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Acura today celebrates 40 years since debuting in America on 27 March, 1986, as the first Japanese luxury car brand. [Infiniti and Lexus appeared in 1989 – AutoCrat.] The debut of the Legend sedan and the more performance oriented Integra were important in the highly profitable luxury car market dominated by the Europeans and what were then known as the Detroit Three.
“As we celebrate the 40th anniversary of the Acura brand, we’re not just honoring our history, we’re accelerating toward a future that will continue to be defined by daring innovation, a deep commitment to Acura customers and our Precision Crafted Performance brand DNA,” said Mike Langel, assistant vice president of Acura National Sales.
In conjunction with the milestone, Acura returns to its hometown sportscar race with the Acura Integra 40 Racer, a first-generation Integra tribute build honoring the brand’s first race car–the Comptech Integra No. 48–which won consecutive IMSA International Sedan Series Manufacturers’ and Drivers’ Championships from 1987 to 1990. The recreated race car was built by Honda Racing Corporation US (HRC US) and will make its debut at the 51st Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach [16-19 April 2026 – AutoCrat.]
In the early 1980s, American Honda observed what it thought was an opportunity in the competitive marketplace. The U.S. market was increasingly turning toward performance-oriented luxury products, most of them European brands such as BMW, Jaguar, Porsche as baby boomers looked to go upscale.
“Vehicles positioned at the high end of the market didn’t fit the Honda brand image so a new division that would cater to luxury and performance – internally known as Channel 2 – was officially born on 1 April 1984, with the public announcement that Honda would market luxury vehicles. That same year American Honda commissioned the NameLab company of San Francisco to develop a unique brand name that could embody the key concepts for the new brand – precision and quality. This resulted in “Acura” – derived from the Latin root “acu,” meaning sharp or precise.
“The idea of launching the world’s first Japanese luxury brand was a gamble; however, Honda, more than any other car company, had found success by defying conventional wisdom. Aimed at European luxury intenders, the Acura bet paid off with immediate success as the public responded strongly to the Acura combination of innovation and driving pleasure. In its first year on the market, Acura grew its dealer network from the initial 60 dealers in the top 30 U.S. markets that launched the brand, to 150 dealers by year’s end. Just 12 months later Acura became the best-selling luxury-performance import brand in the United States, silencing even the harshest critics and proving unequivocally that Acura could compete in the luxury car market,” American Honda said.
“To distinguish the new Acura brand from Honda, new standalone Acura dealerships were constructed, starting in key markets such as Los Angeles, New York, Seattle and others around the country where luxury sales were strong. From the beginning, the idea was to make outstanding customer service a point of distinction for Acura. Acura dealerships would have to extend a level of customer service to earn the brand’s highest internal award – Acura Precision Team.
Acura set a new industry benchmark for customer service, earning the top spot in the J.D. Power and Associates Customer Satisfaction Index (CSI) in each of its first four years in business, achieving what were then the highest scores in the history of the survey.
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My own personal experience and respect for Acura came in 1990 when Acura debuted of the groundbreaking NSX. This mid-engine sports carwould establish new levels of performance, refinement and drive-ability at a relatively inexpensive price compared to, oh, Audi, Ferrari and Porsche. I remembered a conversation with the esteemed and estimable John Dinkel of Road&Track who I had known years before I joined the magazine as its Detroit editor. Having gone to Japan to drive the car prior to its introduction, John – when I asked about it – just shook his head and said “they are going to own the world.” This opinion was not contested among the entire R&T staff as I recall. Ferrari performance, Japanese quality and an undervalued price.
NSX was engineered with input from Formula 1 champion driver Ayrton Senna, NSX had the first mass-produced aluminum monocoque body for a production vehicle, titanium connecting rods and the first application of variable valve timing and lift with its innovative and new VTEC® valvetrain system.
The Acura “caliper” badge also appeared for the first time on the NSX. The “A” mark was designed to represent the Acura brand name, while signifying the “precision” with which Acura products were made through a design motif representing a set of mechanical calipers.
Moving to the U.S.
With the establishment of a major Honda R&D product development center in Ohio in 1993, U.S.-developed Acura models began coming to market, starting with the 1997 CL, the first U.S.-designed, developed and manufactured model offered by a luxury import nameplate. Production of the all-new CL, a stylish two-door coupe, began in 1995 with sales starting the following year.
