Rare Low Mileage, Timeless Classic Acura Coupe on 2040-cars
Scottsdale, Arizona, United States
Welcome to the listing for my classic Acura Legend. The streamlined body design of the 1st generation (1987-1990) Acura Legend coupe is timeless -- a much beloved shape that embodied the automotive language of a time when George Michael’s “Faith” was at the top of the billboard charts, a gallon of gas was $1.08, and big hair was all the rage. Acura had recently launched as a new standalone brand to exemplify everything that Honda was capable of doing. Now in 2013, this Legend turns heads even at nearly 26 years old. Here in Arizona, this car is eligible for Historic license plates. It’s my pleasure to offer up this Acura flagship coupe to its next owner.
Acura Legend Background The Legend name says it all. Acura rocked the luxury car world when the company was launched in 1986 with the original Legend sedan and Integra models. The Legend sedan brought V6 power, Honda reliability, and luxurious amenities to a vehicle that was still fun to drive, and for only a fraction of what the Germans were charging. A year later, the 1987 Legend coupe debuted and was an instant success, earning Motor Trend’s Import Car of the Year title in its first model year. The Legend won first place in 5 of the 9 categories in which the vehicles were evaluated, beating out even the newly redesigned Toyota Supra sportscar. Soon, Car & Driver named the car to its iconic “10 Best” list in 1988 (and it stayed there for 3 years in a row!), saying: “The Legend Coupe is styled with international lines, will run 130 mph any day of the week, and is every bit as comfortable as Euro brands. Its fuel-injected, 24-valve V-6 produces 161 horsepower a boasts a well-endowed torque curve. Its suspension is state of the art. Its steering is speed-sensitive. Its options include anti-lock brakes and a driver’s-side airbag. Yes indeed, the Acura Legend Coupe has the goods to run with the big boys.” Acura was proud of this Legend. It was referred to by Ed Taylor, Vice President of the Acura Automobile Division as “a car designed for the truly discriminating driver.” He went on to say in a June 1987 press release: “The Acura Legend sedan and coupe are precision built for an enjoyable and lasting owner experience. The Legend combination of performance and luxury, plus the Acura dedication to top-ranked customer satisfaction, should be an unbeatable combination.” Ed was right. This car has endured the test of time and still exhibits those qualities even 25 years later. Vehicle History This 1988 Acura Legend L coupe has just a little over 98,800 actual miles. It was built in January 1988 at Honda’s Sayama, Japan factory. The original owner took delivery of the car on March 21, 1988 at Acura of Huntingdon Valley in Pennsylvania and resided in Jenkintown, PA about 10 miles north of downtown Philadelphia. The car was garage kept and driven only occasionally, accumulating just 34,765 miles in its first 18 years of existence. During that time, it was serviced meticulously at Sussman Acura in Jenkintown. The second owner, Jean, bought the car in July 2006 from an estate sale in New Jersey and drove it for the next 7 years, including a move across the country to Arizona. A few years later, moved permanently back to New Jersey and decided to leave the Legend in the southwest. I am the third owner. I bought the car in August of this year from her with the determination to put it through some cosmetic & maintenance updates and find it a worthy new home. It had been parked for about two years when I picked it up. The car will come with service records dating back to when the car had 28,000 miles on it. Since August 2013, the car has had $3,000 spent in maintenance. I had thought about keeping this car, but I have 4 other Acuras (including another Legend coupe with over 527,000 miles on it) and simply cannot provide this Legend the garage space that it deserves. These cars were built to last and I know that this 1988 coupe has many years and miles left of reliable service to provide. The paperwork & documentation includes the original 1988 Legend Coupe Owner’s Manual, the 1988 Acura Warranties Manual, Cruise Control Operation instruction card, and Customer Assistance postcard. The leather manual case even includes the business cards for the salesman and the Service Department representative who the original buyer interacted with when he bought this fine coupe. I have two keys; a master/ignition key, and a valet key. I don’t believe either one is original to the car, but they work. Lastly, I will include the now-discontinued and very tough to find Factory Service Manual and Electrical Troubleshooting Manual specific to this car. This Legend has no accident history but the hood and roof were professionally refinished. The clear coat had begun to fade on these panels. Please see the