Honda New Zealand is closing its long-running Nelson facility, and the company has opened its private vault to auction 19 classic models from its Heritage Collection.
Every dollar raised will go to local charities.
The closure ends a 46-year presence for Honda in Nelson. The assembly plant originally built British Leyland vehicles before being retooled for Honda production in 1980.
Assembly wound down in 1998 after New Zealand dropped import tariffs, making local production financially unviable.
The site later served as the brand's National Distribution Center and is now up for sale.
Honda decided to auction 19 of its more attainable models through Trade Me, while blue-chip museum pieces like the original NSX, S2000, and Integra Type R remain in the permanent collection.
Star of the Auction: 2000 Honda Civic Type R
The undisputed star is a 2000 Honda Civic Type R (EK9) imported from Japan.
It has covered 154,000 km (95,691 miles), wears Championship White paint, and retains its original red Recaro seats.
Under the hood sits the naturally aspirated 1.6-liter B16B four-cylinder engine, though a previous owner added an aftermarket intake and exhaust.
Two other track-only examples from 2005 and 2022 are also included.
Driving enthusiasts will appreciate a Honda Jazz RS with a manual gearbox and Mugen upgrades.
For those who prefer untouched daily drivers, a time-capsule 1995 Honda Accord LXi is available.
Assembled locally in Nelson, the burgundy sedan has covered just 7,600 km (4,722 miles), making it one of the lowest-mileage fifth-gen Accords.
It is powered by a 2.2-liter four-cylinder engine with a five-speed manual gearbox.
A purple 1989 Accord with 33,147 km (20,596 miles) also features leather upholstery, a sunroof, electric windows, and power mirrors.
Micro-car fans can bid on a repainted bright blue 1988 Honda City hatchback with only 24,000 km (14,912 miles).
Among the scarcest entries are a 1987 Accord Aerodeck with a three-door shooting brake body and a locally assembled 1987 Civic GTi hatchback.
At the opposite end of the odometer scale is a 1992 Civic hatchback showing 418,563 km (259,985 miles).
This locally assembled entry-level car, with a 1.3-liter engine and manual gearbox, had a single owner from new.
Honda kept it in the collection as a testament to its durability.
Bidding on 16 of the 19 vehicles is currently live on Trade Me and will conclude on July 29.
