Overview of the Honda Civic Type R EK9
This is a 1997 Honda Civic Type R, chassis code E-EK9, registered new in September 1997 (Heisei 9) and finished in the car's original factory white, colour code NH0. It is the three door hatchback bodystyle, powered by the 1,600 cc naturally aspirated engine and paired with the five speed manual gearbox that made the EK9 famous, driving the front wheels only. The odometer reads 140,898 km, which converts to approximately 87,554 miles. The car has come up for sale at USS Nagoya on lot number 53478, carrying an auction grade of 4 with an interior grade of C, and it is bought in directly from a private owner rather than through a dealer trade in. For buyers searching specifically for a Honda Civic Type R EK9 with genuine Recaro seats and the desirable aftermarket wheel and suspension package already fitted, this lot is worth close reading in full, including the inspector's notes below, before deciding where to place a bid.
The Drive Review
The EK9 Type R is widely regarded among enthusiasts as the purest expression of Honda's front wheel drive performance philosophy from the 1990s. Under the bonnet sits the B16B, a hand assembled 1.6 litre DOHC VTEC four cylinder that was blueprinted at Honda's engine plant rather than simply pulled off a standard line, and it revs to a genuinely thrilling 8,200 rpm redline. Peak power arrives high in the rev range once VTEC switches to its higher lift, longer duration cam profile, and the change in engine note and urgency at that point is one of the defining sensations of the car. There is very little low down torque by modern turbocharged standards, so the EK9 rewards a driver who is willing to work the gearbox and keep the engine spinning, and the close ratio five speed manual, feeding an LSD equipped front axle, was built specifically to support that style of driving.
Because the EK9 was stripped of sound deadening, air conditioning delete options and unnecessary weight from the factory, and because this generation of Civic is a genuinely light car by class standards, the chassis responds with a directness that heavier modern hot hatches struggle to replicate. Steering feel is sharp and unassisted in character even with power steering fitted, body control is taut, and the car changes direction with an eagerness that comes from low mass rather than electronic trickery. There is no traction control, no stability programme and no turbo lag to manage, just a naturally aspirated engine, a manual gearbox and a driver's own inputs, which is precisely why the EK9 has such a strong following among people who want an analogue driving experience. Weaknesses to be aware of include a firm ride that some owners find tiring on rough roads, VTEC engines that are sensitive to poor maintenance and infrequent oil changes, and the fact that many surviving cars, including this one, have had their standard suspension replaced with aftermarket parts over the years, which changes the character from how Honda originally tuned it.
Auction Details
This 1997 Honda Civic Type R EK9 is being offered through USS Nagoya, part of the USS Nagoya & Hokuriku auction network, under lot number 53478. The Japanese auction date is 2 October 2026. All bids must be submitted before 9PM UK time the evening before auction. The auction start price is ¥450,000. Autoselecta's own guide bidding range for this car is £8,000 to £12,500, and this figure is an estimated bidding range based on the condition, specification and recent market activity, not a guaranteed purchase price, so the car may sell above or below this range depending on how bidding develops on the day. For reference, three broadly similar EK9 Civic Type R examples have sold at Japanese auction recently for between £12,588 and £16,167, with a typical result around £14,461, though that range covers a mix of other conditions and specifications and is included only as general market context rather than a prediction for this specific car. Please refer to the price panel on this page for the current live figures, as minimum bid and landed cost calculations change after publication and are not repeated in this written report.
Vehicle Specifications
Manufacturer Honda. Model Civic. Grade Type R. Chassis code E-EK9. Frame number EK9-1000521. First registration September 1997. Engine capacity 1,600 cc, running on petrol. Transmission five speed floor mounted manual. Drive layout 2WD, front wheel drive. Exterior colour original white, factory colour code NH0, with no colour change noted on the auction sheet. Interior colour not stated on the auction sheet. Odometer reading 140,898 km, approximately 87,554 miles. Seating capacity four persons. Body dimensions as recorded on the sheet are 418 cm long, 169 cm wide and 136 cm high. Auction house USS Nagoya, part of the USS Nagoya & Hokuriku network. Auction grade 4 with interior grade C. Lot number 53478.
