March 6, 2025 ZhouGuifeng

Legend – How Did This Car Come About?

Original by Honda Magazine, Japanese Car Enthusiast Magazine, 2021-06-26 13:36:00

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Honda Legend, also known as Licheng, is sometimes directly translated as "Legend" by domestic car enthusiasts. Regardless of its Chinese name, since its birth in 1985, its production and sales volume have not been high, but it has always maintained its flagship status, remaining the spiritual leader of Honda's sedan lineup.

So, the question arises: before 1985, Honda’s most high-end model was only the Vigor, a modified version of the Accord, a D-segment car at best. Even so, it was difficult to compete with Nissan, the dominant force among Japanese brands at the time, and the rapidly developing Toyota. After all, Nissan’s Cedric and Toyota’s Crown were the representative E-segment cars of that time. Honda wanted to develop a model that could challenge these two competitors, but given their lack of expertise in luxury cars, the best solution was to seek external assistance. 🌟

In 1979, Honda reached across the globe and shook hands with British Leyland. 👩‍🎓 This is where our story begins today...

🚀 The Rise of Japanese Luxury Car Demand in the Late 1970s

By the late 1970s, Japan's economy had taken off, and the demand for luxury automobiles was growing rapidly. Among Japanese brands at the time, Nissan was the undisputed leader, whether in sedans or sports cars, and was deeply loved by Japanese consumers. Looking at Nissan’s state today, it is hard not to feel a sense of decline. (Image: 1979 Nissan Cedric 200E Turbo)

By the late 1970s, Toyota had begun to rise. This part of history has been introduced many times in our Toyota enthusiasts' publications. Even by the early 1990s, Toyota was still in the process of perfecting its lineup and struggled to compete with Nissan, which had a more complete range of models. For example, Toyota’s classic sports car, the 2000GT, was actually modified from a scrapped concept originally proposed by Nissan’s Fairlady. (Image: 1979 Toyota MS112)

🌟 British Leyland – A Chaotic Automotive Conglomerate

British Leyland was merely the name of a corporate alliance between 1978 and 1986, formed from numerous acquisitions and reorganizations. It was not a single powerful entity that absorbed multiple British brands. The conglomerate consisted of 19 car brands that underwent continuous mergers, restructuring, and further acquisitions. These brands included:

Wolseley, Lanchester, Leyland, Daimler, Riley, Albion, Standard, Rover, Austin, Morris, Vanden, Alvis, MG, Triumph, BSA, Jaguar, Land Rover, Austin-Healey, and Mini.

Fun fact: 🌟 Did you know that Nissan’s origins can be traced back to Austin?

💡 The Birth of the Honda Legend

In 1981, Honda and Austin Rover signed an agreement in Tokyo under the codename “XX”, with Honda’s internal designation as “HX”. The result of this partnership was the 1986 Rover 800, based on the first-generation Honda Legend, launched in October 1985.