CIVIC 2ND GEN

About the Civic 2nd Gen

The second-gen Civic arrived in 1979 and Honda was still figuring things out. CVCC engine technology made it one of the cleanest-running cars on the road without a catalytic converter. The 1.3 and 1.5-liter options were efficient and willing to rev. The body was angular in the way late-'70s Japanese cars were, functional rather than styled. A wagon variant called the Country joined the lineup and found its audience among people who needed space but couldn't stomach an American car. The interior was basic but well-assembled. Five-speed manual available, which was progressive for an economy car in 1979. The second gen sold well globally because it was cheap to buy, cheap to run, and didn't break. Honda was building the reputation that would pay dividends for the next forty years.