This car was first purchased and driven in Los Angeles, California. Its second and final owner saw it in a parking lot and made an offer. It was restored by the second owner before it came to the Smithsonian. The car represents the rise in foreign automobile ownership in the U.S. during the later part of the twentieth century, the public demand for more fuel-efficient cars, and the public concern over pollution. The Honda Civic was the first vehicle to meet the Clean Air Act standards successfully, without using a catalytic converter and running on regular gasoline.