page_title: Honda Accord
section_title: First generation (1976–1981)
hierarchical_section_title: Honda Accord / First generation (1976–1981)
caption_attribution_description: It was really great to see a Mk1 Accord at a classic car show, because it means they are finally being appreciated as the genuine Japanese classic they are. This one had a younger owner as you can see, but its condition would suggest it was in elderly or long-term ownership until quite recently.
context_page_description: The Honda Accord is a series of automobiles manufactured by Honda since 1976, best known for its four-door sedan variant, which has been one of the best-selling cars in the United States since 1989. The Accord nameplate has been applied to a variety of vehicles worldwide, including coupes, station wagons, hatchbacks and a Honda Crosstour crossover.
  Since initiation, Honda has offered several different car body styles and versions of the Accord, and often vehicles marketed under the Accord nameplate concurrently in different regions differ quite substantially. It debuted in 1976, as a compact hatchback, though this style only lasted through 1989, as the lineup was expanded to include a sedan, coupe and wagon. By the sixth-generation Accord at the end of the 1990s, it evolved into an intermediate vehicle, with one basic platform but with different bodies and proportions to increase its competitiveness against its rivals in different international markets. For the eighth-generation Accord released for the North American market in 2007, Honda had again chosen to move the model further upscale and increase its size. This pushed the Accord sedan from the upper limit of what the U.S.
context_section_description: The first-generation Honda Accord was launched on 7 May 1976, as a three-door hatchback with 68 hp (51 kW), a 93.7-inch (2,380.0 mm) wheelbase, and a weight of about 2,000 pounds. Japanese market cars claimed 80 PS (59 kW) JIS (similar to SAE Gross), while European and other export markets received a model without emissions control equipment; it claimed 80 PS as well but according to the stricter DIN norm. It was a platform expansion of the earlier Honda Civic at 4,125 mm (162 in) long. To comply with gradually tightening emission regulations enacted in Japan, the engine was fitted with Honda's CVCC technology. The Accord sold well due to its moderate size and great fuel economy. It was one of the first Japanese sedans with features like cloth seats, a tachometer, intermittent wipers, and an AM/FM radio as standard equipment. In 1978 an LX version of the hatchback was added which came with air conditioning, a digital clock, and power steering. Until the Accord, and the closely related Prelude, power steering had not been available to cars under two liters. Japanese buyers were liable for slightly more annual road tax over the smaller Civic, which had a smaller engine.
  On 14 October 1977 (a year later in the U.S. market), a four-door sedan was added to the lineup, and power went to 72 hp (54 kW) when the 1,599 cc (97.6 cu in) EF1 engine was supplemented and in certain markets replaced by the 1,751 cc (106.9 cu in) an EK1 unit, producing 72 hp (54 kW) with the GK-5 5-speed transaxle, or 68 hp (51 kW) with the 2-speed Hondamatic. Technically, the sedan was not changed from the hatchback, and the wheelbase remained the same as well. This did result in a rather long rear overhang to fit a full-sized trunk. The roof was a bit taller so as to provide more interior comfort, and the Accord Sedan was the first Honda in Japan to be offered with typically Japanese middle-class extras such as ornate hubcaps and lace seat covers.
  In the U.S. market, the sedan was available in three colors: Nivorno Beige with beige cloth interior, silver with maroon cloth interior, or dark red with maroon cloth interior. In 1980 the optional two-speed semi-automatic transmission of previous years became a three-speed fully automatic gearbox (a four-speed automatic transaxle was not used in the Accord until the 1983 model year). The North American versions had slightly redesigned bumper trim. Other changes included new grilles and taillamps and remote mirrors added on the four-door (chrome) and the LX (black plastic) models. The CVCC badges were deleted, but the CVCC induction system remained.  At the same time, California-specification engines received a four port exhaust valve head and a catalytic converter.  This version of the EK1 engine was equivalent to the 1981 49 state High-Altitude engine, with the addition of an air jet controller device that helped maintain proper mixture at higher altitudes (above 4000 feet).  The horsepower increased from 72 hp (54 kW) for 5-speed cars and 68 hp (51 kW) for automatic cars with the two port 49 state engine to 75 hp (56 kW), like the 1981-83 versions.
  In North America, the 1981 model year only brought detail changes such as new fabrics and some new color combinations. Nivorno Beige (code No. Y-39) was replaced by Oslo Ivory (No. YR-43). Dark brown was discontinued, as was the bronze metallic. A bit later in 1981 an SE 4-door model was added for the first time, with Novillo leather seats and power windows. Paint color was NH-77M Glacier Gray with gray interior.  Base model hatchbacks, along with the four-door, LX, and SE four-door, all received the same smaller black plastic remote mirror. The instrument cluster was revised with mostly pictograms which replaced worded warning lights and gauge markings. The shifter was redesigned to have a stronger spring to prevent unintentional engagement of reverse, replacing the spring-loaded shift knob of the 1976 to 1980 model year cars. Shift lever was also shortened by a couple inches, with a larger thread diameter, allowing usage of later Honda shift knobs, including t
caption: 1980 Accord sedan
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