Fully restored example of Honda’s first mass-market offering as a car company
Honda cut its teeth as a Grand Prix-calibre motorcycle manufacturer before Soichiro Honda decided to have a go at making cars in the early 60s.
The first four-wheeled offering was the S500 of 1963: a front-engined/rear-driven two-seater roadster – a configuration inspired by lightweight British roadsters.
But Honda-san said he ‘didn’t want to build a car like everyone else’s’.
While most Japanese carmakers were utilising cast-iron engines, Honda developed a water-cooled DOHC aluminium four-cylinder with four Keihin carburettors – with the half-litre mill able to spin up to 8000rpm.
The independent rear suspension’s construction doubled as motorcycle-style swing arms and housed an innovative chain-drive system to power the rear wheels.
The Honda S600 was an evolution of the S500’s original design, built from 1964-1966, and expanded the engine capacity to 606ccs. It’s widely regarded as Honda’s first truly mass-marketed car.
The handsome little blue metallic S600 on the market today looks like a stunning example of the breed.
The seller states that the car is a fully restored example, with the car presenting near-faultless in the ad’s photos, with a few build shots included to show the extent of works carried out.
The car is currently on non-transferable club plates, so all that’s required is a RWC.
The seller welcomes inspections and urges any one interested to contact them for more details.
Honda’s S600 is a truly significant model within the brand’s history, and would suit a marque collector or discerning Japanese enthusiast.
This little Japanese roadster is based in Victoria, and is listed for $35,000.
Check out the full listing here!
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