Without the success of the first generation of Civic, there was hardly a future for the small Japanese brand, and none of the F1 victories and the VTEC crazy wouldn’t exist.
The 1972 Civic was available in a few body versions, including a four-door, a station-wagon, and this 3-door version. The oil crisis, the new taxes, and regulations and the hunt for fuel-efficient vehicles raised the world’s demand for this kind of city vehicles, which could run a month with a tank full of gasoline.

The 3-door Civic was small but still provided room for four people inside, especially if they were under average. For two adults and two kids in the back, it was perfect. Due to its large window surface, it looked like it almost didn’t have a B-pillar. The round headlights and the black grille resembled the H-letter at the front of the car. In the back, there was an option for a lift-glass or a tailgate that opened downwards. It didn’t look silly at that time.

Inside, Honda chose to put good-looking materials, including wood-trims on the dash and doors. With its simple yet effective instrument cluster, the driver could read the revs and the speed at a glance. Most of the other useful information was accompanied by red, green, blue, or amber lights. From the safety point of view, the first-generation Civic featured front seatbelts, which were not mandatory. On the options list, Honda offered a semi-automatic transmission, a rear window wiper, and air-conditioning.

With a big experience in the motorcycle industry, Honda insisted on producing a small-displacement engine. The result was a tiny 1.2-liter unit that offered up to 75 hp! It was huge for those times. Later on, Honda offered a 1.5-liter engine.