Rare Find: 1993 Honda Civic del Sol Unearthed in Junkyard

In 1984, the two-seat version of the third-generation Civic was introduced as the Civic CRX. The Honda Civic CRX drew design inspiration from Ford’s two-seat Escort and marked a turning point in the American car market for its success. Following its success, the CRX’s final model year was 1991, and the Civic Del Sol replaced it for 1993. A photo of a first-year Del Sol found in a Colorado boneyard shows the model’s roots in the Civic CRX.

This generation of Civics was universally loved by car enthusiasts for its quality and unparalleled performance. However, despite being built as well as its siblings, the Civic Del Sol failed to garner the same level of appreciation in the United States. With the competitive car market and the untimely passing of Soichiro Honda, it failed to capture the same level of affection from drivers.

For the 1993 model year, the base model Del Sol was offered with a reliable 1.5-liter engine, while the Del Sol Si had a more desireable 1.6-liter VTEC engine. An automatic transmission was available, but the boneyard vehicle found came with a five-speed manual transmission. Although the informational panel was removed, similar cars have been found in good condition with over 300,000 miles, reflecting the robust build quality of the car.

This specific Del Sol appears to be one of the first units brought across the Pacific to the United States, having a very low sequence number in its VIN and a build date of June 1992. Given the circumstances under which the author was driving newly arrived Hondas around that time, it’s possible that one of these early Del Sols was driven fresh off the lot.

In its homeland, the Del Sol was sold as the CR-X and was marketed as the “2Way Paradise” sports car. Despite its relative lack of popularity in the United States, the Del Sol was a unique car with its signature roof removal feature.

By drawing comparisons to its predecessor the Civic CRX, this text provides a unique and insightful look at the evolution of the Honda Civic and the history of the Del Sol model. The professional analysis and anecdotes from the author’s own experience enhance the content with valuable context, making this information useful to enthusiasts, automotive professionals, and casual readers alike.