The Honda Prelude is a sport compact car produced over five generations from 1978 to 2001 and reintroduced in 2025. For those five generations it was a two-door coupe loosely derived from the Accord, and it was the first Honda with a moonroof, which stayed standard throughout production.
Honda Prelude at a glance
| Maker | Honda |
|---|---|
| Production | 1978–2001 |
| Generations | five |
| Reintroduced | 2025 |
| Class | sport compact coupe |
| Base | Honda Accord |
| First | the first Honda with a moonroof |
| Dealer network | launched Honda Verno |
| First generation | SN, launched 24 November 1978 |
| First-generation size | 4,090 x 1,635 x 1,290 mm |
| Wheelbase | 2,320 mm, 60 mm shorter than the Accord |
| Name | part of Honda’s music-themed nameplates |
Based on one source, the English Wikipedia article on the Prelude.
History of the Honda Prelude
Launch and the Verno network
On 24 November 1978 the Prelude was launched in Japan, with its world premiere at the 1979 AutoRAI in Amsterdam two months later. In Japan it was available only at the newly established Honda Verno dealership channel, which also sold the Quint, Ballade and the Accord-based Vigor. The Prelude was used to introduce that retail chain, with the international release following shortly after.
The first generation
The first Prelude’s four-wheel independent struts, brakes and engine were borrowed from the first-generation Accord, but the chassis was all new and developed by chief engineer Hiroshi Kizawa expressly for the sporting coupe. At 4,090 mm long, 1,635 mm wide and 1,290 mm tall it had a low, wide profile, and its 2,320 mm wheelbase was 60 mm shorter than the Accord’s. Honda appears to have followed the Toyota Celica example: a small car with a more powerful engine, a short boot and a long bonnet.
End and return
Prelude production ended in 2001 with the introduction of the fourth-generation Integra. The name fitted Honda’s music-themed nameplates, which also included the Accord, Quintet, Concerto, Jazz and Ballade, and it was originally trademarked by Toyota before being given to Honda. The model returned in 2025.
Design and features
- Moonroof: the first Honda to offer one, standard throughout.
- Accord mechanicals: engines and brakes shared with the Accord.
- Own chassis: developed specifically for the coupe.
- Low, wide stance: a sporting profile from the first generation.
Honda Prelude versions
- First generation SN (1978): the original coupe.
- Second to fifth generations: the line that ran to 2001.
- 2025 Prelude: the reintroduced model.
The Prelude was derived from the Honda Accord and shares its sporting role with the Integra and CR-X. More Hondas are in the Honda collection.
Sources
- Honda Prelude, English Wikipedia: generations, Verno launch, first-generation design
