I’m sure we all know (and, presumably. appreciate) the 3rd generation Honda Accord. You know, the cool late ‘80s one with the pop-up headlights. Honda sold boatloads of these everywhere – especially in North America, but really, there were few places that did not see these in decent numbers.
When it was launched in June 1985, the new Accord was one of the best cars in its category. Double wishbone suspension front and rear, indestructible 4-cyl. engines, top-notch build quality – the value was hard to beat. Initially, the saloon and hatchback were on offer, soon followed by the AeroDeck (bottom right). In 1987, a notchback coupé joined the range. Those were solely built at Honda’s plant in Marysville, OH and were the first Japanese cars built in the US to be sold in Japan.
The Accord did very well in the US, where it consistently sold over 325k units per year. It even ended up snatching the title of top-selling model for 1989, becoming the first foreign car to do so. In its home country, it also did pretty well. This 2.0 Si with anti-lock brakes was the near top dog in the Accord’s JDM range, only bested by the same car with the added “Exclusive” trim.
The Accord was marketed as a more luxurious model on the JDM, as there was no Acura brand there to offer anything more exclusive. The 2-litre segment was still the largest most buyers were willing to consider, so the Accord fought a battle of bells and whistles with the likes of the Nissan Gloria or the Toyota Mark II. Not that the Accord did as well as Nissan or Toyota in this segment – their offerings were numerous, running the gamut from extremely conservative to Accord-like modernity. And the Japanese liked their 2-litre cars conservative. This makes the Honda quite a lot rarer nowadays in Japan, its reliability and quality notwithstanding.
Why did the Accord not outsell its JDM competitors the way it did in the US? One can point to several reasons. Honda was less well-established in this segment than Nissan, Toyota or even Mazda. The Accord’s drivetrain and suspension were more advanced than some liked and perhaps more European in feel than the usual JDM saloon. Also, there was no 6-cyl. option. And those pop-up headlights were perhaps a little too risqué.
I can only surmise that this is what pushed Honda to propose the CA (for “Continental Accord”) from mid-1987, i.e. a JDM version of the European market Accord saloon’s front end without fixed headlights. The other body variants of the Accord did not get this front end treatment. However, the saloon with hidden headlights was still on offer – it’s just that Japanese customers could now choose one or the other. This was the only action Honda could take, the low-hanging fruit, to boost JDM sales.
As far as I know, the front end styling was the only thing that made the Accord CA stand out. Everything else seems, well, quite Accord-like. If you wanted something that looked a little different (but had pop-up headlights), the Verno network could sell you a Vigor saloon.
I’m sure if you have seen the hidden headlight version all your life, this Accord CA’s face may cause mild cognitive dissonance, or that “parallel world” effect one gets from Brazilian or South African market cars. Personally, I didn’t bat an eyelid when I photographed this Honda, as it looked just like the ones I was familiar with from the old country. Continental Accord indeed.
Related posts:
Curbside Classic: 1986-1989 Honda Accord – Ignoring The Future In Favor Of The Present, by Perry Shoar
In-Motion Classic: 1989 Honda Accord LXi – Age-Appropriate Attire, by Joseph Dennis
CC Outtake: 1988 Honda Accord DX – Still Standing, by Tom Klockau
…that “parallel world” effect one gets from Brazilian or South African market cars.
Definitely Brazilian, with the lineup on offer. No fewer than three 2/3-door variants with only the sedan having four doors. Maybe that was a factor in limiting JDM sales as well – no 5-door liftback, no true wagon to offer in both utility “van” and more fully-equipped variants.
Yes, living in the UK I only remember the Aerodeck with pop-up headlights when it came to Accords.
It is a jarring to see. As if someone copy and pasted Civic headlights onto the front of the Accord. I’ll take the pop ups!
As far as I remember, in Uruguay there was only one with pop-up headlights which came either as a CD car or as a grey import. All official Accords were just like the white in the photos, most of them manual though automatics were available.
Aside from making the Accord front end look like the Civic, it’s especially confounding because “CA” is also the chassis code for this generation — CA Accord CA, and other great hits.
My, that Aerodeck is pure 80s awesome.