When I think of cars I usually picture a particular brand, model and year. for example, the 1961 Ferrari 250 GT California SWB Spyder which sold on May 18, 2008 for a record $10,994,400 at R.M. auctions. Or how about the 2009 Chevrolet Corvette ZR1, with 638 horsepower priced at $103,000 which may be the best value for the money sports car in the world. Or even the new 2009 Mini John Cooper Works which might be the most fun you can have for $29,200.

However when we think of automobiles like the Accord a specific model and year do not come to mind as much as which generation is it? That’s right, not the particular year of an  Accord ? We think of a particular group of years for changes in the Accord, and not the specific year.

As you may know 1976 was the first year of the Accord, and appropriately this was the start of the first grouping, which lasted until 1981. 2008 introduced the eighth group. Wow! Eight generations of cars in 32 years or on average a new major model change every four years. So it might be until 2012 when we see the ninth grouping.

So what is significant about each block of years?

First  (1976-1981). A three door Accord hatchback with 68 brake horsepower and finishing with a three speed automatic or a five speed manual.

Second ( 1981-1985) Honda opened it’s first American Accord manufacturing plant in Marysville, Ohio. The last of this generation was the Special Edition, SE-1 with a fuel injected 110 bph engine.

Third (1986-1989). This year started with a new body design that resembled the Prelude. The final model was now up to 120 horsepower, and the coupe was the first model to be produced in the United States and exported back to Japan.

Fourth (1990-1993). As you can see each time period is getting shorter. In this block  the car was larger and heavier and resembled the Accura Legend. Power was up to 140 horsepower, and the first Accord wagon was introduced towards the end of the generation.

Fifth (1994-1997). The automobile grew in width, but shrunk in length. During this time period  in 1995 the first V6 engine was introduced.

Sixth (1998-2002). The American model in this group of cars was now only available in sedans and coupes. Many more Accord models were available in both Japan and Europe.

Seventh (2003-2007). The American models again grew in size, and in 2004 the first  hybrid model was introduced.

Eighth (2008-present) The latest generation of Accords dropped the hybrid models, relegating them to smaller models. Size again increased by 4 inches in length and 3 inches in width for the U.S. models.