Honda Civic 1200 GL
Honda's first Civic GL packed five seats, four-wheel independent struts and front disc brakes into a car only 3.4 metres long.
1972 Honda Civic 1200 GL · Alexander-93 · CC BY-SA 4.0
Research pending
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More than a set of wheels.
Honda announced the first Civic on 11 July 1972 and released the regular two-door versions the next day. The better-equipped GL and three-door range were scheduled for September; Honda's historical record confirms the 2-door GL launch on September 1. This profile follows that Japanese GL rather than treating every first-year Civic as one specification.
Look a little closer.
Honda's development team targeted a 600 kg car, but the better-equipped two-door GL weighed 640 kg—still remarkably light for a five-seat car.
Photos show an example of the model or generation. The pictured vehicle’s year, equipment, or modifications can differ from the specification described here.
The GL did not share the first on-sale day
Honda's July release lists July 12 for the initial Civic but explicitly says the GL and three-door series were planned for September. A later Honda retrospective records September 1 for the two-door GL. Keeping those dates separate prevents a common catalog shortcut from turning an announcement into a delivery date.
Source: Honda Newsroom · New Honda Civic, July 1972 ↗A new basic car, not a shrunken luxury model
Honda set a compact footprint and low mass first, then packaged a transverse 1.2-litre engine and five-passenger cabin within it. The short overall length, 2.2-metre wheelbase and 1.505-metre width helped the Civic fit Japanese roads while offering more cabin width than the earliest target.
Source: Honda 75-year history · Civic development ↗Where these facts come from
- Honda Newsroom · New Honda Civic, July 1972
- Honda Factbook · Civic 1972 specifications
- Honda Factbook · Civic chassis and brakes
- Honda Heritage · Announcing the Civic
- Honda 75-year history · Civic
Selected facts checked for this edition. Some source pages link to broader model families. Last reviewed September 30, 2026.