Honda’s popular model lineup, including the Civic, Accord, and CR-V, has generally been considered reliable by many consumers due to the build quality and relatively low maintenance cost. With its stable of cars, Honda, from time to time, does the unexpected and comes out with unconventional and exceptional machines — such as the first NSX, or the S2000. In 1992, the company again tried to break away from its mainstream fare by launching the Del Sol, which was meant to replace the Honda CR-X and compete with the Mazda Miata in the small sports car segment. The Del Sol, which means “to the sun” in Spanish, had the characteristics of becoming another good addition to the Honda roster. 

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This new model had the advantage of an established heritage, and was based on the best-selling Civic platform. Unfortunately, things didn’t turn out as well as expected, and within just one generation from 1992-1998, Honda ceased production of the Del Sol. This six-year production run, while not particularly short, is still less than the longevity of its expected rival — the first-generation Mazda Miata was available from 1989-1997, and has continued on to its now-fourth generation. With the fanfare that came with its release, it is somewhat puzzling why the Del Sol is no more, but like many other cars that have been discontinued, the answer is rooted in sales.

The Honda Del Sol started strong, and during its first year in the United States, sales of the car exceeded 25,000 units, which was what Honda anticipated from the new model release. By its second year, unit sales slightly dipped, but were still strong, with over 21,000 cars sold. However, by the following year, the slow decline of the Del Sol started as the novelty factor began to wane. By the end of 1995, only 14,000 units left dealerships in America.

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Several factors have been attributed to the slumping sales of the Del Sol, and owner reviews from the time indicated dissatisfaction with the front-wheel drive and front-engine layout compared to the Miata. In addition, many problems with the showpiece roof’s poor fitment and rainwater managing to leak through were common among owners of 1992-1993 models. In addition, the Del Sol was falling behind its contemporary rivals in the technology and features department, as the base models lacked features expected from a sporty car like power steering, power side mirrors, and passenger airbags. 

For 1996, less than 8,500 Del Sol’s were sold. Finally, for its last year in the U.S. in 1997, Honda was only able to sell a paltry 5,603 units — and the same model year Miata had 17,218 sales, which sealed the fate of the car.

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With less than 75,000 units manufactured for the U.S. market, the Honda Del Sol is not a rare car, but can be considered uncommon. As years go by, the number of good-condition, drivable examples continues to decrease. In addition, the relatively low production number means that parts for this 30-year-old car tend to become scarcer, and the upkeep expense to keep them roadworthy increases, meaning scrapping or junking them is often cheaper. 

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Despite the shrinking numbers of the car, the market values for the Honda Del Sol have held steady. In a historical pricing analysis made by Classic.com, Del Sol’s have maintained their value for over five years, with the average price being around $10,000 for a fair condition example, and around $7,000 for less pristine models. Other websites like Autotrader.com have listings for low-mileage units that have a $17,000 asking price. On Cars.com, there are listings for the car priced from $9,000-$13,000.00. 

While the Del Sol was a short-lived car, it had its share of supporters, and even today, several enthusiast communities continue to maintain and modify their cars. Despite being a letdown for Honda, lessons from its failure would contribute to the development of the newest generation of Honda sports cars, including the next-generation NSX, up to the revival of the Integra and the upcoming Honda Prelude.

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