"This is the 50th anniversary and we're really excited about it. We have over 15 million cars sold," said Andrew McLallen of American Honda Motor Co.
It was June 1976 when Honda, still known primarily as a motorcycle brand, doubled its automotive offerings with the Accord, joining the Civic in showrooms. Like the Civic, the new larger Honda was an almost instant home run amidst the backdrop of the decade's energy crisis. People had waited in line to buy gas, often for cars that used a lot of it.
"The size of the vehicle was a little bit bigger than the Civic, and it just met the needs at that time. It was kind of a perfect storm," noted McLallen.
The Accord, like the Civic, soon became a force to be reckoned with. Each generation a larger and more refined car. The second gen made its own mark in automotive history by becoming the first car from a Japanese brand to be built on U.S. soil starting in 1982 in Ohio. Since then, Honda has built some 13 million Accords in North America.
Honda invited me to take a quick spin in any prior generation of the Accord from their heritage collection. Well, I chose the original, a pristine 1977 hatchback. Why? Because like so many people, I have a family connection to this very model.
When I was a kid, my Uncle Richard, seen here five years before his passing, was smitten with the new Honda. But like pretty much everyone else, had to wait in line to get one. When he finally got the call from the dealership, he didn't even get a choice of color. It was "take it or leave it." He took it, at full sticker, and raved about that Accord for the nearly 15 years he and my aunt owned it.
Today, the Accord is still a solid value, and with hybrid power on many trim levels still makes the most of each pricey gallon of gas. How about up to 51 mpg city per the EPA?
This current generation is apparently going to be sticking around a while, as Honda's delaying a 12th generation due to losses from an ill-fated EV program, according to trade publication Automotive News. This recently teased hybrid sedan prototype could be a hint of the next Accord.
A car that has solidly cemented its place in automotive history, something that tends to happen after five decades of success.