Honda Insight Cutaway- 2001

The Honda Insight is a hybrid electric vehicle, introduced in Japan in November 1999. It features Honda’s Integrated Motor Assist (IMA) gasoline-electric engine, producing 61 mpg in the city and 70 mpg on the highway. In the following month, December 1999, the Insight became the first hybrid available in North America. The first-generation Insight stayed in production between 1999 and 2006.

This unusual Honda Insight was originally donated by Honda directly to Canada’s Advanced Technology Vehicles Program (ATVP) in 2001 as a complete vehicle. ATVP is a government program that works with Canada’s automotive industry to bring safe and environmentally friendly advanced technology vehicles onto the Canadian market. On March 31, 2002, two Honda Insights, were part of a fleet of 63 vehicles ATVP evaluated for fuel efficiency, emissions, and safety performance. The comprehensive program included on-road evaluation, instrumented track testing, and formal laboratory data. Physical data had been gathered from the intact Insight, while the cutaway vehicle was used for 35 special public events that visibly showcased the vehicle’s advanced technology. 1.7 million Canadians had been reached through these events.

After the ATVP program, the Honda Insight Cutaway was put on display at the Canada Science and Technology Museum, in Ottawa until 2016. After the vehicle served its purpose to illustrate Canada’s efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, the car was deaccessioned. Miraculously, it was saved from the scrapyard by a Honda Insight enthusiast. It was posted to a tight-knit, Insight community forum where John Sullivan acquired the vehicle. He completely disassembled the car and meticulously rebuilt it in its cutaway form as correctly as possible with everything mechanically functional. He donated the car to the Lane Motor Museum in 2020.

Specifications:
Manufacturer: Honda
Country of Origin: Japan
Drivetrain Configuration: Front-engine, front-wheel drive
Motor: VTEC-E, water-cooled, 995 cc SOHC, three-cylinder, 67 hp engine with IMA, integrated electric motor
Transmission: Five-speed manual transmission
Top Speed: 116 mph
Years of Production: 1999 and 2006 (1st generation Insight)
Number Produced: 17,000 units worldwide (This is 1 of 400 Canadian Honda Insights)
Original Cost: $18,880