End of the line for current Civic Type-R (From The Wiltshire Gazette and Herald)

End of the line for current Civic Type-R

A POPULAR sports car built in Swindon by Japanese car firm Honda has rolled off the production line for the final time.

The last Honda Civic Type-R came off the production line at the Japanese car firm's plant in South Marston earlier this week, the final vehicle in a production run of some 35,000.

The last car, in Nighthawk Black, was produced for a UK customer who takes delivery next week. Civic models are built in more than 10 plants around the world but the Type-R model is unique to Honda in Swindon where every one has been made since 2001.

The Civic Type R has been a sales success for Honda. In total some 35,190 have been made and sold, with 18,033 sold in the UK, 12,422 sold in mainland Europe and 4,735 exported back to Japan. A measure of Type R's success was the original UK sale forecast for 1,500 cars per annum: sales grew to over four times that.

Over the last four years various improvements have been made including LED indicators in the door mirrors and a lightened flywheel, which helped reduce the 0-62 sprint by 0.2 seconds.

The cult following the car has attracted since launch has meant that used Type R's retain 60 per cent of their value after three years/36,000 miles.

Now the company is pinning its hopes on the eighth generation of Civic, due to go on sale early next year. Designers have worked hard on the new car tweaking it so it becomes sleeker, more aerodynamic and sportier.