Is this ’97 Integra Type R on Bring A Trailer Worth Buying?
The 1997 Integra Type R is the rarest of them all.
Before the 2017 Honda Civic Type R finally came to the States, years ago there was another Type R that graced enthusiasts with its presence back in 1996. The Acura (DC2) Integra Type R had made its debut as a 1997 model. What makes the ’97 model year particular special is that very few were first made. This particular example you see here is #49 of 320. Not only that, but the ’97 only came in one color: Championship White. Being somewhat of the unicorn among the USDM ITRs, we had no choice to check to see this baby for ourselves on Bring A Trailer.
Too good to be true?
At first glance, we were simply fixated to the mere fact that there was a decently clean ’97 ITR for sale with a staggeringly low odometer reading of 40,996. However, the starting bid showed $7,000 which was the first red flag. There are some clean GS-Rs that still go for that price. So what was wrong with it?
Not quite as perfect as we had hoped.
Upon closer inspection, the reason for the low starting bid starts to make sense. First, the owner mentions that the car had experienced a front end collision from previous ownership. Luckily it wasn’t too bad since the ITR does come with a clean title. Next, there seems to be some chipping located on the roof and above the doors. A few scratches can also be seen on the passenger side mirror cover. Not a major issue, but it’s worth mentioning that the OEM 15” alloys have been refinished and powder coated a couple of years prior.
There’s “not quite as perfect,” and then there’s the not so good parts…
Now onto the more concerning bits and bobs. There are several VIN tags that are missing. I get why the VINs are missing from the hood and fenders (replaced after front end collision), but the tags are also missing from the driver’s door and door frame. More importantly, there appears to be rust found on the undercarriage.
[Editor’s Note: Check out all of the aluminum pieces in the engine bay with severe scaling. Additionally, I spy rusty brackets. Can we get a CarFax on this guy? That doesn’t look like a 40,000 mile engine bay to me.]
At the end of the auction, the ’97 DC2 Type R ended up selling for $24,500 after 28 bids. Thoughts? Would you have snatched it up or pass on this particular ITR? Let us know on the forum!