Factory Features and Equipment
The auction sheet confirms power steering, power windows and a driver's airbag as fitted equipment. Air conditioning is marked as fitted (AC). No new car service book or warranty booklet is marked as present, and the imported car documentation section and transfer document expiry fields are blank on the sheet, so these should be treated as not confirmed. The vehicle inspection (shaken) expiry field is also blank on the sheet. A recycling deposit of 10,420 yen is recorded, which is standard practice for vehicles sold at Japanese auction and relates to Japan's end of life vehicle recycling scheme rather than any fault with the car.
Japanese Auction Report Translation
This translation has been prepared and checked by Autoselecta staff directly from the auction sheet, and every point noted by the inspector is included below so nothing is summarised away. The usage history field is blank, meaning no additional history notes were recorded by the auction house. Under sales points, the sheet notes that the car was bought in directly from a private owner (ユーザー買取車), that it wears aftermarket 15 inch alloy wheels, that it has an aftermarket silencer fitted, that it retains genuine Recaro seats, and that it has the genuine factory aero body kit. Under points to note, the sheet records that the suspension has been changed to an aftermarket set up, with no original suspension parts or accessories included in the sale, and that a timing belt replacement sticker is present showing the belt was changed at 97,670 km.
The inspector's own report notes a fault with the left door mirror, described as not functioning correctly. It notes that the right front wing arch lip has been folded outward, a modification sometimes carried out to clear wider wheels or tyres. It records a burn hole in one seat along with general wear, sagging and tearing to the seat upholstery. It notes that the steering wheel has peeling and torn trim. It records that the cabin overall is dirty and marked with scratches. It notes rust, scratches and dents to the underside of the car. It records scratches to the wheels. Finally it notes small scratches and small dents generally around the body. These are the inspector's own words as translated from the sheet, and they should be read alongside the damage diagram below.
Damage Diagram and Body Condition
Working around the diagram as marked by the inspector, the left front wing carries a W2 marking, indicating a repair mark or panel wave of medium visibility, something a careful buyer would want to inspect in person or via close up photographs before committing. The left side of the car in the door area carries a U2 marking for a medium dent, though the auction sheet itself flags this location as not entirely certain between door and adjacent panel. The left rear quarter panel shows a U1, a small dent. The bonnet also carries a U1, a small dent. The windscreen is marked トビA, meaning stone chips, which is extremely common on any car of this age and mileage and is generally treated as a cosmetic rather than structural item. On the right side, the front wing shows a U1 small dent, the door area shows an A1 small scratch, and further back on the right side, in the region of the rear door or rear quarter panel, there is an AU1 marking, again with the auction house itself noting the exact panel is not fully certain, and AU1 denoting either a small scratch with a dent or a scratch that has received a touch up repair depending on convention. At the rear of the car, a 脱着 marking indicates a panel has been removed and refitted at some point, most likely the rear bumper or tailgate area, though again the sheet does not specify with full certainty. The spare wheel circle on the diagram has nothing marked inside it, which does not confirm whether a spare is present or absent, only that no note was made there. Taken together with the inspector's separate comments on underbody rust, scratches and dents, and the wheel scratches, this car presents as a genuine, usable example with the expected wear and cosmetic marks of a nearly thirty year old Japanese performance hatch that has covered real distance, rather than a pristine collector grade survivor. It sits firmly in usable enthusiast condition territory, with modifications already fitted, some cosmetic history around the body, and underside corrosion that a prospective buyer should factor into any post purchase inspection or restoration budget.
Interior Condition
The auction sheet records an interior grade of C, and the inspector's comments support that grading closely. The genuine Recaro seats, a highly desirable factory fitment on the Type R, are noted as having a burn hole along with general wear, sagging of the bolstering and tearing to the fabric. The steering wheel is noted as peeling and torn, consistent with a well used, high mileage example rather than a garage kept low use car. The cabin overall is described as dirty and scratched. The photographs show the red Recaro seats, the leather wrapped Momo branded steering wheel, the five speed gear lever, and the factory instrument cluster with the tachometer's red VTEC engagement light visible, alongside an aftermarket head unit and a small screen fitted above it. Interior colour is not separately confirmed on the auction sheet.
