This 1997 Honda Prelude SH (VIN JHMBB6152VC007908) has somehow managed to make it to 2019 with no modifications and just 5,000 miles on the odometer, and photos of what appears to be a very clean car do seem to lend some weight to that impressive figure. SH spec was top line for US market cars, and stood for Super Handling, with spec including ATTS (Active Torque Transfer System), a sort of electronically-controlled, hydraulically-actuated limited-slip differential. Power comes from Honda’s outstanding H22, a 2.2-liter VTEC unit offering the best of all worlds–traditional Honda high-rev responsiveness matched with a surprising and useful amount of low-down torque. The car reportedly drives as-new and includes factory literature, dealer service history and the original MSRP asking just under $26k (~$43k today). Find it here on eBay in Tacoma, Washington with no reserve and 70 bids to $19,800 at the time of writing. Special thanks to BaT reader Kyle K. for this submission.
The car’s photo gallery is extensive, and we can’t make out any real flaws in its San Marino Red paintwork. Directional wheels seem to be more commonplace, though we dig these straight-spoke 16-inchers just the same.
Other equipment includes four-wheel double-wishbone suspension, front and rear sway bars, variable assist power steering, and Honda’s ATTS, a computerized torque-vectoring system that transfers wheel power as needed in slippery conditions.
Comfortable and supportive seats, air conditioning, cruise control, a decent factory audio system, great ergonomics, solid build quality and a power moonroof should make the cockpit a nice place to spend a few hours on a road trip or back road blast. Leather-covered seats could be optioned from the factory or installed by a dealer, but this patterned cloth is perfect as far as we’re concerned.
The 2.2-liter VTEC H22 four carried a factory rating of 200 horsepower and 156 lb. ft. of torque when new, delivered through a slick-shifting 5-speed manual gearbox. Like the rest of the car, the engine bay presents in what appears to be essentially as-new condition.