Now known as the North American Automotive Development Center (ADC), during the past three decades, Honda associates in America have led the engineering and design of Acura vehicles including many of the brand’s most popular models. The first Acura mid-size SUV, the U.S.-designed and developed MDX, was the first luxury SUV to have standard third-row seating and was named the 2001 North American Truck of the Year. MDX was followed by the third-generation TL, the best-selling Acura sedan of all-time, the all-wheel drive TLX sedan, the award-winning third-generation RDX and the second-generation NSX – all designed and developed in the U.S. and built in North America, using domestic and globally made parts.
Acura recently revealed a change in direction that will lead the brand into the future, confirming its first two-motor hybrid-electric powertrain that will power the fourth-generation Acura RDX, planned for market introduction in the next couple of years. Acura also shared a teaser image of the all-new compact SUV that is now in development leading the brand’s strategy to focus on what are now increasingly popular gas-powered and hybrid-electric models in the U.S.
The Acura lineup today consists of four models: the Integra sport sedan, and the ADX, RDX, and MDX sport-utility vehicles. About 85% of Acura vehicles sold in America in 2025 were made in America, using domestic and globally made parts.
About Ken Zino
Ken Zino, editor and publisher of AutoInformed, is a versatile auto industry participant with global experience spanning decades in print and broadcast journalism, as well as social media. He has automobile testing, marketing, public relations and communications experience. He is past president of The International Motor Press Assn, the Detroit Press Club, founding member and first President of the Automotive Press Assn. He is a member of APA, IMPA and the Midwest Automotive Press Assn.
He also brings an historical perspective while citing their contemporary relevance of the work of legendary auto writers such as Ken Purdy, Jim Dunne or Jerry Flint, or writers such as Red Smith, Mark Twain, Thomas Jefferson – all to bring perspective to a chaotic automotive universe.
Above all, decades after he first drove a car, Zino still revels in the sound of the exhaust as the throttle is blipped during a downshift and the driver’s rush that occurs when the entry, apex and exit points of a turn are smoothly and swiftly crossed. It’s the beginning of a perfect lap.
AutoInformed has an editorial philosophy that loves transportation machines of all kinds while promoting critical thinking about the future use of cars and trucks.
Zino builds AutoInformed from his background in automotive journalism starting at Hearst Publishing in New York City on Motor and MotorTech Magazines and car testing where he reviewed hundreds of vehicles in his decade-long stint as the Detroit Bureau Chief of Road & Track magazine. Zino has also worked in Europe, and Asia – now the largest automotive market in the world with China at its center.
Milestones – Acura Celebrates 40th Birthday
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Acura today celebrates 40 years since debuting in America on 27 March, 1986, as the first Japanese luxury car brand. [Infiniti and Lexus appeared in 1989 – AutoCrat.] The debut of the Legend sedan and the more performance oriented Integra were important in the highly profitable luxury car market dominated by the Europeans and what were then known as the Detroit Three.
“As we celebrate the 40th anniversary of the Acura brand, we’re not just honoring our history, we’re accelerating toward a future that will continue to be defined by daring innovation, a deep commitment to Acura customers and our Precision Crafted Performance brand DNA,” said Mike Langel, assistant vice president of Acura National Sales.
In conjunction with the milestone, Acura returns to its hometown sportscar race with the Acura Integra 40 Racer, a first-generation Integra tribute build honoring the brand’s first race car–the Comptech Integra No. 48–which won consecutive IMSA International Sedan Series Manufacturers’ and Drivers’ Championships from 1987 to 1990. The recreated race car was built by Honda Racing Corporation US (HRC US) and will make its debut at the 51st Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach [16-19 April 2026 – AutoCrat.]
In the early 1980s, American Honda observed what it thought was an opportunity in the competitive marketplace. The U.S. market was increasingly turning toward performance-oriented luxury products, most of them European brands such as BMW, Jaguar, Porsche as baby boomers looked to go upscale.
“Vehicles positioned at the high end of the market didn’t fit the Honda brand image so a new division that would cater to luxury and performance – internally known as Channel 2 – was officially born on 1 April 1984, with the public announcement that Honda would market luxury vehicles. That same year American Honda commissioned the NameLab company of San Francisco to develop a unique brand name that could embody the key concepts for the new brand – precision and quality. This resulted in “Acura” – derived from the Latin root “acu,” meaning sharp or precise.
“The idea of launching the world’s first Japanese luxury brand was a gamble; however, Honda, more than any other car company, had found success by defying conventional wisdom. Aimed at European luxury intenders, the Acura bet paid off with immediate success as the public responded strongly to the Acura combination of innovation and driving pleasure. In its first year on the market, Acura grew its dealer network from the initial 60 dealers in the top 30 U.S. markets that launched the brand, to 150 dealers by year’s end. Just 12 months later Acura became the best-selling luxury-performance import brand in the United States, silencing even the harshest critics and proving unequivocally that Acura could compete in the luxury car market,” American Honda said.
