The 1987 Honda Prelude became the first production car with mechanical four-wheel steering.
Honda introduced the system on the third-generation Prelude, allowing the rear wheels to turn through a mechanical linkage connected to the front steering. At small steering angles, the rear wheels turned slightly in the same direction as the front wheels, improving stability during fast cornering. At larger steering angles, they turned in the opposite direction, reducing the car’s turning circle.
This arrangement differed from later electronically controlled four-wheel-steering systems, which used sensors, computers, and actuators to manage rear-wheel movement. The Prelude’s setup was notable because it achieved the effect mechanically and was offered on a mass-produced road car rather than only on a racing prototype or experimental vehicle.
The third-generation Prelude debuted in 1987 and remained in production until 1991. Four-wheel steering later appeared on models from manufacturers including Mazda, Mitsubishi, Nissan, and Toyota, but the Prelude is widely credited with bringing mechanical four-wheel steering to production first.