The Honda Prelude made its debut in 1978 and did not slip out of production until 2001, making it an impressively long-lived sports coupe.

After the first generation Prelude was revealed in '78, it entered the commercial market in 1979. It was based on the Honda Accord and all subsequent generations would follow this trend.

The Prelude was equipped with a 1.8 litre engine that developed 75 bhp and it was noteworthy for its time because it actually featured power steering as standard. In the past this had been reserved for more powerful, expensive vehicles.

In 1983 the Prelude entered its second generation, this time with a more modern 1.8 litre engine that could produce 110bhp. A 2.0 litre engine was also available, increasing the power slightly for those who wanted a little more poke.

The fixed headlights of the first generation were replaced with pop up lights at the front, while the styling became a little more angular to keep up with tastes of the time.

The third generation Prelude was given a launch in 1988, with optional four wheel steering introduced on a number of models and a full complement of two litre engines ranging in power from 104 to 150bhp.

Just three years later the fourth generation Prelude was made available, this time with the most drastic redesign of the car's body since the first generation model.

Electronically controlled four wheel steering became the norm and more powerful VTEC engines were introduced, upping the power available once more.

The fifth and final generation of the Honda Prelude entered the market in 1997, now featuring larger alloy wheels and a range of engines rated about the 2.0 litre mark.

The rounded-off front end design of the fourth generation was ditched, with this new model reverting to a slightly more angular body shape that had more in common with the first three Preludes.

Despite the fact that the Prelude remained a well known car throughout its lifespan, it was not actually that big of a seller, with just over 800,000 sold during its 23 year run.

However, it is fondly remembered by many enthusiasts even if it is not the most popular of Honda's products.