Descrição
1987 Honda Civic 3rd Gen 1. 3DL Automatic
• One owner from new
• Genuine 34, 560 miles
What is happiness with a classic car? Try dropping in to the cockpit of a one owner Honda Civic with a genuine 34, 000 miles and you’ll find out.
Honda introduced the Civic in 1972. It was quickly followed by the second gen Civic in 1979. It didn’t look much different, very 60s/ 70s and Honda were still learning. By the time the third gen arrived in 1983, they’d nailed it. The Civic went on to become one of the most successful cars ever produced.
HISTORY AND DOCUMENTS
This Honda Civic was first registered 1 October 1987 and was supplied by J Sheppard & Sons, Honda Main Dealer in Hove, Sussex.
The Civic has remained at the same Sussex address in Shoreham By Sea.
It was always a second car, playing second fiddle, to a larger Honda the family owned.
During its ownership it has always been garaged away.
This Honda Civic comes with:
• Original Honda Owners Manual and Warranty Cards
• Two keys
• Original sales invoice from purchase on 1 October 1987
• Service book with 6 stamps
• Invoices for servicing/ parts
• Two original Honda Civic sales brochures
Enclosed with the documents is a delightful touch; a handwritten note from the registered owners wife that confirms the history of the car that her husband bought for her almost 35 years ago.
NOTE The Civic will also have a new MOT for the winning bidder.
INTERIOR
Open the door of the Honda Civic and you will see an almost entirely original and amazingly well preserved light grey interior.
The cloth seats show no wear or damage. The rear seats look like they have barely been used, despite having been equipped with optional seatbelts when new. The carpets are also in excellent condition with very little wear and no damage. Looking at the dash area, nothing has been altered, and all the various controls operate perfectly.
The headlining is in good condition.
There is a Sony radio/ cassette (with removable front) mounted in the dash which operates as it should.
At the rear, the hinged glass opens effortlessly and stays open. The original rear shelf folds back to access the boot space below.
The grey boot carpet is clean. Beneath the carpet is a hardboard cover for the spare wheel and tools which are all there. Overall, the inside of the Civic shows the lightest wear.
EXTERIOR
We forget how much larger cars have become in the past 25 years. Study the paintwork closely and you will find just a few places that give away the age of this Honda Civic, but nothing major.
On the driver’s side rear corner, just above the indicator, you will spot some slight minor bubbling in the paint, not inconsistent for a classic of this period.
The sides of the Civic are remarkably free of dings and dents and remain straight and flat.
To be critical, the front the bumpers have minor scuff imperfections on both corners, and on close inspection we noticed some slight grazing along the factory option plastic side protection mouldings.
These are just very minor cosmetic imperfections. Our vendor is just showing the car how it is.
The glass is all intact with no chips to the screen and with original security etching to the side glass. The wheels are basic 13 inch steels with Honda logo centre caps, all in good undamaged condition and the tyres are a lightly worn set of Avons.
Looking at the underside, there is a light dusting of oxidisation on the running gear that gives away the age. The floor is flat and solid with a good covering of factory applied underseal.
Adjusted to run on unleaded fuel at racing legend John Cooper’s Honda Garage in Ferring, West Sussex in 1988.
The Civic is described as “original as could be, with hardly any signs of typical wear and tear commensurate to its age”.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
“Reading the charming handwritten note from the original owner’s wife tells us that the Civic was a treasured possession, carefully maintained and always garaged. This explains the well preserved condition, and along with the exceptionally low mileage, and regular visits to the original dealer and John Cooper garages for servicing, we can be pretty sure that the Civic will prove to be reliable. Known for their reliability in period these Hondas came from a time where if you wanted trouble free motoring, you bought Japanese!
This Civic deserves to go to someone who will appreciate the well preserved condition. perhaps it should be part of a collection of low mileage rarities? We think this is a real gem, and we hope that its new owner will carry on giving it the care and attention it has always had.”
Honda definitely nailed it with the third gen Civic, more so with the final face-lift version. It was bang-on trend and, as you can see, it has stood the test of time.
It also, of course, provided the later model launch pad for the legendary Type R and we all know that sporting Honda values are through the roof right now.
