Top Gear Star’s ’83 Civic Wagon Heads to Auction
We may not always get excited about celebrity-owned vehicles here on Honda-Tech, but Rutledge Wood is one of us.
During his tenure on the U.S. version of Top Gear, Rutledge Wood proved time and time again that he was one of us. Not a Honda guy per se, but a consummate car enthusiast with a wide range of tastes, appreciating the iconic and the eclectic in equal measure.
At the height of Top Gear USA’s popularity, Rutledge had this 1983 Honda Civic Wagon restored and tastefully modified to suit his tastes. Now it’s being offered by Mecum Auctions at their Indy 2018 sale, which runs from May 15th through the 19th.
This build isn’t exactly period correct, but it’s certainly retro-flavored with the right modern touches. We’re big fans of the avocado green exterior, especially with the gold Enkei 92 wheels tying the whole package together. Small purple details throughout offer just the right amount of contrast.
The most purple you’ll find on the entire car is the engine bay, but you’ll be excused for not noticing right away. Our eyes were instead immediately drawn to the B18C engine swap. Already a potent engine, its new home weighs nearly 800 pounds less than an Integra Type R.
ALSO SEE: Integra Type R Swapped EG Civic is Pinnacle Golden Era Honda
That’s a sleeper if there ever was one. While we’re sure this thing breaks necks everywhere it goes, we doubt many would expect that kind of performance from this unassuming wagon.
The interior might be our favorite part of the entire car. From the dash to the door cards, the entire cabin of this classic Civic is green. We especially dig the custom plaid-upholstered Recaros (with purple “RECARO” embroidery, of course), and the details like the plaid door cards, sunvisors, shift and e-brake boots tie it all together.
The Nardi Classic wood steering wheel looks especially at home, and the purple-anodized hub is a nice touch. The old-school metal cooler in the cargo area is a cool bonus too, and we’re willing to bet that it’s a clever enclosure for a battery.
The build is impressive enough to make us want to run out and buy an ’80s Civic wagon for our next project. Though, we doubt we could build one this nice.
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