Prior to WWII, a mechanic from Tokyo named Soichiro Honda was working in an automotive garage, making piston rings and trying to find contractors. The piston rings that he made would eventually end up being used by Toyota in their cars. Then, Soichiro attempted to build his first motorcycle and founded the Honda Motor Company in 1946.
Today, Honda has evolved to become one of the largest global automakers. In fact, they're much more than an automaker, dabbling in motorcycles, of course, ATVs, lawnmowers, and even robotics and aircraft. But, their biggest claim to fame is definitely cars, and over the years, they've made some of the absolute greatest vehicles that are now highly collectible.
10 Civic RS
There's a very good reason why the Honda Civic is such a global juggernaut currently. When the original launched in 1972, it instantly became a runaway success. Mostly, that was due to its incredible engineering, and also how perfect its timing was, arriving right at the start of the oil crisis.
As well as the efficiency, reliability, and surprisingly fun demeanor in the corners, the first-gen Civic was also available in spiced up RS form. The original 1974 Civic RS came equipped with a 1.2 liter I4, which was then affixed with a more open intake manifold, a unique exhaust header, and high-compression pistons. Even though it only made 76 hp, it was a blast to drive thanks to improved drivetrain components.
9 Legend
Many would think that Honda, or Acura in North America, built the Legend to compete with the newly launched (at the time) Lexus brand. The truth is, the Legend, famously owned by rapper Ludacris, predates the Lexus LS400 by several years, but it's built on the same philosophy.
The Legend did very well in Japan, but less so everywhere else. That was mostly because customers in Japan were used to buying luxury cars with a non-luxury badge, with the likes of the Mazda Luce and Nissan Cedric, which wasn't true in the West. The Legend was a fantastic car. Great exterior styling, great dynamics, plenty of luxury, and even an optional manual transmission.
8 NSX (NA1)
When talking about the greatest Hondas of all time, it's a crime to not mention the original NSX, sold as the Acura NSX in North America. Developed with the help of F1 legend Ayrton Senna, the NSX had one purpose and one purpose only; show Ferrari how a supercar should be done.
Indeed, many would argue that the NSX does the supercar formula much better than any Ferrari. While it's undeniably a supercar in every sense of the word, thanks in part to the 290 hp 3.0 liter V6, it's not annoying or cumbersome to live with every day. It has a decent trunk, it doesn't have any quirks or confusing items that the driver needs to "get used to," and it's also very reliable.
7 Civic Type R (EK9)
From the original Mk1 Civic all the way to the EG generation, Honda offered mildly spiced up versions of the Civic to satisfy customers' hot hatchback cravings. In 1997, they turned up the spice dial to "you need nitrile gloves" with the first Civic Type R.
Based on the EK Civic, this revered hot hatch used a 1.6-liter N/A 4-cylinder, dubbed the B16B. Total output was 182 hp, which was plenty in a car that weighed some 2,400 lbs. What's more, being a Honda, of course, the engine featured VTEC, so it never felt like it needed any additional boost from a turbocharger. Not to mention, it was great fun to drive.
6 Integra Type R
Awesome though the EK9 Type R may have been, North America never got it. Instead, Honda set about fettling the compact Acura Integra, giving it the Type R treatment, resulting in the Acura Integra Type R, which has recently started to soar in value.
There's a pretty good reason for the rise in value. Not only were they quite rare, but most of them were crashed, stolen, or modified. Instead of the B16B under the hood, the Integra used the B18C engine, displacing 1.8 liters and sending 195 angry horsepowers to the front wheels. To this day, it's one of the most sought after Honda models of all time.
5 Accord/TSX
By the 2000s, Acura was doing pretty well as a brand in North America. They needed a car that would take on the compact executive class, meaning the likes of the BMW 3 Series and Audi A4. Instead of relying on their North America-only models, they took a different approach.
Beginning in 2003, Acura started selling the European and Japanese-spec Honda Accord as the Acura TSX. It was the only Acura in history to be available as a station wagon, and it soldiered on until 2014. A lot of people seem to think that this is one of the best cars ever sold by Acura, and that is very true.
4 S2000
Everyone knows that the Miata caused a huge stir the moment it debuted. Everyone rushed to make a worthy competitor to the roadster legend, with some success. 9 years after the first Miata went on sale, Honda entered the battle with the S2000.
As soon as it arrived, it was an instant hit. The S2000 is undeniably a future classic, due to its free-revving 240 hp I4, gorgeous exterior styling, and incredibly pure, intense, and driver-is-one-with-the-car driving experience. Most S2000s were also modified at some point, which explains the recent hike in values for nicely kept examples.
3 CR-V
Several SUVs throughout history have been the first at something, and the first generation Honda CR-V is one of those. The CR-V's revolutionary feature is something that would become a staple of just about all future family SUVs.
Honda developed this family SUV rather differently compared to everyone by that time. They decided to make it a competent on-road cruiser first, and then give it a modicum of off-roading ability afterward. That, combined with the practicality and dependability of the CR-V make it not just a fantastic Honda, but a fantastic SUV in general.
2 Civic Type R (FK8)
The current generation Civic Type R debuted back in 2017, and its sole purpose was to take the Type R formula to the next level. It was also the first Civic Type R to be officially available in North America, and it received praise everywhere.
While the styling is an acquired taste, it does at least make a statement, and there's no room for confusion about whether or not this is a fast car. The 2.0-liter turbo VTEC 4 cylinder under the hood makes 316 hp, sent to the front wheels via a 6-speed manual transmission. Thanks to the incredible chassis engineering, the Type R is one of the best hot hatchbacks money can buy.
1 NSX (NC1)
After almost two decades of teasing, rumors, and speculation, Acura/Honda finally brought the NSX back from the dead in 2016. The new NSX looked far more aggressive than the original, but it was still pretty subtle by supercar standards.
The major changes were to be found beneath the body. Though the mid-mounted V6 was still there, the new NSX is a hybrid, with a set of electric motors at the front, resulting in over 570 hp and AWD. Even though it's a great car, no one seems to be batting an eye at it. As a result, even with the limited production run, the NSX is starting to depreciate at an almost alarming rate, meaning it's the perfect time to buy one.