Type r badge earns classic status at 25
Hot Honda Integra and Civic models become collectible as sub-brand celebrates quarter century
Honda’s Type R high performance sub-brand is a quarter of a century old this year, a milestone that has helped propel the Integra and Civic Type Rs to collector status, according to marque and market experts.
The R badge may best be associated with youthful tuning culture, but it’s beginning to attract grown-up prices. Honda’s head of cars for the United Kingdom, Phil Webb, says: ‘Early Integras in good condition are becoming very collectible in the UK. Plus, there are fewer than 2500 FK2 Civic Type Rs on UK roads, making it a modern classic collector’s item.
‘We expect more Type Rs will also become collectable in time. Our heritage is a large part of what makes them collectible. Owners’ clubs are extremely popular too; 125,000 Type R owners are club members.’
The first Type R released by Honda was the NSX-R, setting the template for future models that focused on motorsport-inspired engineering upgrades, powerful high-revving engine, and suspension.
What sets Type R models apart visully is that traditionally they have a red Honda badge and Championship White paint as an option, as a tribute to Honda’s first winning Formula 1 car.
The first to land on UK shores was the Integra DC2 in 1998. It was immortalised in period for the fact that at maximum revs, the Integra Type R’s pistons moved up and down faster than those of a Formula 1 engine.
Brightwells consultant, Will Daniels, says: ‘Integras do quite well at auction, but they don’t go to auction very often. We’ve seen prices of those sky rocket in the last two to three years. S2000s are selling extremely well too. The Accord Type R has risen from around £3000 to £6000 in the last few years. And NSXs in recent times have sold extremely well.’