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Triumph Acclaim

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131-615: The Triumph Acclaim is a front-wheel drive compact family saloon/sedan manufactured by British Leyland (BL) from 1981 to 1984, as a locally built version of the Honda Ballade . It was the final vehicle marketed under the Triumph marque , and the first product of the alliance between BL (later the Rover Group ) and Honda which would last until the mid 1990s. The Acclaim was the first Japanese-designed car manufactured within

262-433: A Victoria Combination . It was variously powered by 1.75 or 2.5 horsepower (1.30 or 1.86 kW) De Dion-Bouton engine or a water cooled 3.5 horsepower (2.6 kW) Aster engine. The engine was mounted on the front axle and so was rotated by the tiller steering. The name Victoria Combination described the lightweight, two-seater trailer commonly known as a Victoria, combined with the rear axle and drive mechanism from

393-544: A catalytic converter or unleaded fuel to meet 1975 Environmental Protection Agency emissions standards for hydrocarbons and carbon monoxide. The Civic was joined by a platform expansion of the three-door hatchback, called the Honda Accord in 1976. The second-generation Civic was introduced in June 1979 as a 1980 model. It was larger, had a more angular shape, and came with increased engine power. All Civic engines now used

524-455: A double wishbone to a MacPherson strut , in order to lower costs, as well as allow more engine bay room for the newly introduced Honda K-series engine . Power was also increased on some trim levels. The four main trim levels were DX, LX, EX and HX. The Civic Coupe was no longer sold in Japan starting with this generation. In North America, coupe and sedan body styles were available, except for

655-757: A subcompact , since 2000 the Civic has been categorized as a compact car . US EPA guidelines for vehicle size class stipulate a car having combined passenger and cargo room of 110 to 119.9 cubic feet (3,110 to 3,400 L) is considered a mid-size car , and as such the tenth generation Civic sedan is technically a small-end mid-size car, although it still competes in the compact class. In Insurance Bureau of Canada 's report on top 10 most stolen vehicles in 2005, 2000 Honda Civic Si 2-door, 1999 Honda Civic Si coupe , 1994 Honda Civic Si 2-door Hatchback, 1995 Honda Civic Si 2-door Hatchback were listed as ranks #1, #2, #5, #8 respectively. The Honda Civic has also consistently been

786-501: A "breadbox" because of its appearance, called the Honda Civic Shuttle . An additional two-seat coupe style—labeled CRX —was introduced, noted for its compact dimensions and light weight. The third generation Civic saw the introduction of the long running four-cylinder D series engine including a new 1.5 L (91.5 cu in) CVCC engine producing 76 HP. 1984 also saw the release of a high-performance Si model for

917-457: A century for the first experiments with mobile internal combustion engines to gain traction. Sometime between 1895 and 1898 the Austrian brothers and bicycle producers Franz, Heinrich and Karl Gräf (see Gräf & Stift ) commissioned the technician Josef Kainz to build a voiturette with a one-cylinder De Dion-Bouton engine fitted in the front of the vehicle, powering the front axle . It

1048-562: A cheaper, and even more successful Trumpf Junior model, which sold over 100,000 in August 1939, and in the same year Citroën introduced the very successful Traction Avant models in France, over time selling them in the hundred thousands. Hupmobile made 2 experimental models with front-wheel drive in 1932 and 1934, but neither came into production In the late 1930s, the Cord 810/812 of

1179-456: A flexibly located electronically controlled cooling fan. This configuration was pioneered by Dante Giacosa in the 1964 Autobianchi Primula and popularized with the Fiat 128 . Fiat promoted in its advertising that mechanical features consumed only 20% of the vehicle's volume and that Enzo Ferrari drove a 128 as his personal vehicle. The 1959 Mini used a substantially different arrangement with

1310-915: A large analog tachometer that surrounds a digital speedometer and other digital displays. The eleventh-generation Civic sedan was revealed as a prototype in November 2020. The production version was revealed in June 2021, in both sedan and liftback (marketed as the Civic Hatchback) body styles. North American sales began the same month, followed by Southeast Asia in August, Japan and China in September, and Australia and New Zealand in December. Sales in Pakistan began in March 2022, while European sales began in late 2022. The liftback body style (marketed as

1441-721: A maker of sporty compact models. Starting in 2002, the Civic three-door hatchback has been built exclusively at Honda's manufacturing plant in Swindon , England – previously the five-door Civic/Domani and the Civic Aerodeck (based on the Japanese Orthia) were built in this plant for sale in Europe along with the Japanese Civics. Accordingly, all instances of the current model (left or right hand drive, anywhere in

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1572-441: A massive increase in grip and handling over all but the most expensive cars on the market. It initially used flexing rubber instead of needle rollers at the inboard universal joints of the driveshafts but later changed to needle rollers, and GKN designed constant-velocity joint at each outboard end of the drive shafts to allow for steering movement. The Mini revived the use of front-wheel drive which had been largely abandoned since

1703-471: A more powerful transverse engine: accordingly, faster versions featured longitudinally mounted (north–south) engines. Despite these developments, however, by the end of the 1980s, almost all major European and Japanese manufacturers had converged around the Fiat-pioneered system of a transversely mounted engine with an "end-on" transmission with unequal length driveshafts. For example, Renault dropped

1834-785: A motor tricycle that was placed in front to achieve front wheel drive. It also known as the Eureka . By 1899 Victoria Combinations were participating in motoring events such as the 371 km (231 mi) Paris– St Malo race, finishing 23rd overall and second(last) in the class. In October a Victoria Combination won its class in the Paris-Rambouillet-Paris event, covering the 100-kilometre course at 26 km/h (16 mph). In 1900 it completed 240 kilometres (150 mi) non-stop at 29 km/h (18 mph). When production ceased in mid-1901, over 400 units had been sold for 3,000 Francs (circa $ 600) each. A different concept

1965-717: A new nameplate, changing from the Acura EL to the Acura CSX . As of 2006, a total of 16.5 million Civics had been sold worldwide, with 7.3 million of them in the United States. The ninth-generation Civic consists of four body styles, which are sedan , coupe , hatchback and station wagon marketed as the Civic Tourer. The latter two makes up for the European-market Civic range built in

2096-532: A redesigned Civic was introduced with increased dimensions and a lower hood line. A wide range of models and trim levels were offered for various markets around the world. The most notable of which was the Japanese market SiR (featuring the B16A 1.6-liter DOHC VTEC 4-cylinder engine). All U.S. models featured electronic fuel injection , but carbureted models were still available elsewhere. The fourth-generation saw

