Long before the TLX, MDX, and ILX became synonymous with the Acura brand, the luxury vehicle giant busted into the market in 1986 on the back of one vehicle the Acura Legend. After dominating the market of affordable cars, Honda took their first shot at luxury vehicles with the creation of Acura. Not only did Acura hit with their first model, but they hit big. The Acura Legend did not just put the brand on the map, but became the gold standard of luxury vehicles during its time.
The Foundation of Acura
While today there is no shortage of Japanese luxury automakers such as Acura, Infiniti, and Lexus, you might not know that Acura was the first of them to hit the market. In 1986, Honda launched the brand after planning a strategy to sell luxury vehicles. During this time, the United States had recently imposed automotive tariffs on Japan limiting the number of vehicles imported by Japanese automakers. To make up for the reduced quantity of cars able to be sold, they focused on producing more high-margin, premium vehicles to make up the difference. After working closely with the Austin Rover group in England, Honda went to work designing their first luxury vehicle. To differentiate their new line of premium vehicles from their economy models, Honda decided to launch the luxury brand under a new name, Acura.
The Legendary Acura Sedan
With the launch of Acura, the brand released its first vehicle named the Acura Legend. The premium vehicle quickly took off and grew in popularity because of its innovative design. The Legend was bigger and wider than its economy Honda counterpart. The Legend was an inch and a half wider and about a foot longer than the Honda Accord at the time. Not only was the Legend larger in size, but also more powerful, equipped with a bigger 2.5-liter V6 engine. This was a first for Honda and the Acura Legend’s engine produced 151 horsepower and 154 lb-ft of torque. However, while size and power were absolutely selling points, it was the Legend’s brand-new double-wishbone suspension that really turned heads. The design was taken from Formula 1 vehicles and allowed the Legend more agile handling and a higher quality ride. The Acura Legend was truly ahead of its time, including the option of both automatic or manual transmission.
A Vehicle That Has Lived Up to its Name
Looking back at the history of the Acura Legend, the vehicle has surely lived up to its name. After its first three years of production, Acura sold more Legends than the entire 18-year run of the Infiniti Q45. The success of the first model led to the release of the Legend Coupe in 1987, which featured a larger 2.7-liter V6 engine. The new model performed so well that it ended up winning Motortrend’s “Import Car of the Year” in 1987. The success of the model continued over the years which led to a second generation. While the brand ended up discontinuing production of the Legend in 1995, the interest in the vehicle still hasn’t died out today. The original Acura is still wildly popular with car fanatics and is still highly coveted. When looking back at the history of the vehicle, Acura could have not picked a better name for their debut automobile.
Acura Legend Replacement Parts
If you are the owner of this legendary vehicle, finding replacement parts is just as easy as it would be for a brand-new model. Finding all the Acura Legend performance parts you need is easy with Bernardi Parts Acura. Whether you are just doing routine maintenance or a larger repair, we have the Acura Legend part you need.
To begin, click here and select your year and model below. Navigate our easy-to-use parts catalog to find the right product for your Acura Legend. If you are having trouble finding the correct part, please send us a message, or give us a call at 800-924-1884 and one of our Acura parts specialists will be happy to assist you.