The classic Acura was one of Honda's biggest gambles. Japanese
vehicles had a reputation for being economical above all else,
putting functionality over form. Thus, when Honda unleashed the
Acura on the Western market, the sense of shock at seeing a
Japanese luxury vehicle took a while to die down. Some might
argue that the classic Acura design generated a shock that
never really died down. After all, the arrival of the Acura
heralded the release of more Japanese luxury vehicles into
Western markets, something that had been previously unheard of.

Debuting in 1986 after nearly ten years of development and
design, Honda released the Acura, which became a success. In
1990, Honda announced plans to expand their manufacturing and
research operations in the US, the company's primary market for
the classic Acura. At the same time, plans are set into motion
dealing with how to release the Acura into other markets, such
as Canada and Europe. In 1991, Honda successfully released the
Acura into the Hong Kong market, as well as integrated new
technology into the design to improve performance.
Unfortunately, design problems led to slower sales in the
mid-1990s, which prompted Honda to both reduce production and
attempt to do a major re-tooling of the overall design of the
vehicle. However, at the same time, the niche market of import
tuners were drawn to the Acura because it was easy to modify.
 
The classic Acura designs were eventually revamped in 2000,
which did away with what many described as bland design
elements. The new designs, combined with technologies to
upgrade the performance and fuel efficiency, and decreased
costs, allowed Honda to once again make the Acura one of the
main import luxury vehicles in the market. Combined with the
retained ease of modification that attracted car tuners to them
in the previous decade, the effect was a startling resurgence to
the initial strong showing that the Acura made when it was first
introduced to the market. Later models followed the concept of a
luxury vehicle at an affordable price, with good features and
some customization options. So far, the strategy has been
successful.
 
In 2004, the classic Acura designs were revamped into the Acura
TSX for the European market. Apart from the upgraded design and
internal systems, it was also given four-wheel drive and a
4-cylinder engine. Minor modifications were made to make the
Acura TSX more suitable for the European market. The new design
was received well by the market and quickly became one of the
premier import luxury cars in the European market at the time.
 
However, certain features like rear wheel drive and V8 engines,
have become prominent among the competitors of the classic
Acura. Honda currently is sticking to its guns in maintaining
the simple but elegant design, combined with functional
technologies and systems. While opinions vary, there is some
worry over the fact that the latest models have not been as
tuner-friendly as previous ones. Some speculate that Honda will
have to once again rethink the design of the classic Acura in
order to keep up.

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