About this episode
Happy 40th, AcuraMarch 27, 1986, marked the official brand launch of Acura. But, prior to that, it was introduced. It was Honda's way of saying it was ready to take on the luxury establishment, not just the Europeans but also the Americans. The cars that started it all were the Integra and Legend, and without those, Acura might be an entirely different company today, or not exist at all.The Legend represented Acura's ambitions as its flagship sedan. These days, it's often the second-generation model that springs to mind when the name is mentioned. The first-generation coupe also has a pretty strong fan base, but the original sedan is barely mentioned despite its significance. Unless your name is Tyson Hugie, you won't find much content about the first-gen Legend compared to the second one. Still, we wouldn't call it a forgotten car by any means, but we say it deserves more attention.
Acura
You Can Thank the Brits for the LegendIf we were to trace the roots of the Legend, one can say that the British were instrumental in getting the ball rolling. Honda planned to release a flagship sedan to compete with the Toyota Crown and Nissan Cedric in its home market, while the Austin Rover Group, then called British Leyland, was in desperate need of a successor to the Rover SD1. British Leyland reached out to Honda, which was just then drumming up a bold plan to offer a luxury sedan for America and the world.The two companies soon tied the knot with Honda lending its 1981 Civic Sedan to the British to create the Triumph Acclaim. But the two companies would take the relationship to the next level with Project XX, or HX for Honda. Development kicked off in November 1981, and Honda would be out of the gates first when it premiered the Legend on October 22, 1985. The Acura version debuted during the brand launch, and the eventual Rover 800 was formally introduced on July 10, 1986.
Honda
Honda and Acura Similarities and DifferencesThe Honda Legend came in a wide
