- Two damaged 2026 Preludes have surfaced on IAAI’s salvage auction.
- Both coupes show heavy rear crash damage yet still appear drivable.
- They may be the first totaled examples of the modern revived coupe.
The Honda Prelude hasn’t even fully rolled out across the USA, and already, two are dead. Well, they might be salvageable, but they’re officially at auction waiting for what might be a second lease on life. What’s worse is that neither example made it to the 600-mile mark before taking heavy damage. They are, from what we can tell, the first two totalled Preludes since the relaunch.
The first listing (lot 44919713) on IAAI, shows evidence of a rear-end collision of one sort or another. The driver’s side rear bumper cover has large dark scrapes and scratches across the panel. If that was the only damage, it probably wouldn’t have even ended up here. Sadly, the passenger side has what appears to be the death knell.
More: The New Honda Prelude Is Barely Quicker Than Its 30-Year-Old Ancestor
On the rear quarter panel is a dent that almost certainly came from something large. It crumpled much of the sheet metal and even bent the top of the wheel in toward the chassis. A bumper cover is quick and easy to replace. Reworking welded body panels like this one is another story altogether. The coupe had covered just 264 miles before meeting its end.
The second Prelude features the same white paint and blue calipers as the first, but the damage is considerably worse. Lot 44534805 on IAAI has just 575 miles on the clock. Despite that, the rear end has seen more than its fair share already. In this case, the passenger rear quarter panel has a little crinkle in the metal but the same is true of the opposite side. Both appear heavily influenced by a serious rear impact that has left much of the back bumper unrecognizable.
The light bar is crushed in, the bumper itself is in pieces, and the rear glass is gone too. From some angles, it almost looks like a Civic hatchback. That’s how significant the crash that put this Prelude here was. Interestingly, the auction house says that it’ll run and drive which is more than we can say for the less damaged example.
What would you do with either of these Hondas? Try to rebuild them, strip them for parts, or simply walk away and let someone else take on the project?
Photos IAAI