Last year, Honda announced a new business to support its aging classics with reproduction and redeveloped parts. Called Honda Heritage Works, the initiative was announced in Japan with an eye toward global activity, but we didn’t know when, precisely, it would make its way to the U.S. Well, Honda’s just given us an answer: The Heritage Works program kicks off stateside this summer, beginning with the original Acura NSX, exclusively through Acura dealers.
“In this 40th anniversary year of the Acura brand, the launch of Honda Heritage Parts is especially meaningful, giving Acura enthusiasts the support they need to continue enjoying their first-generation Acura NSX,” Steven Bailey, vice president of Honda and Acura Parts, Service and Technical Division, said in a press release. “At its core, the new Honda Heritage Parts program honors our shared passion for these iconic vehicles and helps ensure they can be enjoyed by future generations.”
The release is otherwise light on specifics, mostly recapping that the parts Honda will supply will cover two categories: Genuine Reproduction Parts, which “will be reproduced using the same materials and production methods that were used for the original parts;” and Compatible Parts, which “are newly redeveloped and reproduced to replace original parts no longer for sale by Honda.”
The automaker says it’s evaluating what other Honda and Acura performance models could be included in this initiative going forward. You’d imagine the original Acura Integra Type R could be a sure one, as well as the S2000, but we’ll have to await more insight on that front.
It’s very encouraging that Honda and Acura are formalizing this program in the U.S. Over the years, Mazda, Nissan, and Toyota have gone to similar lengths to deliver parts for beloved enthusiast models. Lately, Toyota in particular has expanded its program to cover multiple Land Cruiser generations.
The problem is that direct access to these parts has been mostly confined to Japan, and anyone elsewhere who wants them typically has to go through a third-party seller. For that reason, it’s great to see Acura bring that love to all the NSX owners on this side of the world, just in time for the brand’s 40th birthday. More information, like specific part availability and pricing, will reportedly be provided closer to launch.
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