Japanese Auction Grades
Japanese auction grading gives buyers a quick, standardised shorthand for a car's overall condition at the point of inspection. An overall grade of 4, as given to this Civic Type R, generally indicates a car in fair to good used condition, with some visible wear, cosmetic marks and modifications, but nothing so severe as to be classed as accident damaged or heavily reworked. Interior grades run on a separate scale, and a C grade indicates noticeable wear and dirt inside the cabin rather than a clean, tidy interior, which matches the burnt seat, torn steering wheel and dirty cabin comments recorded by the inspector on this car. These grades are a useful independent guide but they are not a substitute for a full mechanical inspection, and Autoselecta always recommends reading the full translated report and viewing available photographs before bidding rather than relying on the headline grade number alone.
Model History
The EK9 generation Civic Type R was launched by Honda in 1997 as a homologation inspired, driver focused variant built exclusively for the Japanese domestic market, developed by Honda's motorsport oriented engineers with input drawn from the company's circuit racing programmes of the period. It used the hand finished B16B engine, a version of Honda's B series VTEC unit built to tighter tolerances than the standard Civic engines of the time, and combined it with a close ratio gearbox, a helical limited slip differential, stiffened chassis bracing, lightweight body panels and genuine Recaro racing seats, all in the pursuit of low weight and sharp response rather than outright straight line pace. It was never officially sold new outside Japan, which is why almost every EK9 in markets such as the UK, Europe, Australia and the USA today has arrived as a personal or grey market import from Japan.
Why This Model Has Become Collectible
The EK9 Civic Type R has become one of the most sought after 1990s Japanese domestic market performance cars for several clear reasons. It was built in relatively limited numbers compared with the standard Civic range, it was never federalised for direct US sale when new, and it carries genuine motorsport DNA from Honda's engineering approach of that era rather than being a simple badge engineered performance trim. The B16B engine is celebrated among enthusiasts for its high specific output for a naturally aspirated 1.6 litre unit and its eagerness to rev, and the manual only gearbox, front wheel drive layout and lack of driver aids give it a genuinely analogue character that is increasingly rare in current new cars. Survival rates of clean, unmodified examples have fallen steadily as cars have been used hard, crashed, modified beyond recognition or simply worn out, which has pushed values upward for tidy, honest examples over the past decade. Global demand has also grown significantly now that these cars are old enough to become legally importable into markets such as the United States, adding a new pool of overseas buyers competing for a shrinking supply of good cars still in Japan. Autoselecta does not guarantee future values and this car should not be viewed as an investment, but the broader collector interest in the EK9 is well established and continues to grow.
What To Look For When Buying This Model
Buyers considering any EK9 Civic Type R, including this example, should pay close attention to a handful of known weak points and common issues with the model. VTEC engines of this era are sensitive to inconsistent oil changes, so evidence of regular servicing and correct oil grade matters a great deal to long term reliability, and this car's sheet does confirm a timing belt change at 97,670 km, which is a genuinely useful piece of maintenance history to have on file. Aftermarket suspension, as fitted to this car with no original parts included, should be inspected for correct geometry, wear and quality of components, since poor quality coilovers can undermine the balance that made the EK9 famous. Rust on the underside, as flagged directly by this inspector, is common on EK9s that have spent winters on salted roads and should always be checked in person, including sills, floor pans and suspension mounting points. Interior wear, particularly to the signature Recaro seats and the steering wheel, is extremely common on higher mileage cars and can be expensive to put right if original condition trim is desired, and this example's seat burn hole and torn steering wheel are exactly the kind of detail a buyer should budget to address. Finally, because the EK9 has been such a popular modification platform in Japan for decades, buyers should always establish exactly what remains standard versus what has been altered, as this directly affects both drivability and value.