2227-656: A reputation for being fuel-efficient, reliable and environmentally friendly, later iterations have become known for performance and sportiness, especially the Civic Si, SiR, and Type R versions. The Civic has been repeatedly rebadged for international markets, and served as the basis for the Honda CR-X , the Honda CR-X del Sol , the Concerto , the first generation Prelude , the Civic Shuttle (later to become

2358-519: A short-term product until all-new products were ready for launch. On 26 December 1979, Michael Edwardes officially signed a collaboration between the two companies. The new car would be essentially be a licence-built version of the Honda Ballade (itself derived from the second generation Honda Civic ), but with some modifications for the European market and locally sourced content. It replaced

2489-460: A smaller, dedicated version for the European market. Instead, the Swindon plant in UK produced a five-door hatchback version of the globally-marketed Civic for international markets. The sedan model was first unveiled in the U.S. in September 2015, for the 2016 model year. The tenth-generation Civic features a new fastback exterior design, with the rear C-pillar flowing into the tailgate. The front of

2620-583: A synchronized 6th gear, called "SL", or "Super-Low", which was used for high torque at very low speeds. The "Realtime" idea is still utilized to this day but includes technological improvements since the first system. Starting with 1985, Japanese Civics were now exclusive to Honda Primo , with variants sold at Honda Verno and Honda Clio . A four-door version called the Ballade was built, under agreement, by Mercedes-Benz South Africa, models were 1300, 1500, 1500i and 1600i DOHC 1.6 injection. In September 1987,

2751-576: A transverse-mounted engine behind the front axle. This design would continue for 3 decades in Germany. Buckminster Fuller adopted rear-engine, front-wheel drive for his three Dymaxion Car prototypes. Other German car producers followed: Stoewer offered a car with front-wheel drive in 1931, Adler in 1932 and Audi in 1933. Versions of the Adler Trumpf sold five-figure numbers from 1932 to 1938, totalling over 25,600 units. In 1934, Adler added

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2882-702: A transversely installed engine was the Suzuki Suzulight , which was a small "city" car, called a kei car in Japanese. In 1955, the Polish producer FSO in Warsaw introduced the front-wheel-driven Syrena of its own design. In 1959 Austin Mini was launched by the British Motor Corporation , designed by Alec Issigonis as a response to the first oil crisis, the 1956 Suez Crisis , and

3013-438: A two-speed semi-automatic Honda had previously called the " Hondamatic ". The second generation Civic was offered as a three-door hatchback, a four-door sedan, a five-door hatchback and a five-door wagon. The third-generation Civic was released in September 1983 for the 1984 model year. The separate five-door hatchback and wagon models were merged into a five-door "shuttle wagon" or "wagovan" sometimes referred to colloquially as

3144-424: Is a form of engine and transmission layout used in motor vehicles, in which the engine drives the front wheels only. Most modern front-wheel-drive vehicles feature a transverse engine , rather than the conventional longitudinal engine arrangement generally found in rear-wheel-drive and four-wheel-drive vehicles. By far the most common layout for a front-wheel-drive car is with the engine and transmission at

3275-644: Is a series of automobiles manufactured by Honda since 1972. As of 2023 , the Civic is positioned between the Honda Fit / City and Honda Accord in Honda's global passenger car line-up. The first-generation Civic was introduced in July 1972 as a two-door fastback sedan, followed by a three-door hatchback that September. With a 1,169 cc transverse engine and front-wheel drive , the car provided good interior space despite overall small dimensions. Initially gaining

3406-453: Is available as a three and five-door. Both Si and Type R trim levels continued although the Japanese and European Type R, while sharing the same engine size, are mechanically different. In the United States, an improved, sportier version of the Civic Si 4-door tuned by tuner Mugen was offered, featuring cosmetic alterations and changes to the suspension, wheels, slight exterior differences, and exhaust system. A Canadian-only Acura model received

3537-703: Is called the Honda Stream . In Canada, the sixth and seventh generation Civics were mildly redesigned to create the Acura EL until the advent of the eight generation Civic, which was used to create the Acura CSX , which was designed in Canada. Honda Japan adopted the CSX styling for the Civic in its home country. The three-door hatchback body style has been somewhat unpopular in the United States, but has achieved wide acceptance in Canada, as well as popularity in Japan and European markets, helping cement Honda's reputation as

3668-491: Is near the centre of the car, making the main component of its moment of inertia relatively low). Another result of this design is a lengthened chassis. Except for Citroën, after the 1930s, front-wheel drive would largely be abandoned for the following twenty years. Save the interruption of World War II , Citroën built some 3 ⁄ 4 million Traction Avants through 1957; adding their cheap 2CV people's car in 1948, and introducing an equally front-wheel driven successor for

3799-421: Is possibly the world's first front-wheel-drive automobile, but it never saw series production, with just one prototype made. In 1898, Latil , in France, devised a front-wheel-drive system for motorising horse-drawn carts. In 1899 the inventor Henry Sutton designed and built one of Australia's first cars, called The Sutton Autocar. This car may have been the first front-wheel-drive car in the world. Henry's car

3930-463: The 1973 oil crisis , consumer demand for fuel efficient vehicles was high, and because of the engine being able to run on either leaded or unleaded fuel, it gave drivers fuel choice flexibility over other vehicles. The Compound Vortex Controlled Combustion (CVCC) engine debuted in December 1973, with a head design that allowed for more efficient combustion, and as a benefit the CVCC system did not require

4061-450: The Acura EL is based on the Civic, and was replaced by the CSX in 2006. The seventh-generation Civic was released in September 2000, for the 2001 model year. While the redesign retained the previous generation's exterior dimensions, interior space was improved in part by using a flat rear floor thus bumping up Civic to a compact car size segment. The front suspension was changed from that of

Triumph Acclaim - Misplaced Pages Continue

4192-475: The British Motor Corporation – moved over to the industry-standard solution for the Austin Maestro in 1983, and all its subsequent front-wheel-drive models. By reducing drivetrain weight and space needs, vehicles could be made smaller and more efficient without sacrificing acceleration. Integrating the powertrain with a transverse as opposed to a longitudinal layout, along with unibody construction and

4323-612: The Cadillac lineup) back to rear-wheel drive. There were relatively few rear-wheel-drive cars marketed in North America by the early 1990s; Chrysler 's car line-up was entirely front-wheel drive by 1990. GM followed suit in 1996 where its B-body line was phased out, where its sports cars (Camaro, Firebird, Corvette) were the only RWDs marketed; by the early 2000s, the Chevrolet Corvette and Cadillac Catera were

