A little history
One of the most iconic cars to ever bear the Honda name, the Accord has been part of the Japanese constructor’s range since 1976. By the early Nineties, global success brought a determining split between the European and American Accords. Honda started production in Swindon, United Kingdom of an Accord that was definitely dissimilar from its counterpart sold in Japan and North America. To make thinks even more complicated, another split saw the next generation of the car being different on the American and Japanese markets… This confused situation lasted until September 2002, when the seventh-generation Accord was launched. The Swindon factory halted production of the model, and all Accords sold in Europe were made in Japan. On the other hand, the American model produced in Ohio continued to be distinct, and grew slightly bigger.
The Japanese Accord (also called Accord Euro) was available as a four-door saloon and a striking estate. Base engine was a 2.0-litre four, from which a potent 220 hp version was developed as the Euro-R, a variant that was carried over from the previous model. V6 engines remained unavailable in a car that was designed with the middle class in mind.
The American Accord didn’t see a station wagon version, but a two-door coupe, based on the shorter chassis, supplemented the four-door sedan. Standard engine was the very same 2.4-litre four that topped the Japanese and European engine ranges, while American buyers had the possibility of fitting a V6 displacing three litres under their bonnets.
In short, both Accords were willing to answer the requirements of the same markets, that of middle-class families looking for an upper mid-range saloon, though this identical need requested a larger car in America than in the rest of the world.
So I said that the introduction of the new Accord in 2002 simplified things... Well, not fully, as both cars were sold on the main market of their counterparts. That is, the Accord Euro became available on the American soil in 2004, but rebadged as the Acura TSX. The other way around, the American Accord was sold as the plush, V6-powered Honda Inspire in Japan from June 2003.
A new Accord, the eighth generation, was put on sale in December 2007, Honda retaining the U.S./Japan differentiation. Though its design is roughly similar, it is more radically edged and, consequently, more aggressive. The American version grew larger than ever, gaining a whopping ten centimetres in length and receiving a larger 3.5-litre V6 as its optional block. Though a station wagon Accord is still not available in North America, a crossover known as the Crosstour has been added at the end of 2009.
About the models
Model: Honda Accord Tourer
Year: 2003
Maker: Ebbro
Scale: 1/43
Distributed by: Ebbro, “Hot!” series ref. 433
Acquired: brand new, in December 2006, in Hong Kong, S.A.R.
A superb model by Ebbro. I promise that I tried hard, but failed to find anything to reproach to this die-cast. It’s a well-deserved 16/20.
Model: Honda Inspire V6
Year: 2003
Maker: Ebbro
Scale: 1/43
Distributed by: Ebbro, “Hot!” series
Acquired: brand new, in December 2006, in Hong Kong, S.A.R.
Ebbro proposes an Inspire that is almost equally seductive: 15/20.
One of the most iconic cars to ever bear the Honda name, the Accord has been part of the Japanese constructor’s range since 1976. By the early Nineties, global success brought a determining split between the European and American Accords. Honda started production in Swindon, United Kingdom of an Accord that was definitely dissimilar from its counterpart sold in Japan and North America. To make thinks even more complicated, another split saw the next generation of the car being different on the American and Japanese markets… This confused situation lasted until September 2002, when the seventh-generation Accord was launched. The Swindon factory halted production of the model, and all Accords sold in Europe were made in Japan. On the other hand, the American model produced in Ohio continued to be distinct, and grew slightly bigger.
The Japanese Accord (also called Accord Euro) was available as a four-door saloon and a striking estate. Base engine was a 2.0-litre four, from which a potent 220 hp version was developed as the Euro-R, a variant that was carried over from the previous model. V6 engines remained unavailable in a car that was designed with the middle class in mind.
The American Accord didn’t see a station wagon version, but a two-door coupe, based on the shorter chassis, supplemented the four-door sedan. Standard engine was the very same 2.4-litre four that topped the Japanese and European engine ranges, while American buyers had the possibility of fitting a V6 displacing three litres under their bonnets.
In short, both Accords were willing to answer the requirements of the same markets, that of middle-class families looking for an upper mid-range saloon, though this identical need requested a larger car in America than in the rest of the world.
So I said that the introduction of the new Accord in 2002 simplified things... Well, not fully, as both cars were sold on the main market of their counterparts. That is, the Accord Euro became available on the American soil in 2004, but rebadged as the Acura TSX. The other way around, the American Accord was sold as the plush, V6-powered Honda Inspire in Japan from June 2003.
A new Accord, the eighth generation, was put on sale in December 2007, Honda retaining the U.S./Japan differentiation. Though its design is roughly similar, it is more radically edged and, consequently, more aggressive. The American version grew larger than ever, gaining a whopping ten centimetres in length and receiving a larger 3.5-litre V6 as its optional block. Though a station wagon Accord is still not available in North America, a crossover known as the Crosstour has been added at the end of 2009.
About the models
Model: Honda Accord Tourer
Year: 2003
Maker: Ebbro
Scale: 1/43
Distributed by: Ebbro, “Hot!” series ref. 433
Acquired: brand new, in December 2006, in Hong Kong, S.A.R.
A superb model by Ebbro. I promise that I tried hard, but failed to find anything to reproach to this die-cast. It’s a well-deserved 16/20.
Model: Honda Inspire V6
Year: 2003
Maker: Ebbro
Scale: 1/43
Distributed by: Ebbro, “Hot!” series
Acquired: brand new, in December 2006, in Hong Kong, S.A.R.
Ebbro proposes an Inspire that is almost equally seductive: 15/20.
2 comments:
Hi Lorenzo,
Both Honda estate 7 sedan model is similiar to Odessy & Accord here in Malaysia.
"You got yourself a wonderfull collection".
Congratul....
Thanks,
Kin.
Hello Kin, nice to see you back and exploring older posts.
True, I missed the Accord-Odyssey connection. Though they're actually two different cars I could have included my model of the latter here.
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