THE LIFE AND TIMES OF A ‘JOY MACHINE’

You’ve got to love Honda. Insane bouncing enthusiasm may be common to all Japanese car manufacturers, but Honda seems more prone to it than most. We’re looking here at the handy little 4x4 that is Honda’s HR-V. But do you know what Honda called it when the company announced it was to launch a slightly unusual (for its time; as common as potholes today, of course) mid-to-titchy size 4x4? You don’t? Or maybe you think you do… but I bet you’re wrong.

Honda announced the HR-V as a concept vehicle at the 1997 Tokyo Motor Show, and shared with a largely baffled motoring press that it would be the ‘Wild and Joyful J-WJ’. How wonderful is that?

A little while later, as is the way of things, that concept car developed into the rather more modestly monickered Joy Machine. If you’re old enough, you might remember the cinema ads for the car. Mind boggling 1960s psychedelic lunacy in 1999 cinemas; lots of young people rushing about in pointless delight, while strangely shaped cars zapped around equally purposelessly. Great stuff. Not sure who was supposed to be attracted by this madness, but Honda…

…Honda had second thoughts, and although it did launch the HR-V as the Joy Machine in Japan and other less conservative markets than the UK, the company had second thoughts where we were concerned. Instead, we got the Honda HR-V, although it did appear in some strange colours, including a virulent purple. The HR-V (‘High Rider Vehicle’, would you believe?) was a close cousin to the much more serious CR-V (Compact Recreational Vehicle), certainly in terms of its mechanicals. But it offered a very different approach to the 4x4 way of life.

To read this article in full, see the July 2010 issue of 4x4 Mart - on sale from Thursday, June 17th. Or to subscribe, call 01442 879097