As part of our 20th anniversary retrospective, we're showcasing some of our favorite cars of the past two decades. You'll be able to vote on your favorite vehicle later. Here's the 2nd installment.
Back in the mid-90s, Alpine demo-vehicle builder Steve Brown was attending the University of Washington as an engineering undergrad. His involvement in car audio was limited to competing at every show in the Pacific Northwest. Then he met a sales rep for Alpine at a competition and his relationship with the brand began.
Brown built his 1988 Acura Legend Coupe using Alpine gear up the wazoo and plenty of tricks that he now shares with readers in the Tricks of the Trade column found in every issue of Car Audio. The right side "bumper panel" moves out for access to all the tools and fuses Brown would need to make a repair. Another motorized bumper panel holds a 30-band EQ for making changes outside of the car.
Other motorized elements include a video screen that pops out of the floor of the trunk to display a demo. Also, the center console motors up for another pair of parametric EQs. In each corner of the trunk Brown mounted a digital crossover and a custom gauge panel to display amplifier temperatures, trunk temperature and system voltage.
Up front, what appears to be a center channel is actually a cover for an Alpine CD player and changer. Fitted with a custom ring, the CD player was modified slightly to make it look as tall as the CD changer. Such attention to detail could be found everywhere on this competition winning Legend.