1974 Honda Civic
1974 Honda Civic

Honda began running its “We make it simple” television and radio campaign in the late Seventies. The ads, which included an arguably catchy jingle, made the point that Honda automobile ownership was simple and uncomplicated. One 1978 television ad, for example, demonstrated that the Civic came with just a single key which worked in the ignition, doors, glove box, and locking fuel-filler door.

Complete List of Honda Model Names

If you’ve driven a late-model Honda car or crossover, you’ll find that the Japanese carmaker still tries to keep its controls and digital interfaces as uncomplicated as possible.

There’s another area in which Honda has kept things simple, and that’s in model proliferation. By our count, Honda has sold just 17 different models in the U.S. since 1970–11 of which are still part of the brand’s lineup. By comparison, Toyota will have a total of 17 models in its dealership for just the 2020 model year.

We mention Honda’s modest model count because you will be seeing a number of ads for the same nameplates in the classic Honda ads gallery below.

If you owned one of these “simple” Hondas, please tell us about it. The place for comments is down below.

More classic car ads

Classic Honda Ads

1966

Classic Honda Ads
1966 Honda S600 Ad

Model-Year Madness! 10 Classic Ads From 1966

 

1966

Classic Honda Ads
1966 Honda S600 Ad (France)

Paris Madness! 12 Classic French Car Ads

 

1968

1968 Honda N600 Ad
1968 Honda N600 Ad (Netherlands)

Model-Year Madness! 10 Classic Ads From 1968

 

1972

1972 Honda Coupe Ad

Model-Year Madness! 10 Classic Ads From 1972

 

1974

Some car manufacturers actually believe women buy cars for different reasons than men do. So they build "a women's car." Oversized, hopelessly automatic and dull. At Honda we designed just one thing. A lean, spunky economy car with so much pizzazz it handles like a sports car. Honda Civic. We don't make a women's car.
1974 Honda Civic Ad

Model-Year Madness! 10 Classic Ads From 1974

 

1976

Classic Honda Ads, Hatchback
1976 Honda Accord Ad

Model-Year Madness! 10 Classic Ads From 1976

 

1978

Classic Honda Ads, Gas Pumps, Unleaded
1978 Honda Civic Ad

Model-Year Madness! 10 Classic Ads From 1978

 

1978

1976 Honda Accord Ad
1978 Honda Accord Ad (Australia)

The 8 Best-Looking Cars of 1978

 

1980

Second-Generation Civic, Classic Honda Ads
1980 Honda Civic Ad (Australia)

Model-Year Madness! 10 Classic Ads From 1980

 

1980

1980 Honda Accord Ad
1980 Honda Accord Ad

5 Cheapest American Cars of 1980, Inflation Adjusted

 

1981

1981 Honda Prelude Ad, Sun Roof
1981 Honda Prelude Ad

Model-Year Madness! 10 Classic Ads From 1981

 

1982

1982 Honda Civic Ad
1982 Honda Civic Ad

Model-Year Madness! 10 Classic Ads From 1982

 

1983

1983 Honda Prelude Ad
1983 Honda Prelude Ad

Model-Year Madness! 10 Classic Ads From 1983

 

1984

1984 Honda CR-X Ad 1.5
1984 Honda CRX Ad

Model-Year Madness! 15 Sporty Car Ads from 1984

 

1984

1984 Honda Civic 4WD Wagon, Real-Time 4WD
1984 Honda Civic Wagon Ad

5 Wagons You’ve Completely Forgotten

 

1985

1985 Honda Civic HF Ad
1985 Honda CRX Ad

Model-Year Madness! 12 Classic Ads From 1985

 

1986

Classic Honda Ads
1986 Honda Prelude Ad (Australia)

5 More Cars I Never See On The Road Anymore

 

1986

1986 Accord LXi Ad
1986 Honda Accord Ad

The Hatchback Sedans of 1986

 

1988

1988 Honda Civic Ad
1988 Honda Civic Ad

Honda Civic Growth Curve: 1986 Versus 2016

 

1992

1992 Honda Civic Ad
1992 Honda Civic Ad

The Geos of 1992

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Classic Honda Ads

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