The History of the Acura Brand

The Acura brand traces its history back to 1986, a defining year in the auto industry. That was when Honda, one of the world's leading carmakers, launched a new division dedicated solely to luxury vehicles. After years of preparation and research, the division was named Acura. It built Japan's first luxury cars. Models such as the Legend and the Integra gave the new brand a great start. They were sold and serviced through a dealer network of more than 60 locations in 18 U.S. states and across North America. Acura's history is full of victories and achievements, so it's worth a closer look.

Acura was introduced as a car that combined luxury and attractive design with innovative technology. Within a year, the brand had met the expectations of even the most demanding buyers. The next step was to build on that early success. That led to the four-door Legend, the first Acura equipped with airbags. In 1987 it won the title of best import car. The same year, the Integra, in three- and five-door versions, made the top ten list and quickly spread across North America. In 1988 the Legend was named the most popular car model in the U.S. for the second time, and the Integra became the champion of an international sedan championship. In 1992, the JD Power and Associates Vehicle Performance Index awarded the brand the title of "Best Overall Car Line." The Acura Legend also has six golden years to its name, during which it was the best-selling car in its segment.

The arrival of this brand was a milestone in automotive history. With its new division, Honda shook up the car market and proved that Japanese cars could go head to head with European and American brands. Buyers gradually came to see how economical Japanese cars could be.

Around this time, Honda's competitors grew more active. Hoping to copy its success, they began opening their own luxury divisions. Every Japanese luxury car you see on the streets of any big city is a result of Honda's bold decision back then. Acura pioneered features that are well known today, such as variable valve timing (VVT), Super Handling All-Wheel Drive (SH-AWD), and Advanced Compatibility Engineering (ACE), among others.

In 1990 the Acura NSX arrived, continuing the tradition of advanced technology and prestigious awards. The model was also known as the "New Sports Experiment," because it had an aluminum body and was a debut sports car with improved safety and comfort. Everything about it was new and surprising. Awards poured in. Motor Trend named it the best sports car in the world of all time. The NSX coupe packed in so many innovations that it was recognized as a supercar that set new standards for sports cars and fundamentally changed what cars in this class should be.

A year after its debut, the NSX coupe received Honda's VTEC technology, making it even better.

In 1992 the Vigor sedan rolled off the assembly line and became Acura's new market leader. In 1995 the TL series was launched, along with the CL, which was shown at the Detroit auto show. The following year, production of the popular Acura Legend ended.

In the mid-1990s, buyers saw Acura as a successful sporty car aimed at young people. After 2000, many new models appeared. For example, the popular Acura 3.2 TL matched giants such as Infiniti, BMW, and Lexus on specs but cost less. Acura also includes a wide set of features as standard that other brands list as options. The Acura MDX crossover earned a solid place among its rivals and has won awards from Car and Driver and Motor Trend. The ILX, TL, CL, and RSX models also enjoy steady demand and stand out well against competitors.