WHAT IS IT?
The first-generation Prelude was Honda’s take on a time-honored formula–take an off-the-shelf platform and make something sporty out of it. In this case, Honda borrowed heavily from the Accord sedan. U.S. magazines loved the car for its build quality and reliability while performance junkies wanted more than just a marginally better performing Accord, dubbing it the Honda “Quaalude.”
WHY THIS CAR HAS BEST ONE ON THE PLANET CHOPS
Nicely put together as they were, 1970s plastics and uncoated Japanese steel had their limits, and outside of California, that was a decade or so. Preludes of any generation have gotten rare, first-gen examples even more so. While this one might not be the preferred spec, with its autobox and later, more generic dash, the level of perservation here is astounding. All of the delicate plastics and velours look essentially new, including the grey trunk liners. The paint gleams and it’s almost certainly original with the tail of the car still proudly displaying the Greeley, Colorado dealer who undoubtedly marked the car up viscously over its MSRP. The American Racing alloys, while not factory, were undoubtedly part of the dealer’s avaricious strategy for additional profit on this car. With just over 15,000 miles on it, it’s difficult to imagine there’s a better one out there. It’s for sale in Virginia with a healthy $32,000 asking price.
U.S. magazines loved the car for its build quality and reliability while performance junkies wanted more than just a marginally better performing Accord, dubbing it the Honda “Quaalude.”
Not only is this the nicest 1982 Honda Prelude I’ve ever seen, I think it’s the ONLY 1982 Honda Prelude I’ve seen. This car is such a time capsule for ’80s Japanese cars. The red vinyl seats with velour inserts, the brightwork, the bumperettes, they’re all just fantastic. I’ll leave it to the ’80s Japanese car experts, but I can’t imagine a nicer one exists.