1984 and 1985 Jazz models
Jazz
(1984-1985)
The Jazz is a ‘city’ car of compact dimensions that offers
a spacious interior and excellent performance and visibility. UK imports of the
Jazz commenced in 1984 and whilst it was known as the City in most markets
(including Japan) in the UK the car was renamed Jazz because Austin Rover
already used the City name. The UK range comprised a single model whose
specification remained almost unchanged throughout the life of the car.
Engineering followed conventional Honda practice and took its
cues from the early Civic. The wheelbase was the same and the overall length
very similar. The Jazz was fitted with a 1231cc engine derived from the Civic
unit but featuring a 12 valve ‘CVCC’ cylinder head. With 56bhp it was a
lively performer and a 5-speed manual gearbox was specified as standard in the
UK which allowed for relaxed motorway cruising.
It was in height that the Jazz was different. The styling was
an early exponent of the vogue for boxy, tall cars, popularised in the UK by the
Fiat Uno. Other styling features were the distinctive shape of the wheel-arches
and the prominent black headlight surrounds. An off-centre front grille
completed the rather avant-garde appearance. Inside the boxy shape and high
roofline contributed to excellent interior space although the overall effect
could never be described as plush. The steeply raked bonnet and a high seating
position allowed excellent visibility.
A smart interior
For the UK the car was well equipped for a 1980’s city car,
featuring a removable glass sunroof (with separate sunshade) a radio, digital
clock, and 5-speed gearbox. The car was available here in a choice of only two
colours - red and silver. The comprehensive specification was perhaps the
undoing of the Jazz as most small cars of the period were sold as economy
‘runabouts’ whereas Honda always seemed to promote the Jazz almost in a
class of its own. In 1984 £4,195 would buy a reasonable Fiesta or Metro, both
of which were larger cars and well established on the market. The public seemingly
didn’t want to pay for the sophistication the Jazz offered albeit in a smaller
package. Bearing in mind the base Civic was only £500 more, the Jazz was never a great
sales success in the UK. Nothing was done to address the pricing or the car
itself – the only change of note to the UK specification was the addition
of a passenger door-mirror on later cars. The Jazz was dropped from UK listings in late 1985.
Available in red and silver
The car was (and remains) very popular on the Japanese home
market. A Pininfarina Cabriolet and powerful Turbo (100bhp) and Turbo II (110hp
intercooled) versions were available. Whilst never officially offered in the UK the cabriolet
cars sometimes appear for sale here as personal imports, often with
Hondamatic transmission. Air conditioning was also offered on Japanese market
vehicles including the Cabriolet and a rather odd 7-speed version was
available in Japan in 1985.
Japanese market City Cabriolet with CVCC
Today
The Jazz offers a modern feel on the road and gives good
performance and economy so they are still sought after as vehicles for everyday
use. The car is not regarded by most people as worth preserving for it’s own
sake despite numbers being very low indeed. On the road they attract a lot of
‘what’s that’ type of looks from passers by! Despite being the most recent of
the cars featured on this site, because of the limited numbers imported a good Jazz is probably the rarest find of all.
The body is prone to corrosion around the rear wheel arches,
the sills and the front cross-members. Another particular thing to check is the seat
trim which weakens when exposed to sunlight over the years, which allows splits
and tears to occur easily. Given the generally low value of the cars it would be
uneconomic to restore one but a nice example would definitely be worth saving. A
definite plus is that the Jazz will run happily on unleaded petrol.
See the Read here page for more
general information and advice. Please email for assistance with valuations.
www.hondaclassiccars.co.uk