4454-750: The Compact Car Best Buy for the sixth year in a row. In 2022, Honda Civic was chosen as the Scottish Car of the Year. Civics have been used for racing ever since their introduction. Civics contested the Up to 1300cc class in the Bathurst 1000 touring car race at Bathurst in Australia each year from 1973 to 1976, with a best placing of second in class in both 1974 and 1976. In recent years

4585-492: The Douvrin engines used in the larger Renaults (20, 21, 25 and 30) used this longitudinal "forward" layout. The Saab Saab 99 , launched in 1968, also used a longitudinal engine with a transmission underneath with helical gears. The 1966 Oldsmobile Toronado was the first U.S. front-wheel-drive car since the Cord 810 . It used a longitudinal engine placement for its V8, coupled with an unusual "split" transmission, which turned

4716-907: The European Economic Community (now the European Union ), to bypass Japan's voluntary limit of 11 per cent market of the total number of European sales. It was a major turnaround point for BL itself, achieving both reliability and high build quality from the outset. Assembled at the Pressed Steel Fisher Plant at Cowley , Oxford, the Acclaim paved the way for the Honda-based, Rover -badged range of cars which BL (and successor organisations Austin Rover and Rover Group ) would develop throughout

4847-578: The Fiat 128 featured a transverse-mounted engine with unequal-length drive shafts and an innovative clutch release mechanism – an arrangement which Fiat had strategically tested on a previous production model, the Primula , from its less market-critical subsidiary, Autobianchi . Ready for production in 1964, the Primula featured a gear train offset from the differential and final drive with unequal length drive shafts . The layout enabled

4978-617: The Great Depression , by 1932 the Cord L-29 was discontinued, with just 4,400 sold. The 1929 Ruxton sold just 200 cars built that year. The first successful consumer application came in 1929. The BSA (Birmingham Small Arms Company) produced the unique front-wheel-drive BSA three-wheeler. Production continued until 1936 during which time sports and touring models were available. In 1931 the DKW F1 from Germany made its debut, with

5109-537: The Honda Civic . This engine was a member of the Honda CVCC family, although the cast alloy rocker cover with Honda branding was replaced with a plain black pressed steel item for the Acclaim to disguise the car's Honda origins. The engine drove the front wheels through either a five-speed manual gearbox or a three-speed Trio-matic (which was a manually selectable automatic transmission ) gearbox (the same as

5240-590: The Hondamatic ) and the interior was nearly identical (except for the seats). The usual BL trim levels were offered: L, HL, HLS and the top of the range CD, which had front and rear electric windows, chrome bumpers, headlamp washers, 165/70 tyres (the L had 145/80 tyres and the HL & HLS had 155/80 tyres), plastic wheel trims, velour upholstery with seat pockets on the back of the front seats, front seat head restraints and optional air conditioning. The car remained largely

5371-623: The Orthia ) and the CR-V (which, by extension, was used as the basis for the Honda FR-V ). The Civic is one of the all-time best-selling automobiles in the world, with over 28 million units sold since 1972 as of 2024. [REDACTED] Honda, after establishing itself as a leading manufacturer of motorcycles during the 1950s, began production of automobiles in 1963. Honda introduced its N360 minicar, compliant with Kei car specifications for

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5502-620: The Prince Motor Company also developed a transmission-in-sump type layout for its first front wheel drive model, which after the company's takeover by Nissan , emerged as the Datsun 100A (Cherry) in 1971. In 1960 Lancia could evolve the project CemsaF11 of Antonio Fessia with the innovative Lancia Flavia for first time with motor Boxer on auxiliary frame for low centre of gravity. This scheme continued in Lancia until 1984 with

5633-458: The Taunus   P4 . The 1965 Triumph 1300 was designed for a longitudinal engine with the transmission underneath. Audi has also used a longitudinally mounted engine overhung over the front wheels since the 1970s. Audi is one of the few manufacturers which still uses this particular configuration. It allows the use of equal-length half shafts and the easy addition of all-wheel drive , but has

5764-839: The Tracta constant-velocity joint in 1926. In October 1928 a sensation at the 22nd Paris Motor Show was the Bucciali TAV-6. Six years before the appearance of the Citroën Traction Avant and more than two years before the launch of the DKW F1, the Bucciali TAV-6 featured front-wheel drive. Both German makers DKW in 1931 and Adler in 1933 bought Tracta licenses for their first front-wheel-drive cars. Imperia in Belgium and Rosengart in France manufactured

5895-649: The Triumph Dolomite , which had finished production a year when the Canley plant in Coventry was closed down. The Acclaim was officially launched by BL on 7 October 1981. The Maxi had just been withdrawn from production at this stage, with Allegro production ending in March 1982. The end of Dolomite and TR7 production meant that the Acclaim was the only car to wear the Triumph badge after 1981. The Acclaim

6026-399: The VTEC-E . The Japanese Si featured a 1.6-liter DOHC non-VTEC valve train D16A9 . Continuing in the sporty tradition of the original Civic SiR, Honda sold several similarly equipped variants of the fifth generation car, still referred to as the Civic SiR, in Japan, Asia and Europe. In South Africa, MBSA (Mercedes Benz of SA) built the Civic as the Ballade only in 4-door sedan. A special model

6157-414: The "Civic Hatchback") was unveiled on June 23, 2021. This generation is also the first Civic since the second-generation not to offer a coupe version due to its declining sales. The sedan is not offered in Japan, Europe or Australia following low sales of its predecessor. While the Civic is sold in largely the same form worldwide, differences in the name of the models exist between markets. In Japan,

6288-443: The 1930s. The transversely mounted engine combined with front-wheel drive was popularized by the 1959 Mini ; there the transmission was built into the sump of the engine, and drive was transferred to it via a set of primary gears . Another variant transmission concept was used by Simca in the 1960s keeping the engine and transmission in line, but transverse mounted and with unequal length driveshafts. This has proven itself to be

6419-493: The 1948 Saab 92 . In 1946, English car company Lloyd cars produced the Lloyd 650 , a front-wheel-drive roadster. The two-stroke, two-cylinder motor was mounted transversely in the front and connected to the front wheels through a four-speed synchronised gearbox. The high price and lacklustre performance doomed its production. Only 600 units were produced from 1946 to 1950. In 1946 in Italy, Antonio Fessia created his Cemsa Caproni F11 , with 7 examples produced. His innovation

