The Acura Legend, sold as the Honda Legend outside the U.S.

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

, Canada

Canada

Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...

, and parts of China

People's Republic of China

China , officially the People's Republic of China , is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.3 billion citizens. Located in East Asia, the country covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometres...

, was a luxury vehicle sold from 1986 to 1995 as both a sedan and coupe

Coupé

A coupé or coupe is a closed car body style , the precise definition of which varies from manufacturer to manufacturer, and over time...

. It was the first flagship sedan sold under the Acura

Acura

Acura is the luxury vehicle division of Japanese automaker Honda Motor Company. The brand has been available in the United States and Canada since March 1986, marketing luxury, performance, and near-performance vehicles. It was introduced to Hong Kong in 1991, Mexico in 2004, and China in 2006...

 nameplate, until being renamed in 1996 as the Acura 3.5RL

Acura RL

The Acura RL is the flagship car for North American luxury brand Acura — marketed in Japan as the Honda Legend and manufactured in Saitama, Japan...

. The 3.5RL was North American version of the (KA9) series Honda Legend

Honda Legend

The Honda Legend is a mid-size luxury car made by the Japanese automaker Honda. It was the result of Project XX, a joint agreement started in November 1981 with the Austin Rover Group of Great Britain and was mechanically related to the Rover 800 series....

. In Japan, the Legend was only offered at Honda Clio dealerships.

The opportunity for Japanese manufacturers to export more expensive models had arisen with the 1980s voluntary export restraints

Voluntary Export Restraints

A voluntary export restraint or voluntary export restriction is a government imposed limit on the quantity of goods that can be exported out of a country during a specified period of time....

, negotiated by the Japanese government and U.S.