Who made the car Legend?
The car known as the Legend was built by Honda Motor Co., Ltd. In North America, the model was marketed as the Acura Legend, reflecting Honda’s luxury-brand strategy. Over time, the Legend lineage evolved into the RL/RLX lineup in the United States, and the Legend name is now largely retired in most markets.
Origins of the Legend
The Legend was introduced by Honda in the mid-1980s as the company’s flagship sedan in Japan, signaling Honda’s entry into the premium segment. It brought together a refined ride, advanced electronics, and a level of luxury that helped lay the groundwork for Honda’s later luxury-badge efforts.
What is the Legend?
The Legend name embodies Honda’s premium aspirations. In markets outside Japan, Honda marketed the same car under the Acura umbrella, giving it the Acura Legend badge to align with Honda’s dedicated luxury brand in North America.
Honda vs Acura Legend: The US market connection
When Honda expanded into the United States, the Legend was introduced to American buyers as the Acura Legend. This introduction helped establish Acura as a distinct luxury marque and demonstrated Honda’s approach to offering premium vehicles under a separate brand.
- The Honda Legend debuted in Japan in the mid-1980s as Honda’s flagship sedan, signaling a move into premium space.
- In the United States, the same car was sold as the Acura Legend, marking Acura’s first luxury model in the market.
- The Legend lineage in North America eventually evolved into the Acura RL/RLX lineup, with the Legend name gradually phased out in favor of RL/RLX branding.
- Across generations, the Legend featured refined engines, smooth handling, and early adoption of luxury-oriented electronics for its era.
Key facts about the Legend’s production and lineage:
In brief, these facts highlight the Legend’s origin with Honda, its adaptation for the US market under Acura, and its eventual transition into later Acura models.
Generations and notable features
First generation
The initial Legend arrived as Honda’s flagship sedan with a smooth V6 option and a focus on comfort and technology. It established a premium image for Honda and provided a blueprint for how the brand would approach luxury styling and equipment in later years.
Second generation
The second generation refined design, performance, and interiors, continuing Honda’s premium ambitions. In North America, this generation continued the Acura Legend lineage until the transition to the RL platform.
Transition to RL/RLX and beyond
As Acura matured as a distinct luxury brand, the Legend name in the United States gave way to the RL and later RLX models. This shift reflected broader branding and model-line choices within Acura, with the Legend’s legacy living on in the engineering and design language carried by its successors.
Impact and legacy
The Legend helped establish Honda’s credibility in the luxury segment and demonstrated the viability of creating a separate luxury marque (Acura) for premium vehicles. The model’s success in Japan and the United States influenced Honda’s product strategy and set the stage for Acura’s future lineup, including the RL/RLX family. Today, the Legend name is rarely used in modern markets, but its legacy remains in the premium engineering philosophy it helped popularize.
Summary
In short: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. built the car known as the Legend, with the US market presenting it as the Acura Legend. The Legend name evolved into Acura’s RL/RLX lineup over time, and while the label is largely retired today, the model’s influence on Honda’s and Acura’s approach to luxury remains a notable part of automotive history.