6550-431: The 1980s and 1990s. The development process began in 1978, when British Leyland entered into negotiations with Honda to develop a new small family saloon. Although the Acclaim officially replaced the Triumph Dolomite , BL's mainstream products in the segment were the Austin Allegro and Austin Maxi - both of which were outdated and nearing the end of a long production run. The Acclaim was therefore originally intended as

6681-420: The 1986 Ford Taurus . By the mid-1980s, most formerly rear-wheel-drive Japanese models were front-wheel drive, and by the mid-1990s, most American brands only sold a handful of rear-wheel-drive models. The vast majority of front-wheel-drive vehicles today use a transversely mounted engine with "end-on" mounted transmission, driving the front wheels via driveshafts linked via constant velocity (CV) joints , and

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6812-460: The 30th anniversary of the launch of the Acclaim, 23 Acclaims were gathered at the Cowley works where the cars were built and the Heritage Motor Centre. This included the oldest known surviving Acclaim, the first Avon Turbo, the final production Acclaim and the only known nut-and-bolt restored Acclaim. By mid 2020, 125 Triumph Acclaims were left on the road, with a further 258 registered as SORN. Front-wheel drive Front-wheel drive ( FWD )

6943-410: The Adler under the licenses using the Tracta CV joints. During the second World War, all British vehicles, U.S. Jeeps made by Ford and Dodge command cars used Tracta CV joints. Russia and Germany also used the Tracta CV joints, but without the licensing. The United States only saw a few limited production experiments like the Cord L-29 of 1929, the first American front-wheel-drive car to be offered to

7074-412: The CVCC design, which added a third valve per cylinder; this introduced lean-burn swirl technology . This generation was available with a 1,335 cc ("1300") engine and with an optional 1,488 cc ("1500") version; power outputs varied considerably between Japan, Europe, North America, and other markets. Three transmissions were offered: a four-speed manual (on base models), a five-speed manual, and

7205-414: The Civic has been used in a wide variety of racing series, particularly in Japan. It is also used in touring car races in Europe and the United States. The Civic has been used in the UK in endurance series by teams such as Barwell Motorsport and Cartek Motorsport. In 2002, JAS Motorsport entered the European Touring Car Championship (ETCC) with a Super 2000 spec Civic and was used until restart season of

7336-440: The Civic or Civic-derived models have been sold by marques other than Honda – for example, Rover sold the 200 , 400 and 45 , each of which were Civic-based at some point (first 200s were the second generation Ballade; from 1990 the 200 and 400 were based on the Concerto; the 400 was the 1995 Domani), as was their predecessor, the Triumph Acclaim , based on the first Honda Ballade. The Honda Domani, an upscale model based on

7467-608: The Civic with new exterior and interior improvements in late 2012 for the 2013 model year. The ninth-generation Civic was never introduced in Japan, except the 750-unit limited run Civic Type R sold in 2015. A hybrid version was also available for the sedan model, equipped with a larger 1.5-liter i-VTEC engine that produces 90 hp and 97 lb ft of torque and a lithium-ion battery, is rated at 44 mpg ‑US (5.3 L/100 km; 53 mpg ‑imp ) in combined city and highway EPA test cycle, an improvement of 3 mpg ‑US (3.6 mpg ‑imp ) over

7598-451: The Civic's FF-compact design to produce the larger and more upmarket Accord (1976) and Prelude (1978) models. In Japan, the Civic was the first fully modern compact car in the European style, offering a level of prestige never before seen in this class in the market. The Civic quickly inspired Japanese domestic manufacturers to respond in kind, with models like the Mazda Familia AP , Daihatsu Charade , and Mitsubishi Mirage . Previously

7729-449: The Civic, was sold as the Isuzu Gemini in Japan (1992–2000), and confusingly the 5-door Domani was sold as the Honda Civic (along with the "real" hatchback and sedan Civics) in Europe from 1995 to 2000. In Thailand, the sixth generation Civic was available as the four-door Isuzu Vertex. The sixth-generation station wagon was sold as the Honda Orthia , with the Partner as the downmarket commercial variant. The seventh generation minivan model

7860-407: The GX. In the United States, model year 1996 to 2000 the Civic was sold under the CX, DX, EX, EXR, HX, LX, and for Canada, SE, and Si trims; all base models were made with 1.6-liter 4-cylinder engines. The EX-CX are all SOHC ( Honda D engine ). The CX, DX and LX all have SOHC (D16Y7) 4-cylinder engines; whereas the EX has a 1.6L 16-valve SOHC VTEC ( D16Y8 ) engine producing 127 hp (95 kW), and

7991-413: The HX has a D16Y5 VTEC-E engine producing 115 hp (86 kW). The USDM Si and Canadian SiR came with a 1.6L 16-valve DOHC VTEC (B16A2) engine producing 160 hp (119 kW). The first Civic Si coupe EM1 was introduced in 1999 and was produced until 2000. Europe saw a DOHC 1.6 VTi hatchback and sedan and a DOHC 1.8L engine was available for the Domani related 5-door liftback and estate. In Canada,

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8122-424: The Hybrid version is manufactured in Japan. In Brazil, although being considered for local manufacturing since the early 1980s (it was illegal to import cars in Brazil from 1973 until 1990), the Civic wasn't available until 1992, via official importing. In 1997, production of the sixth generation Civic sedan started in the Sumaré (a city near Campinas, in the state of São Paulo) factory. The only differences between

8253-438: The Japanese market, featuring upgraded suspension and the 1.6 L (97.6 cu in) double overhead camshaft (DOHC) ZC engine which was rated at 130 PS (128 HP). Si models were offered in the U.S. as a 3-door Civic Si hatchback and the CRX Si variant with a 91 horsepower (68 kW) single overhead camshaft (SOHC) 12-valve engine with programmed fuel injection . A 4WD configuration with different transmission mounts

8384-403: The Japanese market, for the 1967 model year. The car had a transverse-mounted front-engine, front-wheel-drive (FF) layout, which would be adopted for the later Honda 1300 (1970) and Civic (1972) models. The Civic gave Honda their first market success competing with manufacturers of standard compact cars, which was a growth segment as sales of kei cars plateaued and waned in the early 1970s. It

8515-404: The Japanese model and the Brazilian model were a slightly higher ground clearance because of the country's road conditions and adaptations to make the engine suitable to Brazilian commercial gasoline, which contains about 25% ethanol (E25) , and the absence of sunroof in the Brazilian sixth generation Civic EX. The seventh generation production started in 2001, displacing the Chevrolet Vectra from

