When you think of limousines, you might imagine a black Lincoln or a Cadillac. Chrysler Corporation even catalogued a K-car limousine as the Chrysler Executive, plus several coachbuilders in the post-war era could be found converting more middle-class fare into limousines. But a front wheel-drive Japanese car? Indeed, this 1981 Honda Accord limo is our Pick of the Day. It is listed on ClassicCars.com by a dealership in Christiansburg, Virginia. (Click the link to view the listing)
After years of funny little cars, Honda created a less funny little car called the Civic. The first ones appeared for 1973, with Honda introducing it to the American market just in time for the 1973 oil crisis. And, in 1975, Honda introduced the CVCC (Compound Vortex Controlled Combustion) engine that eliminated the need for catalytic converters yet was still able to blow cleaner air with leaded fuel.
As Honda’s automotive presence grew, so did its desire to apply the Civic’s formula in a larger package. That vehicle, the Accord, was launched in May 1976 to much success both globally and in the U.S., with the first generation lasting through 1981 when it was redesigned. Today, after multiple generations, the Accord is still a contender around the world.
This 1981 Honda Accord limousine is different than the hundreds of thousands you used to see on the road back in the day. For one thing, its wheelbase is much larger than the original’s. But it also begs the question: why? Though we cannot profess to know reliability trends of limousines, we suspect this may be the most reliable limousine ever based on legendary Honda quality. Take a glance inside and you’ll find quality velour surrounding a telephone, monitor, and vintage stereo equipment. And dig those opera lamps! In case you were curious, this limousine does not have a manual transmission, but can you blame a guy for dreaming?
The odometer for this 1981 Honda Accord limousine shows 3,266 miles, but the seller doesn’t give any more information than what you see. However, if you need to be carted from place to place with the utmost in reliability, high roller status is just $39,420 away.
To view this listing on ClassicCars.com, see Pick of the Day.
Diego, I am just… speechless. I like racy, muscley stuff from any maker/tuner/shop. But I have a college roommate that saw 370k miles on his Primrose ’81 Accord sedan. He only very sadly had to replace it when the Indiana winter salt rusted the floorpans so that the front seats were leaning on the B pillars and bounced, tearing more and more metal. We loved that car. It ran as well as new the day it was parted out. But the potential for falling through the floor was high. I’d have this in a heartbeat if I could justify the purchase. Rims, new electronics… Oh, H*LL yes.
I remember around 1989 when a classmate bought a cherry one as his first car. And the new Accords during that moment had hidden headlights, I think. It’s hard to believe we’re waxing poetic on Accords, but ’tis true.
I believe there were 2 or 3 of these built about the same time by some limo building firm. One was operated in the Palm Springs area for a couple of years.
just because you can, doesn’t mean you should