Daily Picks: 1992 Honda Civic VX Hatchback

Honda has long Honda is known for its innovation when it comes to energy efficiency. Back in the early 1970s, Honda designed and patented a technology called CVCC (Compound Vortex Controlled Combustion), which was a leader in optimizing the combustion cycle, reducing emissions and achieving maximum fuel tank range. Civics and Accords on the U.S. market at the time were among the many vehicles that used CVCC engines.

Decades later, Honda is still at it. The 1992 Civic VX raised the bar for fuel economy in the compact hatchback class with an efficient 16-valve engine, a lightweight chassis, and a body shape that minimized wind resistance while providing stable handling.

Today’s pick is a 1992 Honda Civic VX Hatchback, for sale on ClassicCars.com by a private seller in Bangor, Maine. (Click on the link to view the listing)

“This highly desirable single-owner car will only be sold to someone who understands its historical significance in the development of Honda’s legendary VTEC-powered Civic,” the seller says. The listing continues, “When I purchased it as a brand new vehicle, it was notable because its introduction was widely covered by the automotive, business, and scientific media as it made history as the first car in the United States to earn a 55 mpg rating.”

The fifth generation of the compact Civic was introduced in 1992 in three different body styles: EG (hatchback), EH (sedan) and EJ (coupe). The “VX” version of the base EG hatchback was designed with fuel economy in mind: it featured minimalist exterior and interior trim, lightweight 13-inch aluminum wheels and a 92-horsepower 1.5-liter VTEC-E engine. The key to the engine’s efficiency was its ability to burn a lean air-fuel mixture at 2,500 rpm and below and under low loads.

The seller says, “The car’s high mileage is a testament to the durability of the Honda engine and the substantial reduction in engine rpm during highway driving (between 2,000 and 2,200 rpm at 65-70 mph). Additionally, the car has reportedly been rarely driven in stop-and-go conditions. Even with 265,000 miles on the odometer, it still has plenty of life left in it.

List price is $20,000 or best offer, which the seller says is negotiable. The car will come with documentation, including magazine articles, owner’s manual, window sticker, and logbook with gas fills, oil changes, and tire rotations.

Bonus: You can get a built-in arm workout with these hand crank windows!

To view this list on ClassicCars.com, head all the way to Daily Picks.