxide. |
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| Acura's Legend began to come of age during its second year of production, and became the first Honda product to be sold in the U.S. equipped with airbags and anti-lock brakes. Standard-issue for all first-generation Legends is a 2.7L, SOHC V6 engine. |
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| The original Legend's 90-degree V6 engine. Although the more compact, 60-degree architecture has replaced the old design, many similarities can be found among today's V6 Honda engines. |
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| Acura modernized its then flagship vehicle in 1991 with an all-new 200hp, 3.2L engine and honest-to-goodness luxury car features, like a hands-free phone, automatic climate control, and heated seats. |
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| No proper Honda collection would be complete without Acura's second-generation Integra, which sold from 1990 to 1993. Although the non-VTEC B18A1 engine served most trim levels, including this LS, the now-rare GS-R, which was introduced in 1992, ushered in twin-cam, four-cylinder VTEC technology to the U.S. According to American Honda, 563,388 Integras were sold from 1990-2001 when production ended. |
