Prelude

The Honda Prelude is a sports coupé which was produced by Japanese car manufacturer Honda from until The two-door coupé was loosely derived.
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The Prelude name was originally trademarked by Toyota , but was amicably given to Honda for use. The Prelude complied to the series of music themed vehicle names which Honda used at the time, along with the Accord , Quintet , Concerto , Jazz and Ballade. On November 24, , the Prelude was launched to the Japanese market. This dealership chain also introduced the Honda Quint , the Honda Ballade and the Accord-based Honda Vigor as its largest sedan and hatchback. The four-wheel independent struts, brakes, and engine were all borrowed from the first generation Accord, but the chassis was all new and developed by chief engineer Hiroshi Kizawa expressly for the sporting Prelude.

The Prelude and period Accord were the first cars under two litres to receive standard power steering.

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The Prelude was the first Honda model to offer a power moonroof as standard equipment, which eventually became a Prelude trademark. In Japan, the Prelude was available with a sliding metal sunroof, while US versions received a glass top which freed up more headroom. Initial reviews for the Prelude were favorable. The machine, like all Hondas, embodies fabrication that is, in my opinion, surpassed only by the narrowest of margins by Mercedes-Benz. It is a relatively powerful little automobile by anybody's standards.

In terms of underpinnings it was mostly a Honda Accord, although its more compact package and lower weight allowed for a marginally higher top speed and gas mileage. It featured a non-automatic choke with three positions and a two-barrel carburetor. Transmission choices were either the standard five-speed manual or initially a two-speed "Hondamatic" semi-automatic, which by October had been replaced by a three-speed automatic that used the final gear as the overdrive. In addition to the standard fabrics offered in most models, an 'Executive' option was offered in some markets which added power steering and Connolly leather upholstery.

Honda used a single central gauge cluster design in this car which housed the speedometer and tachometer in one combined unit where both instrument's needles swept along the same arc. The Prelude featured intermittent wipers, tinted glass, and a remote trunk release.

This facelift meant a return to a more traditional dashboard, rather than the much critiqued "Concentrated Target Meter" used before. Less than were believed to be converted when new and they were sold through Honda dealerships with full factory warranty coverage. The Prelude was launched in Europe during , but was not a strong seller, its high asking price not helping its chances of sales success. The second-generation Prelude was released in Japan on November 25, and worldwide in the spring of This was the first generation of Prelude to have pop-up headlights, which allowed for a more aerodynamic front clip, reducing drag.

Opening the headlights, however, especially at higher speeds, produced significantly more drag. The design retained nothing of the first generation, being considerably more aerodynamic and with large glass surfaces. As with the predecessor, it was amply equipped, with an air of " mini-gran turismo " rather than that of a sports car. In Japan, the Prelude was one of the key models sold at Japanese Honda dealership sales channels, called Honda Verno , which offered performance-oriented products.

All Honda Verno products, like the Vigor , initially shared the concealed headlights introduced with this generation Prelude that would help identify "sports" products from Honda in Japan however, the approach was short-lived. The model with the 2. When the 2-liter valve DOHC engine came out the hood had to be slightly modified since the larger engine could not fit under the original hood.

The North American model is identifiable by its standard painted steel wheels with bright trim rings although alloy rims were optional. The base models had Civic-style full wheel covers. Fuel injection was introduced in the "Si" models in This version of the Prelude was far more popular in Britain than its predecessor, and sold well at a time when sports cars were declining in popularity and many manufacturers were withdrawing from this market sector; including Ford , who did not replace the Capri after its demise, even though it had been one of Britain's 10 most popular new cars as recently as The European lineup originally consisted of the base Prelude, without power steering, and the well-equipped EX which was also available with an automatic transmission and the A.

On April 9, , the third-generation Prelude was released in the Japanese domestic market and released later that year worldwide, being a model in North America. Featuring evolutionary styling from its predecessor, it shared design cues from the Honda NSX that would be introduced later in The Prelude featured innovative features for its time such as a 0.


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It was well received by judges of the European Car of the Year accolade for , finished third in a contest where the Peugeot was the runaway winner and the Citroen AX came second. This was one of the best performances by a Japanese built or branded car until the Nissan Micra won the award five years later.

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For reference, the Chevrolet Corvette C4 took the same course at The Prelude was Wheels magazine's Car of the Year for The facelift third-generation Prelude was revealed in Japan on November 21, The front and rear bumpers were revised on the new Prelude The rear front bumper and rear tail lamps featured clear indicators and a revised parking lamp design. Many of the interior parts were also revised, including the dash bezel, the door handle and window switches. It also featured chrome trim on the headlamps front and rear bumpers, side moldings, tail lights and both front and rear windscreens to enhance the focus on luxury rather than sportiness.

In the US, the facelifted Prelude debuted for the model year, with the carbureted 2. The revised version of the B20A5, called the B21A1 was available. This causes premature piston ring wear contributing to exceptionally high oil consumption. These cars were a limited production run and very few were built. SiStates catalogues indicate built. The SiStates also featured a Japanese version of the 2.

Preludes by T. S. Eliot | Poetry Foundation

Two major distinctions of the SiStates was that it was the same width as the Prelude sold in North America, from which it took its name, due to the wider side moldings. The other being that it was over 2. The extra width and the larger engine combined to place the Prelude SiStates in a considerably higher tax bracket; while this slowed sales it also targeted some status hungry buyers. On September 19, , the fourth-generation Prelude was introduced in Japan, and in Europe from early The four wheel steering system was changed to an electronic version and the engine was increased in capacity from 2.

The Japanese Si came with the F22B 2. The VTEC model had an upgraded brake system, going from a Its styling approach is similar to the Honda Ascot Innova during the same time period. In some countries, the Prelude with 2. Due to the width dimensions and the engine displacement exceeding Japanese government regulations for vehicles classified as "compact", this generation Prelude obligated Japanese owners to yearly taxes, and the Prelude became known as a luxury car in Japan as a result.

This model also marked the end for the pop-up headlights. The Prelude incorporated other design features that had also become the "Prelude standard".


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The rear end was rounded and fairly high in comparison to the previous square trunk line. The front fascia of the car became wider with fixed headlights. The glass moonroof made way for a steel sliding sunroof which no longer retracted into the car but extended out and over it. The story of an imaginary word that managed to sneak past our editors and enter the dictionary. How we chose 'feminism'. How to use a word that literally drives some people nuts. The awkward case of 'his or her'. Test your visual vocabulary with our question challenge!

Other words from prelude Verb preluder noun. Noun foreword , intro , introduction , preamble , preface , prologue also prolog Antonyms: Noun epilogue also epilog Visit the Thesaurus for More. Examples of prelude in a Sentence Noun an eruption of sectarian violence that proved to be the prelude to all-out civil war the musical had a brief prelude to get the audience in the proper mood.

Prelude FLNG

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun Indoor performances begin at 7: Gates open near SouthPark Mall at 5, and parking there is still free. First Known Use of prelude Noun , in the meaning defined at sense 1 Verb , in the meaning defined at intransitive sense. Learn More about prelude. Resources for prelude Time Traveler! Explore the year a word first appeared. Dictionary Entries near prelude prelogging prelogical preloral prelude preludial preludio preludious.

Time Traveler for prelude The first known use of prelude was in See more words from the same year. More Definitions for prelude. English Language Learners Definition of prelude. Kids Definition of prelude. More from Merriam-Webster on prelude See words that rhyme with prelude Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for prelude Spanish Central: Translation of prelude Nglish: