Acura marks 40 years as pioneer Japanese premium brand

LOS ANGELES () — Lots of significant events are marking 2026. The country will be celebrating 250 years, and will host soccer’s World Cup. And in the automotive world, Acura is marking its 40th anniversary.

“We saw a great opportunity, all the way back in 1986 to introduce a premium brand. It was the first Japanese premium brand in North America,” said Jake Berg of Acura Public Relations.

A slow beginning, with only 60 dealerships in the whole country. But establishing this brand was a pioneering move.

Things got moving quickly for Acura garnering praise from the automotive media and early adopters. Those first two models, the Legend and Integra, are now considered neo-classics from the adventurous ’80s. And nobody celebrates those cars in a bigger way than Tyson Hugie.

“I ended up sort of just glomming onto the brand as kids do when they’re teenagers, and fast-forward a few decades later I’m still playing with cars,” said Hugie, from his huge Acura-filled garage in Phoenix.

He’s hugely popular on social media as an Acura guru who’s posted countless photos and videos of his prized vehicles. If anyone is into the Legend, the Integra, or any other Acura model, they no doubt know who he is.

The Integra and the Legend were really going strong in the late 1980s, but then in 1990 Acura blew away the automotive world with a usable exotic called the NSX.

Talk about a move. An exotic car with the looks of something from Italy, but with the ease-of-use and reliability of a Honda Accord. It further elevated Acura’s standing in the car world.

“Iconic car. I obsessed over this car so much that I was collecting die-cast scale versions before I bought the real thing,” said Acura aficionado Tyson Hugie

As Acura embarks on year 41, the auto world has changed. Crossover SUVs rule the market, though they did bring back the Integra a few years ago to ensure they have an entry model for the brand.

So, congrats on the big 4-0, Acura. A brand that made a bold move all those years ago, and cemented a place in automotive history.