“To distinguish the new Acura brand from Honda, new standalone Acura dealerships were constructed, starting in key markets such as Los Angeles, New York, Seattle and others around the country where luxury sales were strong. From the beginning, the idea was to make outstanding customer service a point of distinction for Acura. Acura dealerships would have to extend a level of customer service to earn the brand’s highest internal award – Acura Precision Team.
Acura set a new industry benchmark for customer service, earning the top spot in the J.D. Power and Associates Customer Satisfaction Index (CSI) in each of its first four years in business, achieving what were then the highest scores in the history of the survey.
Click for more.
My own personal experience and respect for Acura came in 1990 when Acura debuted of the groundbreaking NSX. This mid-engine sports carwould establish new levels of performance, refinement and drive-ability at a relatively inexpensive price compared to, oh, Audi, Ferrari and Porsche. I remembered a conversation with the esteemed and estimable John Dinkel of Road&Track who I had known years before I joined the magazine as its Detroit editor. Having gone to Japan to drive the car prior to its introduction, John – when I asked about it – just shook his head and said “they are going to own the world.” This opinion was not contested among the entire R&T staff as I recall. Ferrari performance, Japanese quality and an undervalued price.
NSX was engineered with input from Formula 1 champion driver Ayrton Senna, NSX had the first mass-produced aluminum monocoque body for a production vehicle, titanium connecting rods and the first application of variable valve timing and lift with its innovative and new VTEC® valvetrain system.
The Acura “caliper” badge also appeared for the first time on the NSX. The “A” mark was designed to represent the Acura brand name, while signifying the “precision” with which Acura products were made through a design motif representing a set of mechanical calipers.
Moving to the U.S.
With the establishment of a major Honda R&D product development center in Ohio in 1993, U.S.-developed Acura models began coming to market, starting with the 1997 CL, the first U.S.-designed, developed and manufactured model offered by a luxury import nameplate. Production of the all-new CL, a stylish two-door coupe, began in 1995 with sales starting the following year.
Now known as the North American Automotive Development Center (ADC), during the past three decades, Honda associates in America have led the engineering and design of Acura vehicles including many of the brand’s most popular models. The first Acura mid-size SUV, the U.S.-designed and developed MDX, was the first luxury SUV to have standard third-row seating and was named the 2001 North American Truck of the Year. MDX was followed by the third-generation TL, the best-selling Acura sedan of all-time, the all-wheel drive TLX sedan, the award-winning third-generation RDX and the second-generation NSX – all designed and developed in the U.S. and built in North America, using domestic and globally made parts.
Acura recently revealed a change in direction that will lead the brand into the future, confirming its first two-motor hybrid-electric powertrain that will power the fourth-generation Acura RDX, planned for market introduction in the next couple of years. Acura also shared a teaser image of the all-new compact SUV that is now in development leading the brand’s strategy to focus on what are now increasingly popular gas-powered and hybrid-electric models in the U.S.
The Acura lineup today consists of four models: the Integra sport sedan, and the ADX, RDX, and MDX sport-utility vehicles. About 85% of Acura vehicles sold in America in 2025 were made in America, using domestic and globally made parts.
About Ken Zino
Ken Zino, editor and publisher of AutoInformed, is a versatile auto industry participant with global experience spanning decades in print and broadcast journalism, as well as social media. He has automobile testing, marketing, public relations and communications experience. He is past president of The International Motor Press Assn, the Detroit Press Club, founding member and first President of the Automotive Press Assn. He is a member of APA, IMPA and the Midwest Automotive Press Assn. He also brings an historical perspective while citing their contemporary relevance of the work of legendary auto writers such as Ken Purdy, Jim Dunne or Jerry Flint, or writers such as Red Smith, Mark Twain, Thomas Jefferson – all to bring perspective to a chaotic automotive universe. Above all, decades after he first drove a car, Zino still revels in the sound of the exhaust as the throttle is blipped during a downshift and the driver’s rush that occurs when the entry, apex and exit points of a turn are smoothly and swiftly crossed. It’s the beginning of a perfect lap. AutoInformed has an editorial philosophy that loves transportation machines of all kinds while promoting critical thinking about the future use of cars and trucks. Zino builds AutoInformed from his background in automotive journalism starting at Hearst Publishing in New York City on Motor and MotorTech Magazines and car testing where he reviewed hundreds of vehicles in his decade-long stint as the Detroit Bureau Chief of Road & Track magazine. Zino has also worked in Europe, and Asia – now the largest automotive market in the world with China at its center.