Old-School Love In the Honda Booth

By Jen Dunnaway

Editor-at-Large

I’ve always thought of the pug-nosed 1st-gen Civic as the ultimate babysitter’s car. Historically, it just may be the iconic mass-market cheap Japanese beater–but its roots aren’t always so humble. Bob Boileau’s 1974 Civic 1200 (“Tokyo Joe,” it’s called) won 6 consecutive championships in the SCCA’s GT5 class in the late 80’s, as well as setting the record as the world’s fastest Civic after clocking 174.698 mph at Talladega in ‘76. Alongside it is a 1971 N600, Civic’s predecessor, with the 2-cylinder aluminum air-cooled engine making 36 hp, as well as an early-80’s CRX by Mugen. Today, as much as things have changed for Honda, its mass-produced base-level cars continue to be some of the most beloved and moddable on the market.  It’s cool to see the manufacturer connecting with this tradition, and rolling out the history lessons for their booth display this year.