The 3rd generation of the Honda Prelude range was launched in 1987, continued to 1991 and was the most successful Prelude to date. The car pictured is the Australian model 4WS Si2.0L.

Honda used the Prelude to showcase technology that was still largely unavailable in the mainstream car market at that time, like an all alloy DOHC 16valve engine, dual phase intake manifold, cable linked gearbox, double wishbone suspension at each corner, 4 wheel steering and a level of engineering and build quality rivaled only by the likes of Mercedes Benz or BMW.  Even then, the paint and finish quality of the European cars could not match the Prelude or any other Honda vehicle.

Use the navigation buttons above to explore the qualities of this venerable Japanese sports car.

Honda History
A brief history of the Honda motor vehicle (abstract from http://www.parttrackers.com/library/1/93/96/)

"Soichiro Honda will definitely go down in engineering history as a daring innovator. A jolly, robust man, he started his automotive career as a piston ring maker. Shortly after WWII, he got the idea of building motor bikes using army surplus single-cylinder utility engines to provide his countrymen with desperately-needed, if extremely basic, transportation. His mechanical creativity blossomed with the step to real motorcycles. Such things as the torsion bar valve springs of the 450 twin and the configuration of his four-cylinder 750 were truly departures from the ordinary.

By getting into the car business in 1962, Honda defied the Japanese government, which wanted the numerous automakers then developing in that country to combine under the Toyota and Nissan names. His (Soichiro Honda) company entered the American automobile market on its own in 1970 with the tiny 600 hatchback -- all thirty-seven cubic inches worth. People chuckled, but not for long.

Now, of course, Honda is a force that every other car maker in the world has to reckon with. Nothing in the class exceeds the Civic line in terms of refinement, the Accord is a sales leader, and the Acura division produces solid contenders in the upscale market. Beyond those examples, the gee-whiz NSX proves the founder's innovative spirit's still kicking -- and hard.

But advanced design and strong popularity don't necessarily mean durability and dependability, and during the '70s and early '80s technicians considered Hondas questionable where those two practical qualities were concerned. That shaky period is over. Today, there is general agreement among service personages that Hondas are as long-lasting and trouble-free as anything else on the road."

Prelude Australia is an online community for owners of Honda Preludes of all generations. It is a great resource for information on Preludes but most importantly its an active social car club for Prelude owners. Meets and cruises are a regular occurance.

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