8646-489: The Mercosur. Furthermore, the Brazilian subsidiary began producing flex-fuel versions for the Civic and the Fit models, capable of running on any blend of gasoline ( E20 to E25 blend in Brazil) and ethanol up to E100 . The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) in the United States has determined frontal crash test ratings of Honda Civics of different model years. The eighth-generation Civic sedan's crash test performance has been rated highly by both

8777-451: The North American market, for the 2006 model year. For the eighth-generation, Honda split the model into two different platforms, one for sedan and coupe, and one for a hatchback designed primarily for the European market using a simpler rear suspension from the Honda Fit and more aggressive styling. Although the North American and the Asia-Pacific model slightly differ in front and rear styling, they are mechanically identical. The hatchback

8908-426: The Si (SiR in Canada) which was offered only as a three-door hatchback. The rest of the world received three- and five-door hatchbacks. The Type R was redesigned as well this time using a more powerful i-VTEC engine and using the three-door hatchback body style. This generation saw Honda introduce their first Civic Hybrid , powered by a 1.3-liter engine. The eighth-generation Civic was released in September 2005 in

9039-562: The Sydney motoring industry and invented a system that used a "spherical radial gear" that was fitted to what is believed to have been a Standard (built by the Standard Motor Company of England). A photo of the car with the system fitted is available from the Mitchell Library and the patent design drawing is still available from the Australian Patent Office. reference; "Gilltraps Australian Cars from 1879 – A history of cars built in Australia" (authors Gilltrap T and M) ISBN 0 85558 936 1 (Golden Press Pty Ltd) The next application of front-wheel drive

9170-424: The TA, the DS model, in 1955. Front-wheel drive continued with the 1948 Citroën 2CV , where the air-cooled lightweight aluminium flat twin engine was mounted ahead of the front wheels, but used Hooke type universal joint driveshaft joints, and 1955 Citroën DS , featuring the mid-engine layout. Panhard of France, DKW of Germany and Saab of Sweden offered exclusively front-wheel-drive cars, starting with

9301-609: The U.S. government's NHTSA and the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety . The IIHS awarded the Civic sedan with a rating of "good" on both frontal and side impact crash tests and lists the Civic as the second-best 2007 small car in overall crashworthiness . The Civic coupe is rated "acceptable" in the side impact test. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) crash test ratings Frontal impact: [REDACTED] Side impact front seat: [REDACTED] Side impact rear seat: [REDACTED] Rollover: [REDACTED] In Australia, 1984–2005 Civics were assessed in

9432-597: The UK. The hatchback version forms a basis for a Civic Type R (FK2) model , which was released later in 2015. The production version of the ninth-generation Civic sedan and coupe first went on sale in the U.S. on April 20, 2011, for the 2012 model year. The model was developed during the height of the global financial crisis, which led Honda to believe that consumers specifically in North America would be willing to forego upscale content and quality in new vehicles as long as they were fuel efficient and affordable. Following criticisms regarding quality and refinement, Honda updated

9563-549: The United States managed a bit better than its predecessor one decade earlier. These vehicles featured a layout that places the engine behind the transmission, running "backwards," (save for the Cord, which drove the transmission from the front of the engine). The basic front-wheel-drive layout provides sharp turning, and better weight distribution creates "positive handling characteristics" due to its low polar inertia and relatively favourable weight distribution. (The heaviest component

9694-557: The United States, and even competed in the 1906 Vanderbilt Cup and the French Grand Prix . In 1912 he began manufacturing a line of wheeled fire engine tractors which used his front-wheel-drive system, but due to lack of sales this venture failed. In Australia in 1915 G.J. Hoskins designed and was granted a patent for his front-wheel-drive system. Based in Burwood NSW Mr Hoskins was a prominent member of

9825-508: The Used Car Safety Ratings 2006 on their level of occupant protection regardless of size or era. From 2007 onwards, Honda Civics have been assessed and given an ANCAP rating. Despite being a modest car, the Civic is popular as a platform for modification and customization by the enthusiast community . Readily available parts and interchangeability allows for easy engine swaps and many other upgrades. Honda Civic EX

9956-641: The Year awards. The Civic also won the North American Car of the Year and the North American International Auto Show (NAIAS) Car of the Year awards for 2006. In November 2006, the Civic received the prestigious "Car of The Year" award from Brazilian magazine Auto Esporte. The four-door Civic VXi sedan won the South African Car of the Year award for 2007. Kelley Blue Book named the 2020 Honda Civic

10087-400: The Year . In 2006, the Civic earned the 2007 " Semperit Irish Car of the Year " title. In 1996, Automobile Magazine honored the Civic as its Automobile of the Year. The Civic has been on Car and Driver magazine's yearly Ten Best list six times, in 1985, 1988–91, and 1996. The Civic Si was named "Best New Sport Car" and the sedan was named "Best New Economy Car" in the 2006 Canadian Car of

10218-464: The amount of British-sourced content within the Acclaim gradually increased over its production life. The most notable outward change from the Honda was the appearance of a central badge on the grille. At the time, the Japanese model had "Honda" to the right-hand side of the grille. Other changes included twin Keihin carburettors (the Ballade had only a single carburettor), the mirrors were situated on

10349-429: The boom in bubble cars that followed. It was the first production front-wheel-drive car with a watercooled inline four-cylinder engine mounted transversely. This allowed eighty percent of the floor plan for the use of passengers and luggage. The majority of modern cars use this configuration. Its progressive rate rubber sprung independent suspension, low centre of gravity, and wheel at each corner with radial tyres, gave

10480-488: The car features a new chrome wing design that flows across the top of the headlamps. Civic body styles include sedan, coupe, five-door hatchback, while performance models include Si trims and Type R models . The hatchback version saw its re-introduction in the North American market for the first time since 2000, along with the first Type R model ever sold in the region, both imported from the UK. The interior of

10611-442: The disadvantage that it makes it difficult to achieve 50/50 weight distribution (although they remedy this in four-wheel-drive models by mounting the gearbox at the rear of the transaxle ). The Subaru 1000 appeared in 1966 using front-wheel drive mated to a flat-4 engine, with the driveshafts of equal length extending from the transmission, which addressed some of the issues of the powertrain being somewhat complex and unbalanced in

10742-456: The doors, the independent front and rear MacPherson strut suspension was tweaked for the UK market and the seats were based on Morris Ital frames. The Acclaim was provided in a more luxurious interior trim than its Honda equivalent, even in its base models. The brakes were disc at the front and drum at the rear. All Acclaims were powered by the transverse-mounted all alloy and overhead-cam 1,335 cc (81.5 cu in) engine found in

