The Honda Legend is a series of V6-engined executive cars produced between 1985 and 2021, serving as Honda’s flagship. It has also been sold as the Acura Legend, RL and RLX, the successive flagship models of Honda’s luxury division in North America.
Honda Legend at a glance
| Maker | Honda |
|---|---|
| Production | 1985–2021 |
| Class | V6 executive car |
| Role | Honda flagship |
| North American names | Acura Legend, RL and RLX |
| First generation | 22 October 1985 |
| Firsts | first Honda with only a SOHC V6 worldwide |
| Development | Project XX with Austin Rover |
| Project start | November 1981 |
| Internal code | HX |
| Development sites | Canley, Coventry and Tochigi, Japan |
| UK production | Cowley, for the British market |
Based on one source, the English Wikipedia article on the Legend.
History of the Honda Legend
A luxury car for three markets
The first-generation Legend was introduced to Japan on 22 October 1985 and was the first production Honda to offer only a SOHC V6 engine worldwide. Its launch coincided with a new Japanese dealership channel, Honda Clio. The car resulted from a joint venture with Britain’s Austin Rover Group called Project XX, which began in November 1981 with a letter of intent to replace the Rover SD1 and to give Honda a luxury model; the project was codenamed HX.
Rover and Honda
Rover had a long reputation as a luxury maker in Britain and Europe, shown by the P5 and P6, and Honda wanted a luxury car for Japan, Europe and North America. Rover also wanted to return to the American market, where it had reportedly sold only 1,500 cars in 1971 and briefly returned in 1980 with 800 Rover SD1s through the Sterling, another result of the ARG-Honda partnership. Development work was carried out at Rover’s Canley plant in Coventry and Honda’s Tochigi development centre, and the design was concluded in 1982, with a patent filed on 27 September 1982 and registered on 19 September 1984.
Built in Britain
Honda and British Leyland agreed that Legends for the British market would be built at Cowley. However, few UK-built cars passed Honda’s quality control and many ended up as in-plant transport instead of being sold.
Design and features
- V6 only: the first Honda sold worldwide with only a V6.
- Project XX: developed jointly with Austin Rover.
- Flagship role: Honda’s top model for 36 years.
- Acura twin: the basis of Acura’s flagship line.
Honda Legend versions
- First generation (1985): the Project XX car.
- Acura Legend: the North American version.
- Acura RL and RLX: the later flagship names.
The Legend was Honda’s flagship above the Inspire, and its V6 engineering fed into later models such as the Accord. More Hondas are in the Honda collection.
Sources
- Honda Legend, English Wikipedia: origins, Project XX, production, Acura names
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