Honda Civic (first generation)
Honda Civic SB1 ( 1972-1977 )
The first generation Honda Civic was introduced in mid 1972 as a 1200 Civic in Japan. This generation was built by the spring of 1979. He reached in 1976 a production of one million vehicles. It was as Hatchback (Hatchback ) with two, three and four doors, and offered in 1974 as a station wagon.
When engine was a 1.2 liter four-cylinder aluminum petrol engine with 40 kW (54 hp) and front-wheel drive available. The five-door variant and the combination were equipped with a 1.5 liter engine. A little later, Honda introduced the low-emission CVCC engine on the Japanese and American vehicle market. He fulfilled so without the use of a catalyst to 1983 the strict U.S. emissions standards.
History of development
Yoshio Nakamura, the Honda Formula 1 team manager from 1964 to 1968, was responsible as project manager of the Honda Civic. The vehicle should, according to the sporty S800, N360, N600 and 1300, a small sedan with exemplary reliability and suitable for export to a particularly high degree.
The Japanese press immediately granted him the title " Car of the Year ".
In Germany, the Civic was sold in 1974, at first only as a two-door version of the Civic in 1200 with a small trunk lid for the price of 7,500 DM and as a three-door (Hatchback) for the price of 7,770 DM. In 1976 the Civic in 1500 was offered as a four-door car with a small trunk lid for the price of 10,418 DM. The combination of the first generation was not available in Germany.