Honda N600 - 1970

The Honda N360 is a kei car, designed and built by Honda

and produced from March 1967 through 1970, while the

larger N600 was marketed through 1973. After a January

1970 facelift, the N360 became the NIII360 and continued

in production until 1972.

The car featured front wheel drive and an air-cooled, four stroke, 354 cc, 31 hp (23 kW) two-  cylinder engine, which was borrowed from the Honda CB450 motorcycle. The displacement  was reduced so as to comply with kei car legislation which stipulated maximum allowable  engine displacement. This same engine was also used in the Honda Vamos, with a beam  axle/leaf spring rear suspension. The "N" prefix stands for the Japanese word "norimono"  which means "vehicle" in English. The exterior dimensions were in compliance with Japanese  government regulations concerning kei cars, however, vehicles installed with the 402 cc and  599 cc engines were too large for the category, and were largely intended for international  sales.  A modern revival was introduced in 2012 with the Honda N-One. 

Versions

A two-door sedan was the original body style, with a two-door wagon (considered a  commercial vehicle in Japan, and therefore called a "Van") called the LN360 coming in June  of the first year. It was an all new, clean-sheet product, and did not share its chassis with the Honda Sports roadster, or the Honda L700 commercial platform. An upgraded 36 hp (27 kW)  engine was added in October 1968 for the N360 T. A 402 cc engine was used in the similar  N400. The engine's technological specifications reflected engineering efforts resulting from  the development of the larger Honda 1300, which used an air-cooled 1.3 litre engine. One of  the primary differences between the N360 and the Honda Life that followed was the  N360/600 had an air-cooled engine, and the Life had a water-cooled engine. The water-  cooled engine was better able to comply with newly enacted emission standards in Japan,  and a move away from air-cooled, and two-stroke engines. As does the original Mini, but  unlike the succeeding Life, the N360/600 had its gearbox mounted in the sump rather than  bolted on as a separate unit. The Hondamatic-equipped N360AT which appeared in August 1968 was the first kei car  equipped with an automatic transmission. 

N600

The larger-engined N600 was developed alongside the N360 in order to target export markets  like the US and Europe, where motorways demanded higher top speeds. Just seven months  after road testing the N360, Britain’s Motor magazine tested a Honda N600 in November  1968. They reported that it had a top speed of 77.1 mph (124.1 km/h) and could accelerate  from 0-60 mph (97 km/h) in 19 seconds. An overall fuel consumption of 36.3 miles per  imperial gallon (7.8 L/100 km; 30.2 mpg-US) was achieved. The test car was priced in the UK  at £589 including taxes, at a time when the Mini 850 was retailing for £561. The testers were  impressed to find 1100 performance from a 600 cc car, but found it ‘very noisy when  extended’. They found the Honda as easy to drive and park, and ‘quite well equipped’. The  performance figures put the car at or near the top of its class under most criteria, reflecting  its favourable power-to-weight ratio. The car was thus 5 mph (8.0 km/h) faster than the 72  mph (116 km/h) achieved by rival magazine Autocar in an N360 in May 1968, and more than  ten seconds quicker to 60 mph (97 km/h) which the N360 achieved in 29.3 seconds.  Consistent with its slower performance, the N360 squeezed 3 extra miles out of a (UK) gallon  of fuel, managing an overall 39.4 miles per imperial gallon (7.17 L/100 km; 32.8 mpg-US).  The N600 was introduced to the USA in 1969 as a 1970 model, and was the first Honda  automobile to be officially imported to the United States. It was technologically advanced  for its time, with an all alloy engine that could achieve 9000 rpm. Engine output was 36–45  hp (27–34 kW) and the N600 was capable of 81 mph (130 km/h). The lower-powered engine  arrived in 1972; with milder cams and lowered compression it gave up some peak power and  torque, while allowing for a less peaky delivery and higher drivability. It delivered  surprisingly peppy performance because of its light weight (around 550 kg/1100 pounds), due  to compact dimensions and some plastic parts (like the boot lid). The first brakes were very  weak, despite having front discs and servo assistance. Rear suspension was a dead axle on  leaf springs.  The N600 (along with the TN360 trucklet), were the first Honda cars to be assembled outside  of Japan, with production in Taiwan by local joint venture Sanyang Industrial beginning in  1969. The N600 was called the Fu Gui, meaning 'Wealth' in Chinese.  US sales stopped in 1972, as for the sportier Honda Z600 (or Z, depending on country), after  about 25,000 had been sold there. The first generation Honda Civic replaced these little cars  with something a little more suited to the American Interstate system. 

1970

Engine 599 cc 2 cylinders Top speed 124 km/h Lenght/width 2,99 m/1,29 m Weight 508 kg