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

by Chris Teague

Published: September 13th, 2023

honda fans can visit the automaker s new museum at its california hq

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 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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4 of 18 comments

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?

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- 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...)
  
  Like
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. :)

1 Reply
- Lou_BC on Sep 14, 2023
  
  I guess it's ok when they are parked and hermetically sealed.
  
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