Image Credit: Trade Me.Honda New Zealand is opening the doors to part of its private Heritage Collection, giving enthusiasts a rare opportunity to buy cars that have spent their recent lives preserved by the automaker itself. A total of 19 vehicles are being offered as Honda prepares to close its longtime facility in Nelson, New Zealand.Most of the collection is heading to auction with no reserve, meaning the market will ultimately decide what these cars are worth. The selection stretches across several decades of Honda history, ranging from a highly desirable EK9 Civic Type R to humble family cars and one remarkably well-traveled Civic.The sale follows Honda's decision to close its Nelson facility after a 46-year presence at the site. Before becoming associated with Honda, the factory assembled British Leyland products, including models from Triumph, Jaguar, Rover, and Austin, before switching to Honda production in 1980.AdvertisementAdvertisementLocal vehicle assembly ended in 1998, after New Zealand removed import tariffs and domestic production became financially unviable. The facility continued operating as Honda's National Distribution Center, but its closure has prompted the company to find new homes for part of the collection stored there.The EK9 Civic Type R Is The Obvious HeadlinerImage Credit: Trade Me.For performance enthusiasts, the standout is a 2000 Honda Civic Type R from the legendary EK9 generation. Imported from Japan, the Championship White hatchback has traveled approximately 154,000 km, or 95,700 miles, and retains its signature red Recaro seats.Under the hood sits Honda's naturally aspirated 1.6-liter B16B four-cylinder, an engine that helped establish the early Type R formula of high revs, low weight, and sharp responses. This particular example isn't completely stock, however, as a previous owner fitted an aftermarket intake and exhaust.Honda is also selling two track-only Type R examples dating from 2005 and 2022. Another enthusiast-friendly entry is a manual-transmission Honda Jazz RS equipped with Mugen upgrades, offering something considerably less exotic but potentially just as entertaining on the right road.AdvertisementAdvertisementHonda's most valuable museum pieces aren't leaving the collection, as the original NSX, S2000, and Integra Type R are reportedly staying behind, so anyone hoping the clear-out might include one of the brand's greatest performance icons will have to settle for admiring those from a distance.One Accord Has Barely Been DrivenImage Credit: Trade Me.Perhaps the most fascinating car in the sale isn't a Type R at all. Honda is offering a locally assembled 1995 Accord LXi with just 7,600 km, or roughly 4,700 miles, showing on its odometer.Finished in burgundy, the fifth-generation Accord pairs a 2.2-liter four-cylinder engine with a five-speed manual transmission. Its extremely low mileage makes it an unusual time capsule from an era when Accords were common sights on roads around the world, but surviving examples in near-unused condition are increasingly difficult to find.Another low-mileage Accord comes from 1989 and has covered just over 33,000 km. The purple sedan is equipped with leather upholstery, a sunroof, power windows, and power mirrors, giving buyers another remarkably well-preserved piece of everyday Honda history.AdvertisementAdvertisementThe collection also includes a 1987 Accord Aerodeck, whose distinctive three-door shooting-brake shape makes it one of the more unusual cars in the group. A locally assembled 1987 Civic GTi should attract attention as well, particularly among collectors interested in Honda's lesser-known performance models.There's Even A Civic With 260,000 MilesNot every car in Honda's collection spent its life avoiding the open road. At the opposite end of the mileage spectrum sits a 1992 Civic hatchback that has accumulated an impressive 418,563 km, equivalent to nearly 260,000 miles.Powered by a modest 1.3-liter engine paired with a manual gearbox, the locally assembled Civic reportedly had a single owner from new. Honda preserved it as an example of the durability that helped build the company's reputation, and its odometer has now recorded a distance greater than the average gap between Earth and the Moon.Image Credit: Trade Me.Other curiosities include a brightly repainted 1988 Honda City with approximately 24,000 km on the clock, along with additional Civics and Accords spanning multiple generations. Collectively, the auction offers an unusually broad snapshot of the cars that built Honda's reputation long before Type R badges and high-dollar collector sales dominated enthusiast conversations.The Cars Are Leaving For A Good CauseHonda is conducting the sale in partnership with New Zealand marketplace Trade Me, with bidding on 16 of the 19 vehicles scheduled to conclude on July 29. Proceeds from the sale are set to benefit local charities, adding a worthwhile purpose to the breakup of part of the Heritage Collection.AdvertisementAdvertisementFor collectors, the appeal goes beyond finding the rarest or fastest Honda in the warehouse. Cars like a barely driven 1995 Accord, an obscure Civic GTi, or even a 260,000-mile economy hatchback tell different parts of the company's history than an NSX ever could.The EK9 Civic Type R will predictably attract plenty of attention, but the ordinary cars may ultimately be the most interesting pieces here. With no reserve protecting most of them, Honda is giving enthusiasts a genuine chance to put a piece of its New Zealand history in their own garage.If you want more stories like this, follow Guessing Headlights on Yahoo so you don't miss what's coming next.
