1979 Honda Accord - My Car

“You know, I used to think a car was just a way of getting from Point A to Point B, and on the weekends to Point C. But that was the old me! That man died the moment I laid my eyes on the 1979 Honda Accord”.

While that might have been said by Principal Chalmers on The Simpsons, the same clearly goes for Chris Scott - the owner of this beautiful red 1979 Honda Accord.

An Accord aficionado, Chris currently owns three (including a 1977 car he saved from a banger track and which had been painted in white emulsion) and has had 14 total since his first at age 18, in addition to a Honda NSX.

“This one,” he told us, “came from the same dealer I got my first MK1 Accord [from].

“I got it in 2010 for £620.66 from a one-day eBay auction”.

The Honda Accord was first introduced in 1976, looking considerably different to its present-day iteration. A three-door hatchback, the European version came with slightly more power than the one sold in North America (owing to the non-American car having no emissions control equipment) with a four-door released the year after.

From there it’s been modified and fettled over the last nearly 50 years to the version sold today but, for both Chris and Principal Chalmers, the 1979 model is the one to have.

“I love this car. I would sell my NSX before I ever had to sell this. 

“It is me - this car is me, more than anything”.

The passion in Chris’ words for his car are evident in it too. With just 16,000 miles on the clock, he’s kept this as true to its roots as possible. “The speakers in the parcel shelf are from my grandparents’ original 1979 Accord. I installed the roof console [which was] original in its packaging. It had a few dealer options too, like the cassette, undertray, the floor mats.

“I just want it to be OEM+”.

The same doesn’t quite go for the aforementioned ‘77 model, which he’s hoping to turn into a modified driver.

“It’ll have the coilovers put onto it, better wheels… soon it’ll be sprayed in Caroline Yellow - an original ‘77 colour. There’s already two white ones in the UK but no yellow ones, so I want a yellow one… It’s sunny and happy”.

Chris credits his fervent love of the Accord to his family. “My grandparents had one in 1979 which they then donated to my dad when the automatic gearbox packed up. He converted it to manual, and then I’ve always been around them”.

This love of cars is something he’s passing down too, as his 11-year-old son has a Morris Minor.  Should Chris not be buried in his ‘79 Accord - something he confessed he'd want - it’ll also go to him.

That Chris brought his pride and joy out to show off at The Motorist in Leeds, UK, on what was a very cold and wet Saturday morning shows the enthusiasm he has for it - and that he places it above his manual 1990 Honda NSX - is perhaps even more interesting.

In a social media world dominated by cars with six and seven-figure price tags, seeing someone passionate about a car they bought for three figures is refreshing. You can find more about Chris on his Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/the_accord_man/