Honda Prelude

• The fourth generation went on sale on 20 September 1991 and the fifth on 8 November 1996.
• The 1991 Si VTEC was rated 200 PS; the Si was a non-VTEC 160 PS.
• BB6 covers the SiR, the Type S and, from September 1998, the SiR・S spec.
• Four-wheel steering is not four-wheel drive; every Prelude here is front-wheel drive.
• The US 25-year rule runs from the build date, and EPA's engine rule applies separately.

• Front-wheel drive in both generations; four-wheel steering is not four-wheel drive
• H22A DOHC VTEC engine in the fourth-generation Si VTEC and the fifth-generation SiR, Type S and SiR・S spec
• Two-door, four-seat coupe in both generations
• Four-wheel steering on selected grades: electronic Hyper 4WS on the fourth-generation Si and Si VTEC, and 4WS on the fifth-generation Si and SiR

Dates are Honda's Japanese announcement and sale dates. Each generation page has its own specification tables and checklist.

Generation names are broad families. The factory chassis codes below identify the variants represented in JDMBUYSELL's current Honda Prelude guide data.

Fourth generation — BA8/BA9/BB1/BB4 (on sale from 20 September 1991; Honda archive ends October 1996)

Chassis codes: BB1, BA9, BB4, and BA8

Fifth generation — BB5/BB6/BB7/BB8 (on sale from 8 November 1996; Honda archive ends 2001)

Chassis codes: BB6, BB7, BB5, and BB8

Confirm the complete code on the vehicle's frame or VIN plate; drivetrain, body, and market variants can use different prefixes within one generation family.

This guide describes Japanese-market Preludes in Honda's own figures. Comparisons with US-market cars appear on the generation pages and are labelled; US specifications are not carried across.

Engine options

Which Prelude generations does this guide cover?

Two Japanese generations: the fourth (codes BA8, BA9, BB4 and BB1), on sale from 20 September 1991, and the fifth (BB5 to BB8), on sale from 8 November 1996. Earlier generations are outside this guide.

Does a Japanese Prelude have VTEC?

Some grades do. In the fourth generation the Si VTEC has the 200 PS H22A and the Si does not. In the fifth generation the SiR, Type S and SiR・S spec use the H22A, while the Xi and Si use the F22B.

Is the Prelude four-wheel drive?

No. Every Prelude here is front-wheel drive. Some have electronic four-wheel steering, which turns the rear wheels but does not drive them.

Which fifth-generation grade has ATTS?

Honda lists ATTS on the Type S only. The SiR・S spec has a viscous limited-slip differential. At the November 1996 launch, Honda also offered a viscous LSD as an option on manual Si and SiR cars; the final catalogue lists the ordinary SiR as an automatic.

Can I import a Prelude to the US or Canada?

US federal safety rules use 25 years from each car's manufacture date (49 CFR 591.5(i)). EPA's separate age exemption requires the original engine model and configuration or an eligible equivalent-or-newer EPA-certified replacement with emission-control systems. State registration rules vary. Canada uses 15 years from the month and year of completed assembly; provincial registration rules still apply. Verify any engine swap with EPA before importing.