Honda Fans Can Visit the Automaker's New Museum at Its California HQ

Chris Teague
by Chris Teague

Believe it or not, Honda’s been around in the U.S. for decades, and to Celebrate, the automaker opened the American Honda Collection Hall to show some of its most iconic models. The display will be open during regular "Cars and Coffee" events starting in October.


Honda established its first American presence in 1959, also its first business presence outside of Japan. The automaker now sells hundreds of thousands of vehicles here each year, moving more than 980,000 last year. Its headquarters in Torrance, CA, is joined by a manufacturing facility in Ohio, and the company is gearing up to release new American-market EVs in the coming years. 

The American Honda Collection Hall will house several historic models during the exhibition, including the 1070 Honda N600 Coupe, the first Honda sold in the United States, and a 1986 Acura Legend, the car that launched the brand in this country. Visitors will also see the 1997 CR-V, Honda’s first in-house SUV, and a 2006 Honda Insight, the country’s first mass-produced hybrid car. 

Of course, Honda makes all manner of motorized vehicles, so the display will also include a variety of motorcycles, power equipment, and race cars. The 1962 Honda 50/Super Cub, 1969 Honda CB750A, and 1981 Honda CBX1000 will be displayed, along with a handful of other iconic bikes. Honda will show a marine outboard motor and generator on the power equipment side and three racing cars from the 199s, including the record-breaking 1997 Acura Integra Realtime.


[Images: Honda]


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Chris Teague
Chris Teague

Chris grew up in, under, and around cars, but took the long way around to becoming an automotive writer. After a career in technology consulting and a trip through business school, Chris began writing about the automotive industry as a way to reconnect with his passion and get behind the wheel of a new car every week. He focuses on taking complex industry stories and making them digestible by any reader. Just don’t expect him to stay away from high-mileage Porsches.

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  • Lou_BC Lou_BC on Sep 13, 2023

    Does Honda make anything cool enough to warrant being in a museum that doesn't sport an Acura badge?

    1st generation Civic?

    • Theflyersfan Theflyersfan on Sep 14, 2023

      Yup. And the NSX is a Honda everywhere else in the world. I wish the del sol SiR was sold in the US. (the site is now throwing a fit with uploading pictures...oh well...)



  • IH_Fever IH_Fever on Sep 14, 2023

    I'm actually kind of shocked California allows this museum to exist as a shrine to carbon emissions spewing, planet killing, death machines. :)

    • Lou_BC Lou_BC on Sep 14, 2023

      I guess it's ok when they are parked and hermetically sealed.


  • ChristianWimmer US-spec 380SLs were especially asthmatic thanks to the emissions regulations. In Europe these were considered quite “quick” and powerful. They are slow cars by todays standards but excellent cruisers so this 380SL is perfect for someone who just wants a solid, open-top cruiser and not a weekend drag racer.IIRC the 560SL had a torque advantage over the European 500SL, but the 500SL was ultimately the quicker car.I own an ‘89 500SL R129 and despite the 326-horsepower torquey V8, it’s 0-100 km/h “performance” is held back by the 4-speed automatic and 2-ton weight. Even in their day these cars were not intended for drag racing or 0-100 km/h bragging times. They are cruisers meant to be enjoyed in a responsible manner. Plus, driving faster than 120-130 km/h with the top down or the soft top closed results in high wind noises for the former and a loud fluttering cloth top for the latter. As a result I drive a maximum of 110 km/h on the Autobahn with the top down or 120-130 km/h with the top up.
  • Tassos more lipstick on the pitiful pig...
  • Tassos While Summer officially starts w the Solstice around June 21-22, my summer has started on Monday May 6, when I started my ocean swimming season, a record early for me. Fortunately I think the water is warmer than in previous years (on Monday May 14, 2007, when I returned to my summer palace from a week's stay in Warsaw (the VIP treatment etc) I could not stand it, but did swim the next day May 15.
  • Tassos I will wait for the more understated, if not eliminated, fins of the 60s and 70s. Form Follows Function unless there is really good reason, and I fail to see anything more than a passing fad here. Good Riddance, glad current Caddys are not as juvenile in their excellent styling (that Art and Science or Whatever theme has already lasted a quarter century and still looks better than Bangle-d BMWs.
  • NotMyCircusNotMyMonkeys youll find another cult soon enough. it will be ok, tender snowflake. your tears will dry eventually :)
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