The introduction of the Honda Civic was a case of the right car at just the right time. The early 1970s brought roiling change to America. The 1973 OPEC oil embargo resulted in a crisis at U.S. gas stations, with extraordinarily high gasoline prices and long lines at the pumps, all leading to a new focus on fuel economy by American consumers.
The timing was perfect for Honda. The 1974 Civic debuted in fall 1973, and in contrast to the big V8-powered, rear-wheel drive vehicles popular at the time, the all-new Honda Civic was a small car with a spacious cabin and much more fuel efficient with its four-cylinder engine.
Honda vehicles are designed based on a concept called "Man Maximum, Machine Minimum" – which means to maximize space and ease of operation for the driver and passengers, while minimizing the space required for mechanical components. For Civic, this approach created new value with cabin space unusual for a small car, thanks to its transverse-mounted engine and front-wheel drive layout. The hatchback design of the first Civic also provided a level of utility and convenience unusual in the industry. It was also very light, with a curb weight of just 1,825 lbs.
But for 1975, every automaker had to meet stringent new tailpipe emissions standards created by the 1970 Clean Air Act. Honda's unique answer was the CVCC engine (Compound Vortex Controlled Combustion) introduced on the 1975 Honda Civic, which set a new standard for low-emission and high fuel efficiency performance. "Compound" represented an engine mechanism with two combustion chambers. "Vortex" represented the swirl of air and fuel generated in the main chamber, caused by a jet of flame from the pre-chamber. This increased the speed of engine combustion. "Controlled Combustion" represented the engine's ability to precisely control the speed of combustion.
In the Honda Civic, the CVCC engine achieved lean combustion, burning less fuel more efficiently, while providing solid performance and great fuel economy, with reduced tailpipe emissions.
In 1974, Honda sold about 43,000 Civics. With the launch of CVCC engine technology, the ongoing impact of the oil crisis on American consumers and the enforcement of the U.S. Clean Air Act, Civic sales more than doubled to about 103,000 units in 1975.
# # #