detailed Carfax report for extensive vehicle history. The Arizona title is clear and and in-hand; ready for its next buyer. Mechanical Condition This Legend runs excellently and has extremely low miles, having been driven on average only about 2,500 miles per year for the last 25 years. The 2.7 liter V6 engine is rated at 161 horsepower, and the transmission is a 4-speed automatic with “Sport Shift” mode. Having owned multiple of the larger, more powerful 2nd generation (1991-1995) Acura Legends, the earlier bodystyle Legends like this 1988 coupe are so much more energetic and fun. Maintenance has been fully brought up to date for many of the critical mechanical systems in the car. My attention to detail on this restoration started from the inside out. Within the last 500 miles, the Legend received some very important service items from a certified Honda technician, using OEM parts & fluids for most of these items:
The car passed Arizona’s strict smog inspection in March 2010 at 91,000 miles, and I will include the print-out of the results along with all other paperwork. Readings were as follows:
Following are the maintenance items which I have record of: Driving Experience The Legend coupe runs and drives as great as can be expected for a 25-year-old car. A quick start-up brings the 24-valve fuel-injected V6 to life. There is no smoke from the tailpipe. Taking off down the road, the 4-speed automatic transmission shifts solidly through all the gears. The Legend feels light and nimble to maneuver, bringing an element of fun into even a mundane commute. Visibility in this classic coupe is far better than most newer cars I’ve driven - the large windows and low beltline contribute to near 360-degree perspective on the world around the driver. The A & B pillars are extremely thin, and the windows are frameless, giving a "convertible" feel with doors open & windows down. The air conditioning and heat function as designed, the radio works, and all controls are placed within easy reach of the driver. There is a volume knob and radio preset toggle button located to the right of the gauge cluster at eye level. Even in 1987, Acura was at the forefront of developing ways to keep driver attention on the road. At 65 miles per hour, the Legend’s powerplant is turning at just 2750 RPM. The cruise control works. This is the type of car I’d happily drive across the country at a moment’s notice because of how comfortable it is. Cosmetic Condition
Options & Accessories Even by today’s standards, the 1988 Legend holds its own from a comfort and luxury perspective. Climate control is automatically controlled by a single knob to set the temperature. Rare for any coupe, the rear windows were operational. The Legend was truly ahead of its time in regard to the amenities it offered. Consider the fact that this car in 1988 sold for $28,000 when an Accord was only $15,000. This classic coupe represents the flagship of the Acura line and in its time was the most expensive vehicle that Honda produced. Among its features:
Please see attached the Word document highlighting complete specifications for the 1988 coupe. Aside from all those standard features, Acura offered a lot of factory accessories. Some of these are shown on the scan from the 1988 brochure below. This particular 1988 Legend L coupe is equipped with a few special add-ons that set it apart from others:
Known Issues Please do keep in mind that this is a 25-year-old vehicle and it is not perfect. In fact, I see this as a worthy ‘project car’ and it is my hope that the next owner will continue to give it the same level of attention that I have to bring it back to 100% mechanically. I will make every effort to disclose all known issues with the car in this list, and there are 12 items to bring up. Feel free to reach out for any more specific inquiries.
If you’re even remotely mechanically inclined, most of these could be wiped out fairly easily. Even with the above mentioned items, the car is fun to drive around town and I have really enjoyed owning it. It is a nimble, easy to drive vehicle. It’s small enough to park, has great visibility, and impressive fuel economy from the 2.7 V6 given its power. The trip computer tells me I’m getting 19.9 mpg city. As an Acura enthusiast, I would love to keep this car. I have attended all 9 National Acura Legend Meets (NALMs) since 2005 and I am amazed that a vehicle that’s been out of production for over 18 years still garners this much of an enthusiast following. I hope this 1988 L coupe goes to someone else who will appreciate it for the great car that it is. It is truly rare to see a 1st generation Legend with fewer than 100,000 miles on it. Thanks for looking at my auction and feel free to reach out to me for any further inquiries about the car. Contact me via Ebay and I'll gladly provide my phone number to take calls for specific questions.
