Honda Accord Celebrates Half a Century Commemorates 50 years of Quality, Value, Performance and Efficiency

• Accord was the first vehicle built at Honda of Canada Mfg. when the plant opened in Alliston, Ontario in November 1986
• Over 940,000 Accords have been sold in Canada since its debut in 1976
• Accord has long set the benchmark for passenger cars in North America: A practical automobile combining reliability, efficiency and value with sporty style and performance

It was in 1976 when the first Honda Accord was sold in Canada. It was a fun to drive, fuel-efficient three-door hatchback that would launch a five-decade-long success story.

While Accord built its success through the loyalty of the baby boomer generation, its focus on delivering the highest levels of value has maintained its popularity with buyers of all ages. Today, the award-winning 11th-generation Accord is one of North America’s most popular midsize cars.

“For half a century the Honda Accord has cemented its legacy as one of the world’s most fun-to-drive, versatile, stylish and reliable cars ever built,” said Emile Korkor, Assistant Vice President Honda Canada. “Today’s Accord is packed with standard features, advanced technology and a powerful and fuel-efficient Honda hybrid powerplant. And the future looks bright, with the Accord evolving and remaining a leader in its class for the next 50 years.”

About Accord
The name Accord was derived from the unremitting effort of Honda to use advanced technology to achieve “accord” between people, society and the automobile. The introduction of the first Accord in North America in 1976 was significant for both Honda and the auto industry. After the economical Civic first established Honda with Canadian car buyers on a substantial scale, Accord represented the next step toward a major presence  – a practical automobile combining reliability, economy and value with sporty style and spirited performance.

From its humble roots as a small hatchback, Accord has grown step-by-step both in size and stature. Through 11 generations the Accord has been one of Honda’s most versatile models, available as a 3-door hatchback, 2-door coupe, sedan and powered by 4- and 6-cylinder petrol engines to its current two-motor hybrid powerplant, it has consistently appealed to a variety of customers and lifestyles while setting the passenger car benchmark.

Today, the Accord is a midsize sedan available in three trim levels, starting with the turbocharged SE, and topped by the hybrid-electric powered Sport-L and Touring. More than 60% of Accord sales in Canada over the past three years have been electrified.

An important measure of its consistent success is the fact that Accord is a two-time Canadian Car of the Year winner, and the most awarded vehicle in Car and Driver 10Best history by a wide margin. Accord has been named to magazine’s prestigious “10Best” list a record 40 times – including the last 28 years in a row – an incredible feat unmatched by any other automobile.

Value and Affordability
A core element of Accord’s enduring success is the ability to deliver a high level of value to customers. Like every new Honda model, the 2026 Accord is equipped with the Honda Sensing® suite of safety and driver-assistive technologies as standard equipment, helping Accord earn a TOP SAFETY PICK (TSP) rating from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS).

The significant upgrades on the refreshed 2026 Honda Accord include more standard tech features, including a larger and easy-to-use colour touchscreen, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto™ compatibility, and a wireless phone charger.

Accord Manufacturing
Honda began Canadian automobile manufacturing at Honda of Canada Mfg. (HCM) in November 1986.  The Accord was the first vehicle from a Japanese automaker to be manufactured in Canada. In total, more than 13 million Accords have been built in North America.

Currently, HCM proudly builds the Honda Civic and CR-V, in both petrol and hybrid variants and celebrates its 40th anniversary in Canada in 2026.

Key Accord Milestones

• 1976 – Start of North American Sales
• 1983 – First Car and Driver 10Best Win
• 1986 – Start of Canadian Production at Honda of Canada Mfg.
• 1988 – 1 millionth Accord built in North America
• 1994 – Accord wins Motor Trend Car of the Year
• 1995 – First V6 powered Accord debuts
• 2004 – 10 millionth Accord sold in North America
• 2005 – First hybrid powered Accord debuts
• 2005 – Accord wins Car and Driver 10Best for the 20th time
• 2013 – Accord Wins Canadian Car of the Year
• 2018 – Accord wins Canadian Car of The Year,  North American Car of the Year and Motor Trend Car of the Year
• 2025 – Accord wins Car and Driver 10Best for the 40th time
• 2026 – Accord celebrates 50 years

To view more about the 50 years of Accord history in North America, including a detailed timeline and milestones, click here.