A beloved Acura nameplate might be making a comeback. Honda has filed a trademark application for the word “Legend” in the category of vehicles with the Europe’s intellectual property office. The speculation, of course, is that it would be applied to an upcoming flagship sedan, possibly one that would replace the current RLX or come in even higher on the ladder.
According to AutoGuide, which uncovered the filing, the application was made under the category of “Vehicles; Apparatus for locomotion by land; Apparatus for locomotion by air; Apparatus for locomotion by water; Parts and fittings for land vehicles; Parts and fittings for air and space vehicles; Parts and fittings for water vehicles.”
On the other hand, Honda has often re-used names from its wide range of products. The Jazz, Integra, Pilot, Odyssey, and Passport were all motorcycles or ATVs before they were cars. We can’t really imagine them squandering the Legend name on anything less than a luxury car, though.
If the sharp-looking Acura Precision Concept revealed at the Detroit Auto Show in 2016 is any indication, the Legend might return to fine form. The original Legend name lasted two generations, and (along with Integra) was one of the original two nameplates the Honda debuted the Acura marque with. Much beloved, there was much consternation among loyal Honda customers when in 1996 it was renamed the RL.
Legend has continued to be the name of the RL in Japan, but in North America Acura could use an injection of excitement into the brand these days. A resurrection of an, uh, legendary name might be just what it needs.
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The reason Honda dropped he Legend name was it was becoming better known than the Acura name. I’ve always thought it was a mistake, since the euro designations of just letters simply confuses buyers who wouldn’t know an RL from an RLX, from a TL…
Even Lincoln has dropped their confusing MKT, MKC, MKwhatever designations.
I’ve always preferred names like Vigor over the TL, and even the Integra over an ILX. Let’s just hope Honda doesn’t stick the Legend name on some huge SUV.
Killing off the Legend name was a bonehead maneuver. Finally they’ll fix it, but I hope it’s not too late.
I’d love to see a new legend. I had a KA8 coupe like the one in the pic, same colour and everything. A ’91 top spec one, with leather and real wood trim. Man, that was a great car.
Can one dare hope for an Integra?
I doubt that Honda will make an Acura sport coupe again. They probably weren’t happy with the tuner image either. Honda fine, but Acura was aiming upmarket, not the fart can/tow hook crowd.
I’m an adult that want’s a small, high quality, coupe. I have no use for a slammed, fart canned, overly negative cambered car with tires stretched on too wide a set of wheels.
This is why I did not purchase a Civic SI last time around.
I guess Mazda is my only hope.
The Acura Precision concept is way overdone, but I’m all for reusing the Legend name on a car that’s worthy of it!
I have a ’94 legend coupe, auto, for sale. 233,000 miles