1976- First year of the Accord. Powered by a 1.6 liter inline-4 with 68 horsepower. Transmission choices were: a full-synchromesh (except for reverse) 5-speed Manual or a 2-speed semi-automatic. Hatchback bodystyle only. The original fuel economy was 46 mpg highway, but with a Weber carburetor kit, it could go as high as 80 mpg with 80 horsepower.
1977- Accord LX with AC, power steering, digital clock was introduced.
1978- No changes except for a carpeted tonneau cover instead of the original vinyl cover. Bright red no longer available(?). Amall Blue Metallic is introduced.
1979- New 1.8 liter engine with 72 hp @4500rpm and 94 ft.lbs of torque @3000 rpm. New taillights. New 4-door sedan model with standard AM/FM radio and remote-controlled door locks. Tire size went up from 155SR13 to 165SR13. New 4-spoke wheels. New Tudor red metallic paint. First year of electronic ignition. Accord LX gained AM/FM stereo radio
1980- New taillights, grille, and bumper trim on all models. The 4-door model got a remote-controlled door mirror, as did the LX model, except that the LX mirror was black instead of chrome. New Hampstead green metallic increased the color selection on the 4-door to three with beige replacing silver. Hatchbacks had six colors. New wheels. New 3-speed automatic replaces Hondamatic. California model with automatic has new head for 75 hp. Only Californian cars require unleaded fuel. New 85-mph speedometer replacing old 100-mph speedometer.
1981- New high-compression head was installed, increasing horsepower output by 5%. Fuel economy goes up 8%. All models gained smaller, black remote mirrors and a new warning light cluster with pictorials instead of the wording. The controls also gained the international system. The 5-speed manual gained a new linkage with a better reverse gear engagement system. New Oslo Ivory paint replaces the beige color of 1979-80. Dark brown and caramel metallic color no longer available. Seat upholstery pattern was changed. New SE 4-door with AC; leather interior; upgraded stereo with four speakers, amplifier, and tape deck; alloy wheels; and power windows was introduced. The standard radio on the 4-door was upgraded to a unit with stereo sound. All Accords now require unleaded gas. Otherwise, the Accord soldiered on unchanged.
1982- New body that is larger, but lighter. Fuel economy increased 15%. New wheels. Same 1981 engine and transmissions. Cruise control becomes standard on 4-doors and LX hatchback. Pewter Gray Metallic color replaces Hampstead green, and new light blue color replaces the deep blue metallic and is now available on the 4-door model. Brown and Nivorno Beige return. New Champagne Beige Metallic paint was available on hatchbacks.
1983- Four-speed automatic replaced three-speed. New starter on automatic equipped Accords. SE model returns with same features and gray color as the 1981 Accord SE plus power moonroof, automatic transmission, and pdifferent alloy wheels.
1984- slight restyle and lengthening. New 1.8 liter engine with 12-valves and 86 horsepower. New LX 4-door model with digital clock, AC, power windows, tape deck with four speakers is introduced. Wheel covers become standard on LX models. Frost white color is reintroduced. All 4-door models have body-color bumpers. New 120 mph speedo.
1985- New SE-i model comes out with the LX features plus, leather interior, power moonroof, power mirrors, fuel injection for 24 more horsepower, 14" alloy wheels with 195/60HR14 tires, and dark brown paint with beige leather. Power steering is standard on DX hatchback with automatic. Dual mirrors standard on Accord LX sedan.
1986- New body with aerodynamic rain gutters, pop-up headlights, longer wheelbase. Engine bored out to 2.0 liters with 2-barrel carb replacing old 3-barrel of 1985. Horsepower was increased to 98 for carbureted models and 110 for fuel injected cars. LX hatchback replaced by LX-i model with power windows, cruise control, fuel injection, and new alloy wheels. New LX-i 4-door has LX 4-door features plus fuel injection, 13" alloy wheels, and power moonroof. All Accords now have power steering. LX-i Hatchback gets body-color bumpers of LX 4-door.
1987- New engine serial numbering and new chassis numbering.
1988- New coupe model with DX and LX-i models. New bumpers and taillights on 4-doors. Hatchback carries over with new wheel covers on DX and 14" alloys on LX-i. New exhaust manifold on FI engine improves power to 120 HP. Dual exhaust on LX-i models. New radios. Green color of 1980-81 returns.
1989- New SE-i coupe and sedan with LX-i features plus special colors, Honda-Bose sound system, leather, new 14" wheels, steering wheel radio controls, and 4-wheel disc brakes. Other models carry on without changes.
1990- New body style puts Accord into mid-size category. New 2.2 liter EFI engine puts out 125 hp on DX and LX, 130 hp on EX. New electronically controlled automatic transmission. Motorized belts. Hatchback body style/SE-i model discontinued. New 14" wheels on DX and LX, 15" wheels on EX model.
1991- SE model with leather, automatic transmission, 140 hp, Brittany Blue Metallic paint, silver metallic paint, and ABS introduced. New LX and EX wagon body style with airbag and keyless entry on EX version introduced. Cappuccino brown discontinued and replaced by Tuscany beige Metallic. New Cobalt blue pearl. Maintenance indicator from original Accord is modified and added. LX and EX Accords have body-color mirrors.
1992- New bumpers, wheel covers, grille, and (except wagon) taillights. Airbag standard on all models. EX gets SE engine and ABS as SE is discontinued. New opal-green metallic color.
1993- SE returns with body-color side moldings and coupe model. SE sedans have dual air bags, while coupes have a rear spoiler. 10th Anniversary LX model with dual air bags, ABS, alloy wheels, and automatic transmission introduced.
1994- New organic styling. Engine on DX and LX gets extra 5 horsepower. New VTEC engine with 145 hp on EX. Dual airbags. New EXL model with leather interior. New wheels. New automatic with grade-logic programming. All Accords now come with dual mirrors and body-color bumpers. DX and LX models have ABS as an option. Manual transmission gains linkage from Acura Legend/Vigor, dropping the linkage from the 1981 Accord. EX models have 6-spoke 15" wheels and body-color side moldings.
1995- New V6 models with 2.7 liter V6 from 1987-90 Acura Legend and automatic transmission from 1991-95 Legend. New front fenders, hood, and grille distinguish the V6 from the regular model. The 4-cylinder DX and LX models have new wheel covers. The EX continues without any changes. EX wagon no longer available with 5-speed Manual. Lighted vanity mirror added to left sun visor on LX and EX models. EX V6 model has leather interior standard.
1996- New rear taillights, bumpers, and wheels. Trunk opening on sedans and coupes enlarged. Roof rack standard on EX wagon :-(. Grille on four cylinder models exactly the same as V-6 models. Front bumper on V-6 model same as 1995. New colors.
