CARKICHI'S DREAM GARAGE - PART 1

    1993 Honda CRX Del Sol SiR
Total Lottery Spend to Date: ¥230,000

So, the Honda CRX Del Sol. You may be forgiven for thinking that this is not the most auspicious of starts to a feature that claims to go by the title “Dream Garage”. Nor perhaps is this the best vehicle with which to establish myself as a self-proclaimed arbiter of automotive taste. However, were the planets to align in such a way as to bequeath me with a sizeable lottery win, I would like to think that my reaction would be a little more considered than to simply head for my nearest purveyor of Italian, Bavarian, or Great British exotica to select the newest and most expensive offerings from their shelves. While my spending spree would doubtless involve trips to the auctions of Bonhams and Coys, and may even take in the occasional Porsche or Ferrari dealership, the majority of my time would be spent in the motor trade’s less salubrious establishments, passing on my new found wealth to dubious stereotypes clad in sheepskin coats in exchange for overlooked and oft maligned metal from the annals of automotive history. My ultimate goal would be to craft a collection so eclectic it would utterly confound the classic car commentators of the day, were it to be unearthed from beneath the years of accumulated dust at some point in the distant future.

It is with this goal in mind that this unmolested silver example of the CRX Del Sol has been selected as the first entry in the Carkichi dream garage. While the Mazda MX-5 and other Japanese machinery of a similar vintage - including the Del Sol’s older brethren, the first and second generation CRXs - have already cemented their positions as classic driver’s cars, the third generation CRX is often seen as something of a superficial poseur in this company, lacking the full credentials required to attain classic status. A quick Google Image search for “CRX Del Sol” reveals what is perhaps the primary reason for the diminutive Honda’s perceived lack of credibility. It would appear from the resulting images that more gaudy hate crimes against tasteful modification have been perpetrated against the Del Sol than any other vehicle on the road, with owners having an alarming proclivity for fitting scissor-style doors and vaudeville appendages both fore and aft. With an abundance of bad taste and ostentatious showmanship seemingly de rigueur in Del Sol driving circles, it is little wonder that the car remains neglected by more retiring members of the automotive community. Yet, even without the best efforts of the tasteless tuning brigade, the CRX manages to back itself into a cul-de-sac with its deceptive styling. At first glance, the lines of this little targa seem to promise that the holy grail of powertrain configurations lies within, for the Del Sol looks to all intents and purposes as though it sports a mid-engined rear-wheel-drive layout. The reality of the Civic-derived front-engined front-wheel-drive powertrain therefore comes of something of a shock to those purists who insist on rear-wheel-drive in their sports cars.



Look beyond the questionable accomplishments of the modifiers and the less than ideal FF layout however, and there is much to recommend this perfectly proportioned targa. For a start there is the effervescent and characterful 1.6-litre VTEC B16A engine, which, in this the top of the range SiR model, produced 170ps at 7800rpm, tipping the Del Sol over the magic 100bhp per litre milestone. Then there is the Del Sol’s party piece, the Trans Top automated roof stowage system. While the standard manual targa top and its promise of open top motoring may prove enough of a lure for some, the coveted Trans top system fitted to this car adds a further layer of drama to the wind-in-the-hair experience. Pull up at the lights, activate the Trans Top system, and wait for the crowd to gather as a structure reminiscent of a Stannah stairlift emerges from the rear of the Del Sol, extends its mechanical arms and snuggly stows the targa top in the rear luggage compartment. Admittedly, the Trans Top may sacrifice luggage space and add an additional 50kg to the Del Sol’s 1090kg kerb weight, but the engineering spectacle is surely worth the extra ballast? Finally, proving that the pleasing lines of the CRX Del Sol can be tastefully enhanced, this particular example is finished with a rare and fetching set of period Mugen NR-10 wheels, paying faithful homage to classic Campagnolo wheels of the 60s. To my mind these wheels alone go a long way towards justifying the 230,000 Yen asking price.