Do you think that all of the hot Honda performance models carry a Type R designation? Well, think again. What you are seeing here is a Honda AMG Ballade. Yes, THAT AMG. The car was a collaboration between Honda and Mercedes-AMG. It was built specifically for the South African market. You probably never heard of it. And both Honda and Mercedes are just fine with that. The car came about in the 1980s. It was before AMG was officially part of Mercedes. At the time AMG was working their tuning magic on a couple of Japanese cars. It is a period that AMG would now like to forget. And Honda is not too keen to speak of it either. As such, information on the AMG Ballade is scarce. But the car is real. This is not a case of a kid just slapping random car badges on the trunk.
Why?
Why the heck would Mercedes and AMG collaborate with Honda? They have certainly not been friends on the Formula One circuit. But at the time Honda wanted to enter the South African market. And they were not established in that country. Mercedes on the other hand had been there since 1948 and they had production facilities there. Mercedes may have been established but they wanted to sell a smaller and more affordable model in South America. So, a collaboration between the two brands made sense for each. Honda got a foot in the market and Mercedes got the less expensive model they wanted.
AMG Ballade
AMG Ballade cars were four-door Civics that used B16 and B18 Honda engines. The engines were tuned to make 173 horsepower. A stout number for the time. The cars sat on a lowered Eibach suspension. They were fitted with 15-inch or 16-inch wheels as well as a rear spoiler. We don’t know the original price or have any performance details. But these cars did exist. If you are a fan of obscure Hondas then you might want to try to find one of these for yourself.
- Also See: Honda Recorded A 23 Percent Profit In The 2nd Quarter Of 2024
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