On paper, the Honda CRX is the opposite of a sports car, especially for machines from the 1980s. Americans were used to V-8-powered Corvettes and Mustangs, but the Honda had a tiny, 1.3-liter four-cylinder. It wasn’t even turbocharged.
Shop now for Honda CRXIt was also driven by the “wrong” wheels, thanks to its front-wheel-drive layout. Perhaps its worst sin was that it looked like a fuel-sipping hatchback. However, somehow, Honda made the CRX sporty, especially the Si trim currently for sale on eBay in Morristown, NJ.
A Small Car Reimagined
The CRX began production in 1983 in Japan. Honda introduced it to the US market for the 1984 model year. The decade of the oil crisis was still fresh in Americans’ minds, but colossal land yachts were still the predominant automotive form. Conventional wisdom was that small cars were good for only one thing: saving gas. And only tree-huggers and misers owned them.
Honda was primarily known for the Civic, which had made a name for the company by being cheap and good on gas. Honda deployed its innovative CVCC system to reduce the Civic’s emissions.
The CRX was almost 20 inches shorter than the Civic sedan and had no rear seats. It defied expectations and reimagined what a small car could be. The fuel-efficient base model had a tiny 1.3-liter engine perfect for spendthrifts. It yielded an EPA fuel economy rating of 52 miles per gallon, the highest of any car sold in America. That’s an astonishing number that, more recently, only hybrid vehicles have been able to match. On the other hand, it made just 58 horsepower.
Launching the Tuner Movement
On the opposite end of the spectrum, Honda introduced the CRX Si sports model in 1985. It had a 1.5-liter fuel-injected engine under the hood, making 91 horsepower. Squeezing 33 horses out of 0.2 liters is pretty impressive, but it’s still not a lot until you consider that the car weighed about 1,800 pounds.
Lightness was the magic ingredient that made the Honda CRX Si simultaneously fuel-efficient and sporty. Drivers could toss it through corners with ease. According to a Motor Trend road test, it accelerated from zero to 60 in just 8.5 seconds—quicker than a Pontiac Fiero V-6. The sportiness of the CRX Si made customers look differently at Honda. Enthusiasts began to take notice, kicking off the Honda tuning craze that would sweep the nation in the 1990s.
Now It’s Collectible
The example for sale is a 1987 model, the last of the first-generation Honda CRX Si. While it was repainted in Quartz Silver Metallic, the listing says it’s always been garaged, which is a believable claim. The car looks very original, except for a JVC CD player. The interior appears in excellent condition, and the seller says several major maintenance items were taken care of in 2019.
$20,000 may seem like a high price. However, the mileage of 57,600 is very low for a CRX, matching the odometer reading of the museum-quality example in the American Honda Collection. CRXes were inexpensive and quick. Over the years, many were turned into commuters, race cars, and modified street racers. Original CRX Si are nearly impossible to find. This is a rare chance to own one of the thriftiest sports cars ever built.
Shop now for Honda CRX
