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The Honda Prelude is a sports coupé that was produced by Japanese automaker Honda from 1978 until 2001. The two-door coupé was loosely derived from the Honda Accord and spanned five generations. The Prelude was used by Honda to introduce the Japanese Honda retail sales chain called ''Honda Verno,'' with the Prelude shortly introduced later internationally. Prelude competitors traditionally included the Toyota Celica, the Nissan Silvia and the Mitsubishi Eclipse. Production of the Prelude concluded in 2001 upon the introduction of the Honda Integra DC5. The Prelude name was originally trademarked by Toyota, but was amicably given to Honda for use. The Prelude was the first in a series of vehicles from Honda with musically related names, with the Prelude being joined by the Quintet, Concerto and Ballade. ==First generation (1978–1982)== On November 24, 1978, the Prelude was launched. In Japan it was only available at the newly established dealership sales channel ''Honda Verno''. This dealership chain also introduced the entry-level Honda Quint, the Honda Ballade, and the Accord-based Honda Vigor as its largest sedan and hatchback. The four-wheel independent struts, brakes, engine were all borrowed from the first generation Accord, but the chassis was all new and developed by chief engineer Hiroshi Kizawa expressly for the sporting Prelude. At 4090 mm (length) x 1635 mm (width) x 1290 mm (height), it had quite a low and wide profile. The wheelbase was 2320 mm, and was 60 mm shorter than that of the original Accord. Honda appears to have followed the successful introduction of the Toyota Celica example originally established by the pony car originator Ford Mustang by taking a small car, like the Accord, installing a more powerful engine, and giving the body a short trunk, and a long engine hood. The Prelude (and period Accord) were the first cars under two litres to receive standard power steering. The Prelude was the first Honda model to offer a power moonroof as standard equipment, which eventually became a Prelude trademark. In Japan, the Prelude was available with a sliding metal sunroof, while US versions received a glass top which freed up more headroom.〔 Japanese buyers were liable for slightly more annual road tax over the smaller Civic, which had a smaller engine. Initial reviews for the Prelude were favorable. "It is," wrote Brock Yates for Motor Trend, "by any sane measurement, a splendid automobile. The machine, like all Hondas, embodies fabrication that is, in my opinion, surpassed only by the narrowest of margins by Mercedes-Benz. It is a relatively powerful little automobile by anybody's standards." Motor Trend measured an early Prelude completing the quarter-mile in 18.8 seconds at 70 mph. The standard engine at the time of introduction was the "EL" SOHC eight-valve 1602 cc (non-CVCC) inline-four rated at at 5,000 rpm and at 3500 rpm.〔 It remained the only engine available for most markets, aside from the US and Japan. It featured a non-automatic choke with three positions and a two-barrel carburetor. In September 1978 the larger "EK" SOHC 12-valve 1751 cc CVCC inline-four was introduced in Japan, rated at at 5300 rpm (SAE gross).〔 Automatics had five less horsepower.〔 It took until March 1979 for the Prelude to appear in the United States, then with at 4500 rpm and at 3000 rpm (SAE net) from the larger 1.8 engine. The EK engine made use of an engine oil cooler and transistor-controlled ignition system. Transmission choices were either the standard five-speed manual or initially a two-speed "Hondamatic" semi-automatic, which by October 1979 had been replaced by a three-speed automatic that used the final gear as the overdrive. In addition to the standard fabrics offered in most models, an 'Executive' option was offered in some markets which added power steering and Connolly leather upholstery. Honda used a single central gauge cluster design in this car which housed the speedometer and tachometer in one combined unit where both instrument's needles swept along the same arc. They also placed the compact AM/FM radio unit up high next to the gauge cluster. The Prelude featured intermittent wipers, tinted glass, and a remote trunk release. 1980 saw the introduction of the CVCC-II engine which employed the use of a catalytic converter and several other refinements that improved driveability, the Prelude also received a mild facelift in 1981. This facelift meant a return to a more traditional dashboard, rather than the much critiqued "Concentrated Target Meter" used before. The 1981 Prelude also received a stainless steel trim strip along the bumpers and side moldings, as well as a new grille.〔 There was a convertible model introduced by a Santa Ana California company named Solaire. Less than 100 were believed to be converted when new and they were sold through Honda dealerships with full factory warranty coverage. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Honda Prelude」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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