Here’s one of those cars that you would least expect to find in Cuba: a Japanese car from a time when the Iron Curtain was in full effect and Cuba was firmly embedded into the socialist camp? Unlikely. Yet, there are some surprising examples of the implausible. Considering that the Honda Civic was a smash hit around the world, and especially on the American market, it was only a matter of time until one of these little cars would find its way to the island, too.
Honda, since 1946 an established motorcycle manufacturer, had built cars before the Civic, but with little success. Outside Japan they weren’t well received, due to being expensive, having lackluster styling and being allegedly prone to defects. Honda even considered pulling the plug on automobile manufacturing, but decided to make one last effort to save the brand. The result, called Civic, should propel Honda to international fame, and made it the number one importer in the U.S..
The Civic certainly wasn’t the best car overall, but it did crucial things right. Above all, it arrived at the right moment: the oil crisis of 1973 made people run for economic cars and the Civic was among the thriftiest. It could achieve an EPA rating of 47mpg (5,0 l/100km) on the highway and 37mpg (6,4 l/100km) in the city. These are numbers that today, almost five decades later, can only be beaten by the thriftiest cars on the market. Such was the progress of the little Honda.
The key to this impressive fuel economy was utter austerity combined with intelligent engineering. The Civic was very light, tipping the scales at a mere 1,500lb (680kg). But there was a downside of lightweight construction and ultra-thin sheet metal. Soon, notorious rust problems severely threatened Honda’s good standing and lead to a massive recall in the U.S.: nearly 936,000 Civic got body panels and corroded suspension parts replaced. Dealers even bought many Civic back from their owners, because these repairs would not be economical. By handling the issue generously, the newcomer brand could ultimately restore the trust of its customers without damaging its reputation.
Ingenious engineering also helped Honda to ride the shockwaves of the increasing environmental consciousness, manifested by the Clean Air Act of 1970. The strict EPA standards for 1975 called for a 90% reduction in smog-boosting exhaust fumes, making catalytic converters a standard necessity on virtually every car in the U.S. henceforth, with the inevitable downsides: less power and higher list prices. To everyone’s surprise, Honda presented a new CVCC („Compound Vortex Combustion Chamber“) engine in 1974 that could meet the new standards without any catalyst device. This CVCC engine could also run on cheap leaded gas, increasing the Civic’s economic edge —and Honda‘s progressive image— even further. Considering the precarious fuel supply situation for Cuba’s private motorists today, these economic virtues of the little Honda sure are highly appreciated by its current chofer, too.
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