Honda Civic CVCC, 1977
Honda Civic I
Honda Civic I•
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Chassis No.: SGC3517370
Auction: Monterey 2018
Auction date: August 25, 2018
Lot No.: S8
$22,000 | Sold
- Exterior: White
- Interior: Beige
- One owner original California “Blue plate” example with just over 19,950 original miles
- Features a highly original paint job with original factory pin striping and vinyl interior
- Garage-kept
- 4-speed Manual transmission
- 1,488cc 4-cylinder engine
- Radio
- Heater
- Original documentation includes all of its original sales documents, purchase order, copy of original check, original warranty cards, sales brochure, and much more
Finding an early Honda Civic CVCC in good condition at all is a relatively difficult task, but discovering a one-owner, California “blue plate” example with less than 20,000 original miles is like finding a needle in a haystack. This 1977 Civic CVCC shows 19,925 miles and features original white paint with the original factory pinstriping and a tan vinyl interior. Garage kept, it’s equipped with the ED3 1488cc inline 4-cylinder engine and 4-speed manual transmission, a radio and a heater. Original documentation includes the sales paperwork, purchase order, copy of the original check, original warranty cards and the sales brochure.
The CVCC, or Compound Vortex Controlled Combustion, engine combined diesel technology with traditional gasoline-powered engine designs to create an engine that ran so cleanly and so efficiently that a catalytic converter was not required. First appearing in 1975, the ED1 CVCC was an engineering marvel that traced its roots to the 1970 Honda N600 hatchback. In a fuel-starved United States, the Honda CVCC was a welcome advancement that made other manufacturers take notice. The CVCC technology was impressive enough that it was added to the Mechanical Engineering Heritage of Japan.
Introduced for the 1972 model year, production ceased in 1979 with about 936,000 Civics built in various body styles. In the 1970s, rust was a problem for many cars, and Honda stepped up to the plate to offer customers free replacements of body panels that rusted. Unusually, this had the effect of making Honda a hero to a generation of customers. Weighing in at about 1,500 pounds, the Civic CVCC could achieve about 40 MPG, which, especially in the 1970s, was huge. But it was also no slouch, as the highly advanced engine could scoot a hatchback along at decent speeds and spirited driving through canyons and traffic alike, which proved relatively easy for the Civic CVCC.
