Image copyright © BMIHT

The Honda Civic was introduced in 1972 and nearly fifty years on, it’s the sixth best-selling, multi-model car in the world, with over 18 million units sold. Since 1994, Civic has been built in the UK at the Swindon South Marston site.

The Honda Civic Type-R is the high-performance version of the Civic with the 2021 version being based on the tenth generation of the family hatch. As such it has a winged carbon fibre splitter, slatted ducts, diamond-mesh air intakes, red 'H' badge on the nose, smoked LED headlights, and 20-inch wheels. With a 2-litre turbocharged VTEC (Honda’s variable valve system) engine developing over 300 bhp, it can reach 60 mph in under six seconds and romps on to nearly 170 mph.

In the summer of 2021 and after 35 years, the Swindon factory closed. The specially made Civic Type-R exhibited here was on display at South Marston during the last day of production and is signed by all of the factory staff on the bonnet and doors. It also has ‘Honda UK Manufacturing’ over the front-left wheel arch and a Union Flag emblazoned on the back.