10873-454: The earlier ones. There was a limited-edition Avon Acclaim, getting its name from Avon coachbuilders of Warwick who did the conversion work, that had leather seats with piping to match the body colour, leather door panels, wooden and leather trimmed dashboard, wooden door cappings, two-tone metallic paint, colour-coded wheels with chrome embellishers, chrome-plated grille, colour-coded headlamp surrounds, vinyl roof and extra soundproofing. There

11004-583: The eighth best selling car in 1983. The demise of the Acclaim came in June 1984 when the Rover 200 was launched, based on the next incarnation of the Honda Ballade . A total of 133,625 Acclaims were produced, the vast majority of which were sold in the UK. The last Acclaim off the production line (a silver CD with the Trio-matic) is now in the Heritage Motor Centre . The Acclaim's demise saw

11135-534: The end of the Triumph marque as a car (although the name continues in motorcycles ), as Austin Rover's restructuring retained only the Austin , Rover and MG marques, and by 1989 even the Austin marque had been axed. Earlier in 1984, Austin Rover had confirmed that the Triumph brand would be discontinued when the Acclaim was replaced, and its successor would be badged as a Rover. On Sunday 9 October 2011, to celebrate

11266-557: The end production of Lancia Gamma and successfully cloned until today by Subaru . Lancia, however also made front-wheel drive its flagship even in sport cars as the winner of the Rally, Lancia Fulvia , and then with large-scale models with excellent road qualities and performances including Lancia Beta , Lancia Delta , Lancia Thema including the powerful Lancia Thema 8.32 with engine Ferrari and all subsequent models. Ford introduced front-wheel drive to its European customers in 1962 with

11397-439: The engine and gearbox to be located side by side without sharing lubricating fluid while orienting the cooling fan toward fresh air flow. By using the Primula as a test-bed, Fiat was able to sufficiently resolve the layout's disadvantages, including uneven side-to-side power transmission, uneven tire wear and potential torque steer , the tendency for the power of the engine alone to steer the car under heavy acceleration. The problem

11528-748: The engine compartment – the Alfa Romeo Alfasud (and its replacement, the 1983 Alfa 33 as well as the Alfa 145/146 up to the late 1990s) also used the same layout. Honda also introduced several small front-wheel drive vehicles, with the N360 and N600 , the Z360 and Z600 in 1967, the Honda 1300 in 1969, followed by the Honda Civic in 1972 and the Honda Accord in 1976. Also in the 1970s and 1980s,

11659-412: The engine driving the front wheels through an offset final drive and unequal-length driveshafts, combined with MacPherson struts and an independently located radiator – subsequently became common with competitors and arguably an industry standard. The Corporate Average Fuel Economy standard drove a mass changeover of cars in the U.S. to front-wheel drive. The change began in 1978, with

11790-517: The engine power 180 degrees. Power then went to a differential mounted to the transmission case, from which half-shafts took it to the wheels. The driveline was set fairly at centre-point of the wheels for better weight distribution, though this raised the engine, requiring lowered intake systems. Little known outside of Italy, the Primula is today primarily known for innovating the modern economy-car layout. – Hemmings Motor News , August 2011 Front-wheel-drive layout had been highly impacted by

11921-533: The engine. The layout often required the engine be removed to service the clutch. This Active Tourer MPV wants to be more stable than a BMW M3, and using the Dante Giacosa-pattern front-wheel-drive layout compacts the mechanicals and saves space for people in the reduced overall length of what will surely become a production 1-series tall-sedan crossover. – Robert Cumberford , Automobile Magazine , March 2013 As engineered by Dante Giacosa ,

12052-402: The front axles of almost every four-wheel or all-wheel drive vehicle. Neither automobile was particularly successful in the open market. In spite of the Cord's hallmark innovation, using CV joints, and being competitively priced against contemporaneous alternatives, the buyers demographic were expecting more than the car's 80 mph (130 km/h) top speed, and combined with the effect of

12183-468: The front of the car, mounted transversely. Other layouts of front-wheel drive that have been occasionally produced are a front-engine mounted longitudinally, a mid-engine layout and a rear-engine layout. Experiments with front-wheel-drive cars date to the early days of the automobile. The world's first self-propelled vehicle, Nicolas-Joseph Cugnot 's 1769/1770 "fardier à vapeur" , was a front-wheel-driven three-wheeled steam-tractor. It then took at least

12314-583: The hatchback Civic is just called "Civic" while the sedan model was called the Civic Ferio ( ) during the fifth to seventh generations. The sixth-generation sedan was also sold as the Integra SJ . In Europe and the United States, "Civic" generically refers to any model, though in Europe the coupe is branded the "Civic Coupe". A four-door station wagon model called the Civic Shuttle (also Civic Pro in Japan)

12445-664: The introduction of a fully independent rear suspension across the entire model range. In addition, the Honda CRX continued to be part of the Civic family which included the base model, HF and Si model in the U.S.A / four door version called the Ballade was built, under agreement, by Mercedes-Benz South Africa / models were 1500 16V, 1600i 16V and 1600i 16V DOHC. The first 800 cars produced at the then brand new Honda plant in Alliston, Ontario, Canada were SE model cars. These Special Edition models included all white side molding that matched

12576-493: The introduction of the first American-built transverse-engined cars, the Plymouth Horizon and Dodge Omni (based on the European designed Simca Horizon ), followed by the 1980 Chevrolet Citation and numerous other vehicles. Meanwhile, European car makers, that had moved to front-wheel drive decades before, began to homogenize their engine arrangement only in this decade, leaving Saab , Audi (and Volkswagen ) as

12707-527: The model on which almost all modern FWD vehicles are now based. Peugeot and Renault on their jointly developed small car engine of the 1970s where the 4-cylinder block was canted over to reduce the overall height of the engine with the transmission mounted on the side of the crankcase in what became popularly known as the "suitcase" arrangement ( PSA X engine ). The tendency of this layout to generate unwanted transmission "whine" has seen it fall out of favour. Also, clutch changes required engine removal. In Japan,

12838-459: The most popular passenger vehicle in Canada. In Japan, as customers increasingly shifted to minivans and compact cars like the Fit, production of the non-hybrid Civic ended in August 2010. However, the Civic was reintroduced into the Japanese market with the launch of the tenth-generation model in 2017. The first-generation Civic was introduced on 11 July 1972, but sold as a 1973 model in Japan. It

