1965 Honda S600

The Honda S500 of 1962 was only the second model ever made by the fledgling Japanese manufacturer. It was followed by the S600 and later the S800. The S600 was a blend of Italian styling, a conventional chassis, and motorcycle racing technology. Beginning with the S500, the engine had an alloy block and head, twin overhead camshafts, four small carburetors, and a roller bearing crankshaft. The engine was mated to a four-speed gearbox with synchromesh on all but the first gears. It had an enclosed chain drive to the rear wheels, finned drums at all four corners, and a torsion bar front suspension. The S500 was never exported and built in limited numbers.

The successor to the S500 was the S600, introduced in March of 1964. This became the first Japanese sports car exported to the world, including the North American and Australian market. This meant a left-hand drive configuration. Power was from a 606cc engine that offered 57 horsepower at 8,500 RPM. The redline was an astonishing 11,000 RPM. Bodystyles included a roadster and a fixed-head coupe, with the roadster outselling the coupe by a factor of ten to one. During its production lifespan, lasting from 1964 through 1966, a total of 11,284 roadsters and 1,800 coupes were produced. In March of 1965, a hatchback was introduced. Styling of the S600 was similar to the S500, albeit with a restyled front end.

by Daniel Vaughan | Sep 2019