First generation Honda Accord CVCC was introduced in 1976, and remained in production for 5 years. It was a 3-door hatchback, compact class car. It has 1,6 L inline four cylinders engine, producing 68 horsepower and having great fuel economy characteristics. The original fuel economy was 46 mpg highway, but with a Weber carburetor kit, it could go as high as 80 mpg with 80 horsepower. Wheelbase was 93.7 inches, and the overall lenght - 411 cm (162 inches). It was smaller than today's Honda Civic 5D hatchback (which is 424 cm long) and of course than Civic 4D sedan, which almost half meter longer. That's why it cost only 4000$ :)

Two years later, in 1978, Accord sedan was launched, together with bigger, 1,8 L EK-1 engine, with all-aluminum cylinder head, giving 72 horses@4500rpm and 94 ft.lbs of torque @3000 rpm, power steering and air-conditioning, as an optional item. Comparing engine power, typical V-8 at the time produced about 140 horsepower, and of course Honda's fuel economy was as it is today - the best of the best. Loosy 2-speed automatic gearbox was replaced by 3-speed one, and of course for non-americans 5 speed manual was the best choise. Digitla clock, radio, tachomoter, intermittent wipers was a standart.

In 1980, Honda face-lifted it's first gen Accord a little bit, as it always does before the model's death. Most probably it's because they wants to clean the warehouse, by simply replacing the bumpers with new ones, new grilles and taillamps, remote mirrors. Accord get rid of CVCC engine badges (that ment compound vortex controlled combustion).



Gen.1 engines in USA was identifyed EF1-XXXXX, and if only EF-XXXX, so it was originally a JDM car. From 1979 - 1981 Honda Accord had 1800cc CVCC engine, identified EK1-XX and EK-XX respectively. In late 1981 high-compression head was installed, increasing horsepower output by 5% and Fuel economy up to 8%.



First generation Accord, assembled in Japan, was built well, so sold well. Encouraged by this, Honda even built a factory in Marysville, Ohio, so second generation, that came in 1981, was produced also there, not only Sayama, Japan.

In 1980, the Accord achieved annual sales of 185,972, and by the last year for the first generation (1981), a luxuriously-appointed Special Edition model appeared that included a leather interior, alloy wheels, power windows and a sound system with a cassette deck - incredible features during an era when manually-operated windows, vinyl seats and optional AM radio ruled the automotive industry.