When Duty Calls.(Escape Roads)

Byline: ERIC TEGLER

While first impressions suggest Gunnery Sgt. Steve Mayhue and his 1982 Honda Civic FE are a rather odd couple, the six-foot-plus Marine and the diminutive Japanese econobox are strangely in sync. The U.S. Marines are known for being first ashore-the Civic gave Honda a foothold on our shores. The Corps lives by the motto semper fidelis-the Civic has succeeded by being reliable over the long haul. Both have played key roles in getting us to where we are today.

Honda sold cars in the United States beginning in the 1960s, but met with little success until the debut of the Civic in 1973. Reeling from the first oil crisis, Americans turned enthusiastically from thirsty domestics to the jaunty little hatchback. The Civic's influence on American acceptance of Japanese cars was huge. Then, as now, some people bought the compact for economic reasons, others to make the statement they rejected conspicuous consumption.

Either way, for a base price of about $2,200 buyers could get a Civic hatchback or sedan. Both offered impressively efficient space with room for four; the hatchback even had a fold-down rear seat. The Civic returned more than 40 mpg thanks to its low weight (approximately 1500 pounds) and 1169-cc, 50-hp I4. The engine mated to either a four-speed manual or a two-speed Hondamatic auto. An independent MacPherson-strut/coil-spring suspension assured enjoyable handling. The car sported front-disc/rear-drum brakes.

The Civic's execution surpassed contemporary American rivals like the Ford Pinto or Chevrolet Vega. In 1975 Honda made a technical leap with the 53-hp Controlled Vortex Combustion Chamber engine. The CVCC displaced 1.5 liters and, utilizing a cylinder head design that allowed for a very lean overall mixture, enabled the Civic to meet 1975 California emissions standards without the need for a catalytic converter. The technology was later sold to Ford, Chrysler, Toyota and Isuzu.

Despite a restyled, more aerodynamic body, stretched wheelbase and more interior ...