Car Stuff: Random Sighting #23

Sometimes I can walk past a car many times without it really registering in my mind. This tends to happen more with cars that were considered ordinary transportation when new and that haven't yet reached vintage status. There are plenty of older cars still in daily use, particularly in urban environments like where I live, and over the past several months I've been more attuned to spotting them.

This workhorse is a fourth-generation Honda Accord, either a 1992 or '93. It has lived on this block for several years and I'm pretty certain it's the oldest Accord in my immediate neighborhood. This design arrived for the 1990 model year and, typical for Honda styling of the period, was given a very subtle refresh for '92. (The '90-'91 tail light units were wider, reaching the license plate indentation and wrapping into it, plus the light positions were inverted, with the turn signals and backup lights on top. There were also slight differences in the lights and areas under the front bumpers.)

This is probably my favorite of all Accord designs (though I also have a soft spot for the second-gen four-door sedan). It's less fussy than the car it replaced, and I prefer the simplicity of its lines, the upright greenhouse with generous glass area, and its overall squarishness—everything just looks and feels harmonious and correct.

The first Accord model sold in the US was a two-door hatchback, but by the time the fourth generation arrived, the hatchback had been replaced by a coupe. (The third generation offered both body styles and the coupe proved much more popular, reflecting changes in the American car market.) This generation also added a wagon; the wagons and coupes from these years are much more rarely seen today, though I'm still hoping to spot one or both eventually.

I've noticed a couple of other Accords of this generation on this same block. I don't know if those were owned by the same person or happened to belong to others, but neither is around currently. It's possible they were being used as parts donors to keep this one going.

On the day I took the rear-end shot a small amount of snow had fallen, and the front of the car still had snow on its hood and windshield so it wasn't worth trying to get a front-end shot. When I went back later to take the side shot, the front was blocked by the pickup.