Pictures .jpg Terms and Conditions This vehicle is being sold as is, where is, with all faults and defects and with no representation or warranty express, implied or otherwise. The seller shall not be responsible for the correct description, authenticity, genuineness, or any defects herein, and makes no warranty in connection therewith. No allowance or set aside will be made on account of any incorrectness, imperfection, defect, or damage. Any descriptions or representations are for identification purposes only and are not to be construed as a representation or warranty of any type. It is the responsibility of the buyer to have thoroughly inspected the vehicle and to have satisfied himself or herself as to the condition and value of the vehicle and to bid based upon that judgment alone. The seller assumes no responsibility for any repairs regardless of any oral statements about the vehicle. Any and all disputes relating to this vehicle must be resolved exclusively through binding, confidential arbitration by an arbitrator located in Phoenix, Arizona, and in accordance with the rules and procedures of the American Arbitration Association. The buyer agrees to submit to such arbitration and not to pursue any actions inconsistent with such arbitration. Arizona law will govern all such disputes. Deposit is due within 48 hours of the auction end, with the remainder of the balance due within 10 business days. Shipping and delivery is the responsibility of the buyer. Vehicle is subject to removal before the end of the auction as it is advertised in other markets. AZ buyers must pay AZ sales tax plus applicable AZ fees. Out-of-state buyers are responsible for their own taxes, registration etc. in their own states. Bidders are entering into a legal and binding contract to purchase the vehicle described above. I reserve the right to cancel bids and/or our auction at any time for any reason. Contact me before bidding if you have no feedback or negative feedback. |
Acura Legend for Sale
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Auto blog
Honda integrating Siri into select models
Wed, 30 Jan 2013Honda has partnered up with Apple to bring Siri to the Accord, Acura RDX and ILX. Owners who have an iPhone running iOS 6 will be able to ask the software to perform a number of tasks via voice command using the vehicle's on board microphone and speaker systems. What's more, the tech will put the iPhone into an "eyes free" mode, which turns the screen off to help reduce distraction while driving. Honda says it has reworked its Bluetooth and HandsFreeLink systems to accommodate the Siri functionality. While the tech will only be available on three of the company's models right now, we imagine it won't be long before it shows up elsewhere.
As you may recall, Chevrolet integrated Siri into its products with vehicles like the Spark and Sonic, but Mercedes-Benz and Chrysler have also toyed with the tech to varying degrees. The seamless voice command seems to be light years ahead of the tech manufacturers are currently playing with. Check out the full press release from Honda below for more information.
Acura ZDX getting the axe after 2013 despite new updates [w/poll]
Wed, 10 Oct 2012The Acura ZDX hasn't exactly lived a conventional existence, so perhaps we shouldn't be surprised that its death announcement isn't going according to standard industry protocol, either. Parent company Honda has taken the unusual step of trumpeting a refreshed-for-2013 model while simultaneously announcing that this will be the model's last year. According to Acura, the model's cancellation comes as the brand "sharpens its focus on new models and core products" like the forthcoming RLX sedan.
The audaciously styled crossover has been, to be charitable, a very reluctant seller since its 2009 introduction, but for 2013, Acura is jazzing up its concept car for the street with new kit. The changes include a lightly reworked front shield grille along with new power folding side mirrors and new tech features including lane departure and forward collision warning systems.
We'd say that announcing the model's discontinuation at the same time one is presenting a freshened model could hurt sales, but we're not sure there's anyone paying attention. Last year, Acura managed to shift just 1,564 units of the ZDX, giving it the No. 4 spot on our Worst Sellers of 2011 list. Through September, Automotive News reports that only 642 examples have been sold in 2012, making it one of the rarest new cars on the market.
2013 Acura ILX Hybrid
Wed, 10 Jul 2013This Is Not The Acura You're Looking For
Mid-level luxury brands have always had to do a bit of leg work to distance themselves from their more common cousins. Thanks to generation after generation of pervasive badge engineering (much of it from the Big Three), buyers can't be blamed for looking at brands like Buick, Lincoln, Infiniti, Lexus and yes, Acura as tarted up versions of Chevrolet, Ford, Nissan, Toyota and Honda products. For much of its lifetime in the automotive landscape, however, Acura has excelled at putting distance between its offerings and that of its parent company thanks to cars with superior driving dynamics, quieter cabins and clean, attractive aesthetics.
Yes, outliers and dull spots can be found in the company's recent track record, but by and large, Acura products remain situated well above the Honda rabble. When the brand announced it was getting serious about the luxury small car game with the ILX, those of us with a set of the company's keys in our past couldn't help but envision an honest successor to the long-dead Integra. Turns out, that wasn't what Acura had in mind.