12969-416: The new Civic likewise features major design changes. Unlike the split bi-level speedometer and tachometer of its predecessor, tenth-generation Civic consolidates these instruments into an optional "Driver Information Interface" incorporating a customizable 7-inch LCD screen positioned directly behind the steering wheel and in the driver's line of sight. Several model received an instrumentation that consists of

13100-696: The only RWD cars offered by General Motors until the introduction of the Sigma platform . After the phaseout of the Ford Panther platform (except for the Mustang), Ford automobiles (including the Transit Connect van) manufactured for the 2012 model year to present are front-wheel drive; its D3 platform (based on a Volvo platform) has optional all-wheel drive. Honda Civic The Honda Civic ( Japanese : ホンダ・シビック , Hepburn : Honda Shibikku )

13231-551: The only manufacturers offering a front-drive longitudinal engine layout. Years before this was the most common layout in Europe, with examples like Citroën DS , Renault 12 , Renault 5 , Renault 25 (a Chrysler LH ancestor) Alfa Romeo 33 , Volkswagen Passat , etc. This transition can be exemplified in the Renault 21 that was offered with disparate engine configurations. The 1.7-litre version featured an "east–west" (transversely) mounted engine, but Renault had no gearbox suitable for

13362-963: The pre-war DKW F8 and F9 reappeared as the IFA F8 and IFA F9 in 1949, followed by the AWZ P70 in 1955, the Wartburg 311 in 1956 and the Trabant in 1958, all with front-wheel drive. The P70 and Trabant had Duroplast bodies, and the Trabant had both a monocoque body and a transversely mounted engine, a modern design in some ways. In 1950 West German makers also reintroduced front-wheel-drive cars: DKW had lost its production facilities in Eisenach (now in DDR) and reestablished itself in Ingolstadt. A version of

13493-621: The pre-war F9 was introduced as the DKW F89. Borgward introduced 2 new makes with front-wheel drive, the Goliath and the Lloyd in 1950. Gutbrod also came with a car in 1950; the Superior, but withdrew the car in 1954 and concentrated on other products. This car is best remembered for its Bosch fuel-injection . In 1955, one of the first Japanese manufacturers to utilize front-wheel drive with

13624-428: The previous generation hybrid. Based on an all-new Honda compact global platform, the tenth-generation Civic marked the unification of the Civic range globally. Honda targeted the Civic range at the key U.S. market, resurrecting its once-discarded "lead-country" system which calls for developing a model specifically for its main targeted market but selling it in other regions as well. As the result, Honda ceased making

13755-725: The public, and a few months later the Ruxton automobile . The Cord L-29's drive system was again inspired by racing, copying from the Indianapolis 500 -dominating racers, using the same de Dion layout and inboard brakes. Moreover, the Auburn (Indiana) built Cord was the first ever front-wheel drive production car to use constant-velocity joints . These very specific components allow motive power to be delivered to steered wheels more seamlessly than universal joints , and have become common on almost every front-wheel-drive car, including on

13886-446: The same throughout its production life. A Mark 2 version of the Acclaim came out in 1983 (from VI No. 180415 onwards). The main changes were to the exterior door handles, an electronic digital clock replaced the previous mechanical one, a restyled steering wheel, a restyled gear knob, the rear interior door handles (they were just swapped) and the heater recirculation control, which was moved. Mark 2 HL and HLS cars were better equipped than

14017-520: The same transverse-mounted, forward-motor layout as modern front-wheel-drive automobiles. It even resembled the smaller version of its popular Alfa Romeo Giulia . However, due to the financial difficulties in post-war Italy, the 33 never saw production. Had Alfa-Romeo succeed in producing 33, it would have preceded the Mini as the first "modern" European front-wheel-drive compact car. The German car industry resumed from WW2 in 1949/1950. In East Germany (DDR),

14148-471: The success of small, inexpensive cars, especially the British Mini . As engineered by Alec Issigonis , the compact arrangement located the transmission and engine sharing a single oil sump – despite disparate lubricating requirements – and had the engine's radiator mounted to the side of the engine, away from the flow of fresh air and drawing heated rather than cool air over

14279-476: The top sales record for the mid-size sedan segment, however it lost that position to the Toyota Corolla the following year. In 2006, the eighth generation was released and regained the sales leadership. Identical to the North American version, it lacks options such as a moonroof, and standard security equipment like VSA, and side and curtain airbags which were removed because of a lack of car safety laws in

14410-473: The transmission in the sump, and the cooling fan drawing hot air from its side-facing location. Volvo Cars has switched its entire lineup after the 900 series to front-wheel drive. Swedish engineers at the company have said that transversely mounted engines allow for more crumple zone area in a head-on collision. American auto manufacturers are now shifting larger models (such as the Chrysler 300 and most of

14541-586: The transmission-in-sump " Suitcase " engine that it had co-developed with Peugeot in the 1970s for its compact models, starting with the Renault 9 in 1982. Peugeot-Citroen themselves also moved over to the end-on gearbox solution when it phased out the Suitcase unit in favour of the TU-series engine in 1986. Nissan also abandoned the transmission-in-sump concept for its N12-series Cherry/Pulsar in 1982. Perhaps symbolically, British Leyland themselves, heirs to

14672-473: The use of constant velocity jointed drive axles, along with front wheel drive has evolved into the modern-day mass-market automobile. Some suggest that the introduction of the modern Volkswagen Golf in 1974, from a traditional U.S. competitor, and the introduction of the 1973 Honda Civic , and the 1976 Honda Accord served as a wake-up call for the "Big Three" (only Chrysler already produced front-wheel-drive vehicles in their operations outside North America). GM

14803-409: The white body and color matched dual mirrors. In the body molding was a wrap around blue stripe. Each car had interior upgrades as well as a chrome-tipped exhaust. Introduced in September 1991 for the 1992 model year, the redesigned Civic featured increased dimensions, as well as more aerodynamic styling. The wagon variant was now only available in the Japanese market where the previous generation wagon

14934-602: The withdrawn Austin Maxi production lines. It was briefly produced alongside the Morris Ital , a revamped version of the Marina . BL invested £80 million in new production facilities at Cowley, with a new press line and paint shop installed specifically for the Acclaim. Whilst major parts such as the powertrain, chassis components, dashboard assembly and much of the electrical systems were imported from Honda's factories in Japan,

15065-640: The world) are British-made cars designed with Japanese engineering, except for the US-built two-door coupe and the sedan version built in Brazil for the Latin American market. In North America, the Civic hatchback was dropped for 2006. The 2006 model year standard Civics for North America are manufactured in Alliston , Ontario, Canada (sedans, coupes and Si Coupes) and East Liberty , Ohio (sedans), while