Why Import This Car From Japan
Japan remains the best source of EK9 Civic Type R models anywhere in the world, simply because the car was never sold new outside the domestic market and the vast majority of surviving examples, including well documented ones with genuine service history, are still there. Japanese auction houses such as USS Nagoya provide independent, standardised condition grading and detailed inspector notes on every car, giving overseas buyers a level of transparency that is very difficult to find in private sales in other countries. Importing directly from Japan also allows buyers to access a far wider pool of EK9 examples in varying states of originality and modification than typically reach dealer forecourts overseas, often at a more competitive price point than similar cars that have already been imported and marked up by a third party.
USA Import Information
This 1997 Honda Civic Type R EK9 is now old enough to qualify under the United States' 25 year import rule, meaning it can be legally imported into the USA. Autoselecta can arrange shipment of this car from Japan to the United States, and buyers based in the USA are strongly encouraged to contact Autoselecta with their city or ZIP code before placing a bid, so that a full delivered quotation can be prepared in advance. Autoselecta can calculate the expected purchase cost, Japan side costs, ocean freight, customs related charges and any delivery requirements specific to the buyer's state, allowing an informed decision before bidding begins rather than after the auction has closed.
Ultimate Guide For Japanese Imports
Importing a car from Japan involves several distinct stages, and understanding them in advance makes the process far less daunting. A vehicle is first located and inspected via the auction sheet and available photographs, a maximum bid is agreed and placed through an agent such as Autoselecta ahead of the Japan auction deadline, and if successful, the car is paid for and then prepared for export, including deregistration and any necessary paperwork from the Japanese seller. From there the vehicle is shipped, typically by roll on roll off or in a container depending on the destination and vehicle type, before arriving at the buyer's local port. Once landed, the car must clear customs, and depending on the destination country it may also need to satisfy local registration, emissions, safety or age related import requirements before it can be legally driven on public roads. Costs and requirements vary significantly by country, which is why working with an experienced import agent who understands both the Japanese auction system and the destination country's rules is so valuable.
Why Import Through Autoselecta
Autoselecta gives buyers direct access to Japan's major auction houses, including USS Nagoya, rather than relying on a generic online listing with limited information. Every vehicle report is built from a genuine, translated auction sheet so buyers can see exactly what the independent Japanese inspector recorded, good and bad, rather than a polished sales description. Autoselecta assists with sourcing suitable vehicles, places bids on the buyer's behalf within an agreed maximum, manages export paperwork once a car is purchased, and arranges shipping to the buyer's destination country, including to the United States where import age rules allow it. Vehicle tracking is available where the shipping method and route support it, and Autoselecta remains a point of contact for arrival and import support once the car reaches the buyer's own country, with communication maintained throughout the process rather than the transaction ending at payment.
Browse This Week's Japanese Auctions
Alongside this Honda Civic Type R EK9, Autoselecta lists a constantly changing selection of vehicles fresh from Japanese auction, updated as new auctions take place throughout the week, giving buyers the chance to compare specification, grade and price across multiple similar cars before committing to a bid.
Live Auction Search
Buyers who have a specific model, chassis code or specification in mind can use Autoselecta's live auction search to look directly across upcoming Japanese auctions, making it straightforward to find comparable EK9 Civic Type R examples or other models entirely, with results updated as auction houses release new listings.
Auction Caution
All cars offered through Japanese auction houses, including this one, are inspected by an independent grader before sale, but they remain used vehicles being sold in as is condition, and the auction sheet is a condition guide rather than a mechanical warranty. Buyers should expect that an older performance car such as this EK9, with 140,898 km showing on the odometer, may require servicing, maintenance or refurbishment after purchase, and this is a normal part of enjoying a car of this age. Specific to this vehicle, the inspector has recorded a faulty left door mirror, a folded right wing arch lip, a burn hole with general wear and tearing to the seats, a peeling and torn steering wheel, a dirty and scratched cabin, underside rust with scratches and dents, scratched wheels, and small scratches and dents to the body generally, alongside aftermarket suspension supplied with no original parts included. These points should all be read carefully alongside the damage diagram translation above before any bid is placed.
