Miguel Sánchez
Answering the question of which car to enter the world of classic cars with is not easy. First of all, there is the price; not only of the model itself but also of the maintenance and consumption.
In second we can list multitude of variables Among these we find family or solo use, the intention to make or not to make long trips and, of course, the skills and abilities behind the wheel because -let's not fool ourselves- handling some of the most distinguished mounts with a minimum of safety is not within everyone's reach.
So, one has to think about offering the potential buyer a first possibility: easy to drive option, easy to maintain and economical to use and enjoy. These are all very rational conditions, although, to tell the truth, they are also responsible for restricting the field of choice to a rather narrow area.
To begin with, if we want something that is simple to maintain and repair, the normal thing is to go to the realm of the less classic classics; that is, to the ones that are so overused today.youngtimers” or pre-classical with less than three decades behind them. Likewise It is also not advisable to go for options that are too high in performance; they raise the price and - remember, you are not Jean Ragnotti - they represent the absurdity of having in our hands a machine that is much sportier than our driving skills.
SO WHAT TO DO
At this point you can perfectly understand why there is such a huge current enthusiasm for GTI and 16-valve engines from the eighties and nineties; they are well-known, corresponding to quite a few childhood memories of the current era. middle age, effective in handling and with a very good price/enjoyment ratio within the current classic and used market.
But what if you don't want to be like everyone else, if you don't want to drive the usual second-generation Ibiza prepared in your village garage or something like that? Well, here things get complicated - if you don't want to jump back to the seventies - because you will have to find an option from the nineties belonging to some mass manufacturer.
And yes, it can be difficult to find a rare one; one of those that, although it was impractical in its time, can now be highly interesting and exotic as a leisure and collection vehicle. Anyway, a very complex situation where you would do well to look at the ranges designed in Japan with Western markets in your sights.
HONDA CR-X DEL SOL, MADE FOR ENJOYMENT
Beyond the recurring GTIs produced by European brands, Honda was more or less up to par with the second generation of the CR-X. Equipped with a particularly striking design in relation to its rear, it featured from the outset engines of up to 1.6 liters capable of delivering 150 HP to the front axle with an interesting variable valve timing system responsible for giving more verve at high revs while significantly reducing consumption at low revs.
However, today, talking about this Honda is like talking about a kind of sports compact in the shadow of other more energetic ones like its national co-religionist Nissan GTI. The story does not end there, as Honda was good enough to launch its evolution in 1992. CR-X Del Sol.
Based on the Civic platform - a perfectly solvent utility vehicle and therefore very easy to maintain and obtain spare parts even today - this model moved away completely from the generalist concept seen in the previous CR-X, going in search of a fairly specific market niche based on its two seats and targa configuration.
In short, here we are talking about a car with little - very little - practicality but, at the same time, an unquestionable personality and therefore really attractive in terms of leisure, enjoyment and collecting.
TARGA AND FRONT WHEEL DRIVE
You will have already read several entries in this magazine about targa bodies if you follow it with some attention. If you are not in this situation, we encourage you to consult our texts on the reasons for the origin of the targa models at Porsche -more closely linked to the necessary expansion in the American market than anything else - as well as around other models with this design among which the delicious one stands out Fiat 128 by Moretti.
That said, the truth is that it is not easy to find a roof option like this on classics with a final bill of less than 10.000 euros. What's more, thinking broadly, the only thing that comes to mind is Fiat X1 / 9 signed by Bertone and -obviously- here we would be talking about a classic that is much more complex in its choice, maintenance and enjoyment than the modern and uncomplicated Honda CR-X Del Sol.
Likewise, speaking of conventional and simple character, our protagonist is -contrary to all odds at first sight- a model with front engine and not rear-centre. This way you won't notice anything particularly surprising when you sit behind the wheel, making it an easy-to-drive vehicle even for those looking for the greatest possible fun behind the wheel.
ENGINES, AN ISSUE TO TAKE INTO ACCOUNT WHEN TALKING ABOUT THE HONDA CR-X DEL SOL
There is no doubt: what gives the Honda CR-X Del Sol greater personality is its particular bodywork linked to a retractable roof even more unusual, although not without effectiveness.
However, when talking about a two-seater that was more or less light for its time, we cannot focus only on the aesthetics and the open-air sensations; it is also worth considering the dynamic section, which is animated by an engine offering in which it is worth considering only two of the four available if we count all the options and markets.
And as is usual in the case of certain Japanese models, their engine range varies depending on whether we are talking about their local market, the American or the European one. In this sense, the most common Honda CR-X Del Sol in our latitudes They range from the 125 HP option to the 160 HP option.Both with 1.6-litre blocks equipped with variable valve timing; one of the great advantages for betting on buying a Honda.
A GOOD OPTION TO ENTER THE WORLD OF CLASSICS
Otherwise, a brief look at the offer on the market places the barrier at around 9.500 euros with possibilities of revaluation since it is a rather curious model capable of entering -finally- the objective condition of historic with very good agingNow, don't get carried away on this point, as it is still a rare car because there is little demand for it.
In short, if what you are looking for is a model full of personality and without too many challenges in its acquisition, use and maintenance... Do not hesitate, you have before you a potential candidate. Of course, you have to take into account that it will hardly have any cargo space. But, after all, we are talking about an open-air two-seater focused on enjoyment. Could it really be such an insurmountable obstacle?