15196-607: Was International Car of the Year in 2005. From 1972 to 1974, the Civic was awarded Car of the Year Japan . In 1973, the Civic ranked third in the European Car of the Year awards, the highest ranking for a Japanese vehicle at that time. It also was awarded the U.S. Road Test magazine's "1974 Car of the Year." The Civic was the Motor Trend Import Car of the Year for 1980 as well as its 2006 Car of

15327-593: Was Honda's first model to have an impact in the export market. It became one of the most influential automotive designs of the 1970s, with the Volkswagen Golf (1974), Ford Fiesta (1976), and Fiat Ritmo (1978) showing similarities as transverse-FF, truncated-trapezoidal hatchbacks occupying a size niche between minicars and compact sedans. The Renault 5 was introduced six months before the Honda Civic which appeared later in July. Honda would later expand

15458-411: Was a major turnaround point for BL itself, with the car achieving good reliability and build quality from the outset - a stark contrast to the quality-control issues which had plagued earlier models. The Acclaim held the record for the lowest percentage of warranty claims for a BL car. Unlike previous Triumphs, the Acclaim was assembled at the Pressed Steel Fisher Plant at Cowley , Oxford, taking over

15589-431: Was also an Avon Turbo, which had Lunar alloy wheels with 205/60 tyres, suede upholstery, front air dam, and side decals. A Turbo Technics turbocharger increased the engine's power output from the standard 70 bhp to 105 bhp. It is thought that there are only four surviving Avon Turbos including the press car (VWK689X), which was the first Avon Turbo. The Acclaim was Britain's seventh best selling car in 1982 and

15720-618: Was available from 1984 until 1991 (this brand name would later be revived for the mid-1990s Honda Shuttle people carrier, known in some markets as the Honda Odyssey ). In South Africa, the sedan (the only model sold there until the 1996 launch of the sixth generation sedan and hatch) was known as the Ballade . Other models have been built on the Civic platform, including Prelude , Ballade , CR-X , Quint , Concerto , Domani , CR-X Del Sol , Integra , and CR-V . Also, at various times,

15851-503: Was carried over until 1995. The efficiency of the previous HF model was replaced by the VX hatchback which, with an EPA rating of 48 / 55 miles per US gallon (4.9 / 4.3 L/100 km; 58 / 66 mpg ‑imp ), was Honda's most fuel efficient model sold at the time. In North America, the Si featured a 1.6-liter SOHC VTEC valve train, whereas the VX featured

15982-409: Was equipped with a 1,169 cc (71.3 cu in) four-cylinder water-cooled engine and featured front power disc brakes , reclining vinyl bucket seats , simulated wood trim on the dashboard, as well as optional air conditioning and an AM/FM radio . The Civic was available as a two- or four-door fastback sedan, three- and a five-door hatchback , as well as a five-door station wagon. Because of

16113-541: Was even later with the 1979 Vauxhall Astra / Opel Kadett . Captive imports were the US car makers initial response to the increased demand for economy cars . The popularity of front-wheel drive began to gain momentum, with the 1981 Ford Escort , the 1982 Nissan Sentra , and the 1983 Toyota Corolla . Front-wheel drive became the norm for mid-sized cars starting with the 1982 Chevrolet Celebrity , 1982 Toyota Camry , 1983 Dodge 600 , 1985 Nissan Maxima , 1986 Honda Legend , and

16244-488: Was held at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway on Saturday, 30 May 1925. However, the idea of front-wheel drive languished outside the motor racing arena as few manufacturers attempted the same for production automobiles. Alvis Cars did introduce a commercial model of the front-wheel drive 12/50 racer in 1928, but it was not a success. In France, Jean-Albert Grégoire and Pierre Fenaille developed

16375-440: Was introduced for the first time in 1984, and later upgraded in 1987. It delivered a fuel economy of around 28 mpg highway. The 4WD system was push-button operated until improved in 1987 when the rear wheels would engage automatically once the front wheels lost traction. This new system was called "Realtime" which used a "viscous coupler" connecting two propeller shafts between the front and rear axles. The manual transmission featured

16506-486: Was largely solved by making the shorter driveshaft solid, and the longer one hollow, to ensure both shafts experienced elastic twist which was roughly the same. After the 128, Fiat further demonstrated the layout's flexibility, re-configurating the 128 drive train as a mid-engined layout for the Fiat X1/9 . The compact, efficient Giacosa layout – a transversely-mounted engine with transmission mounted beside

16637-746: Was reported in the English press at the time and featured in the English magazine Autocar , after which the car was named. Two prototypes of the Autocar were built and the Austral Otis Company was going to go into business with Henry to manufacture Henry's car but the cost of the car was too prohibitive as it could not compete with the cost of imported cars. In 1898–99, the French manufacturer Société Parisienne patented their front-wheel-drive articulated vehicle concept which they manufactured as

16768-642: Was the Lohner–Porsche of 1897 with an electric motor in each front wheel, produced by Lohner-Werke in Vienna. It was developed by Ferdinand Porsche in 1897 based on a concept developed by American inventor Wellington Adams . Porsche also raced it in 1897. J. Walter Christie of the United States patented a design for a front-wheel-drive car, the first prototype of which he built in 1904. He promoted and demonstrated several such vehicles, notably with transversely mounted engines, by racing at various speedways in

16899-706: Was the 180i with the B18B4, that was fitted to Ballade models. A new body style was introduced with this generation called the Civic Coupé, based from the Civic Ferio sedan, and was sold in North America, Europe and Japan. The fifth-generation remains popular among tuners and racers alike. Introduced in September 1995 for the 1996 model year, the sixth-generation featured updated styling although less radical than previous redesigns. Suspension and engine options were available along with their first Natural Gas Powered Civic,

17030-669: Was the supercharged Alvis 12/50 racing car designed by George Thomas Smith-Clarke and William M. Dunn of Alvis Cars of the United Kingdom. This vehicle was entered in the 1925 Kop Hill Climb in Princes Risborough in Buckinghamshire on 28 March 1925. Harry Arminius Miller of Menomonie, Wisconsin designed the Miller 122 front-wheel drive race-car that was entered in the 1925 Indianapolis 500 , which

17161-401: Was to create the happy combination of a low centre of gravity boxer engine (flat four) with a special frame. Due to post-war financial problems Cemsa could not continue production, but the project was resumed when taken on by Lancia in the 50s. In 1954, Alfa-Romeo had experimented with its first front-wheel-drive compact car named "33" (not related to the sports car similarly named "33"). It had

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