There were two body styles available initially, a four-door sedan...
And a 3-door hatchback
In Europe and Japan, the hatchback was not available, instead they got a different hatchback called the Aerodeck
The American models were available with the carbureted 98HP A20A1 engine, or the 120HP fuel-injected A20A3.
European models had a similar fuel-injected A-series available, or the DOHC B20A1, which made slightly more horsepower.
Japan, of course got the cream of the crop when it came to engine selections, with the 150HP B20A engine.
In 1988, there were a few changes made to the Accord in the form of cosmetic upgrades and chassis reinforcements. The big update, however, was the introduction of the Accord Coupe.
This was the first time the Accord was available as a coupe, and was also the first Honda to be produced exclusively at Honda's new American plant. Adding to the firsts, Honda exported some of these coupes to Japan, making it the first Japanese auto company to import cars into Japan.
The Accord Coupe was available in Japan as a limited edition model, and was very well recieved, mostly because the idea of it was seen as very exotic and American. It also became a status symbol among certain enthusiasts to import a left-hand drive model directly from the US, instead of buying a right-hand-drive model from a Japanese auto dealer. This brings up an interesting point, which is that Japan has had a USDM subculture for far longer than our fledgeling JDM subculture has been around.
The popularity of the Accord Coupe in Japan also leads me to believe this is why that particular model was chosen to be featured in Gran Turismo 4, instead of the 150HP model.
It's been an Accord tradition to release a special edition trim level for the US market during the last year of any particular generation, and 1989 was no exception, with the release of the Accord SE-i trim level, which included special badging, a Bose sound system, and 4-wheel disc brakes as standard equipment. None of these features were available in other trim levels, even as options, making the SE-i highly sought after by 3rd gen Accord enthusiasts, hoping to remove the disc brake systems and install them on their own cars.
More Honda Trivia to come. In the meantime, feel free to post your own.
