My First 'Green' Car

In hindsight, I guess I was trying to reconnect and find a common thread that would take me back more than 30 years. Driving the 2008 Honda Accord during a recent test was pleasant enough. After all, it has won critical acclaim from media and owners alike. But what struck me is how much this model has evolved over the past three decades.

My perspective is unique because my first official 'green car' was a 1976 Honda Accord purchased new while in college. I was working at a Honda dealer prepping cars for delivery. The new Accord was in such demand that dealers never haggled from sticker and some were even tacking a premium on top of the MSRP. Though three decades ago, the climate was familiar. Following the1973 Arab oil embargo and the turmoil that ensued with lines at the pumps, shortages, and talk of rationing, the 1970s paralleled today's oil-driven economy in many respects.

The first generation Accord made a great commuter car for my trips across town to college, representing quite a departure from the big-block muscle car I sold in a fit of common sense. Most impressive was Honda's new 1.6-liter CVCC (Compound Vortex Controlled Combustion) four cylinder engine, first introduced in the 1975 Civic, which used an innovative design creating a lean burn condition in the main combustion chamber. Without resorting to a performance robbing, first-generation catalytic converter, the CVCC design surpassed the requirements of the Clean Air Act that went into effect that year.

The CVCC engine also delivered exceptional fuel economy. I recall averaging mid-30s mpg with the Accord able to coax out well over 40 mpg during extended highway driving. And highway driving was quite extended at the time due to the 55 mph national speed limit that was part of the 1974 Emergency Highway Energy Conservation Act. The official EPA fuel economy figures for the 1976 Accord were 44 mpg highway and 31 mpg in the city.

Early Accords were fun to drive, despite - or maybe due to - the car's elegantly simple design that was charged with intelligent engineering. Though the engine only produced 68 horsepower, the Accord's power to weight ratio was actually above average considering its light 1,993 pound curb weight (compared to today's Accord curb weight of 3,221 pounds). Its smooth shifting five-speed manual transmission also made the most of the power at hand. The car was nimble and handled well when driven in a sporty fashion, which I did regularly. Remember too, this was before air bags, antilock brakes, and all the other safety and convenience features built into today's cars.

The Accord debuted with a sticker price of $3,995, which was actually a bit higher than most of the Japanese and import competition of the day, but still a great value. My Accord was purchased after the first $150 price increase, so I paid $4,145 for the privilege of driving Honda's finest. Now here's the kicker: I actually made money on the car over the two years I owned it. During those two years I racked up over 40,000 miles in the Accord. When I finally sold it there was a waiting list for new Accords and their sticker price had increased to around $4,800. The couple who bought my two-year-old, well broken-in Honda happily paid $4,400 cash. Now that's residual value and a 'green car' I will never forget.