Exceptionally rare vehicle

Recently rebuilt

Fantastic condition

Long MOT

Performs flawlessly

The Honda City was first introduced to the world in 1981, and would initially go on to see rapid success within the Japanese domestic market (those 3 words every import enthusiast loves). Designed with urban traffic and lack of city space in mind, the Honda City was primarily aimed at Japanese commuters as a solution to congested roads, minimal parking space, and the poor fuel economy of rival cars. 

The City was designed around the Honda Motocompo, a small 50ccc scooter that would fold away and fit neatly inside the boot of the car. The idea was this; you would drive the vehicle to the edge of the city, park the car up in an available space and then continue the final stretch of your journey on the tiny bike, weaving in and out of tight city traffic. 

The Turbo version of the Honda City would follow shortly after in 1982, and was the brainchild of Hirotoshi Honda, son of Soichiro Honda and founder of the now legendary tuning house Mugen. Taken on as a project to prove Mugen and Hirotoshi’s capability, the prototype blew Soichiro Honda away and was quickly put into production. Hirotoshi had taken Honda’s most unassuming vehicles and turned it into a monster, that now had performance figures to rival sports cars. 

In 1983, the Turbo would be replaced with the evolved version; the mighty Turbo 2. The Turbo 2 expanded on the already impressive car and was treated to an intercooler, intake work, new turbo internals, flared arches, side skirts and vinyl decals. The result was a more powerful car, with wide, retro looks that would earn the car the nickname “Bulldog”, in reference to its stance and spirit. 

Today, the Honda City Turbo 2 is a highly desirable car and is regarded as legendary in terms of Japanese motoring history and Honda engineering. It was also rather influential in bringing Mugen to the level it exceeds today, and no doubt changed the course of Japanese motoring. 

This Honda City Turbo 2 is perfect for import enthusiasts, having spent the majority of its life in Japan where it would have no doubt tootled around the city as intended. The car caught the eye of the current owner, who fell in love with it at first sight and chose to have the car shipped over last year. 

The car landed at the port of Hull last June, where it was collected and taken to its current home. Being an avid fan of Japanese and retro vehicles, the current keeper decided the car deserved a refresh before properly gracing the UK roads. 

As part of the refresh, the car was treated to an assortment of parts, including a new timing belt, tensioner, water pump, clutch release bearing, battery, a full set of tyres, and has had the aircon system regassed. In addition to the above parts and a good service, the car was stripped back and re-undersealed, ensuring protection for many years to come. 

The car is now ready to move to its next home, is in sublime condition and performs exactly as Honda intended all those years ago. 

As is the case with the majority of imported vehicles from Japan, the majority of the paperwork isn’t present with the car at this moment in time. However, the current keeper does have extensive proof and history of work undertaken, in which the car was essentially given a full refresh. 

This included removing the engine and drivetrain, expertly fixing areas of rust and concern as you would expect to find on a vehicle of this age, and undersealing the entire car. The photos of the underside will further this, as the car is now rust-free and looks absolutely fantastic underneath. The same level of attention can be found on the inside of the wings and throughout the car. 

This car has a valid MOT until March 2023 and will come with the V5C document. 

The interior of this little Honda is in excellent condition. Believed to be original, every detail from the steering wheel to the gear knob has been preserved fantastically, and barely show signs of wear & tear. The lack of usage of switches and controls reflects the low mileage this vehicle is believed to have covered and is very refreshing for a car of this era. 

For a vehicle that is nearly 40 years old, the front seats are in fantastic condition, with only the most minor signs of age and use. The rear seats follow suit and seem to have seen even less use over the little car’s lifetime. The door cards, carpet and headliner are also exceptionally clean and help provide a bright and airy atmosphere inside the cabin.

The retro touches continue on the inside of the car, with an electronic boost gauge and period dials, all of which are in full working order and look brilliant. Perhaps best of all, you’ll have the chance to go back to the 80s with a cassette player and radio, which is in full working order. The interior is also packed full of cubby holes and storage space, such as the dashboard compartment and centre console compartments.

This Honda City looks absolutely brilliant and is in fantastic condition. It’s certainly a retro-looking car right from first glance, with its boxy wide arches, wedge-shaped front end and vinyl decals on the side of the body.

The Greek White paintwork is remarkably clean and looks spectacular from any angle. It’s a colour that is seldom seen these days, and may never in fact be seen anywhere other than early Preludes, CRXs and of course, the City. In addition to being rather rare,  it’s arguably the best colour for the car, as it accentuates the retro styling and body lines far greater than other options. 

All 4 wheels are in excellent condition and are wrapped in a new set of TOYO Proxes, giving the new owner plenty of tread to enjoy out on the road or track. All exterior trim pieces and details such as the badging are also in excellent condition, and truly help elevate this car to a much higher standard than other examples on the market.

To find a car of this age with an exterior condition rivalling that of a new car is an exceptionally rare occurrence, and this car will no doubt look at home as part of a collection or on any road.

Often nicknamed “The Bulldog”, the Honda City Turbo 2 is a tiny lightweight car that certainly packs a punch. Being the evolved version of the Turbo, this car comes with an upgraded throttle body, turbo internals, a reworked intake/intake manifold, and an intercooler for greater power and response. 

Buyers will be ecstatic to know that this mighty little Honda does indeed pack that very same punch, and performs without fault. The turbo kicks in early in the rev range, pushes you back in your seat and puts an enormous smile on your face as you run through the gears. As a passenger, you’re also greeted with a cracking soundtrack of retro turbo noises and a thoroughly enjoyable experience. 

Having recently been refreshed by the current owner, the little City has been treated to numerous parts and maintenance, including a new timing belt, tensioner, water pump, clutch release bearing, battery, a full set of tyres, and has had the aircon system regassed. As mentioned above, the car has also been stripped back, and properly re-undersealed, ensuring many more years of stress free motoring to come. 

The only room for improvement with this car is the exhaust, which has a small blow and will ideally need to be repaired or replaced. Being the original exhaust, however, the current owner has decided to leave this to the choice of the new owner, as they may opt to repair the original exhaust for authenticity purposes or replace it with a performance system.

All electrical components are also in full working order, even down to the nearly 40 years old-cassette player inside the cabin. The car has also been treated to new foglights at considerable expense, which now perform perfectly, look excellent and help tie the front end together.

Further evidence of the incredible care and preservation this car has experienced over the years is the rocket cover, which is believed to be the original finish, even after all of these years.

The Honda City Turbo 2 is a car that deserves to be considered by any collector and Japanese car enthusiast alike. This is a car that remains able to surprise modern cars with its performance on the roads and continues to stand out for its exceptional exterior, interior and mechanical condition. The car will no doubt continue to appreciate in value, and perform brilliantly for many more years to come.