Honda S800
A new and redesigned small Roadster
Honda S800
In 1966, a new and redesigned small Roadster from Honda saw the light of day. In many ways, it heralded a new era in which you also had to take Honda seriously as a car manufacturer. But it was still characterized by motorcycle-inspired engine technology. The car had a small hard-tuned lightweight engine that could take and withstand revs. With rear-wheel drive and very direct steering, it was a fun little car. Fortunately, the car got a real rear axle instead of the hopeless chain-driven rear wheel construction found on the S600 model.
The sound of the hard-pumped little engine could make your hair stand on end when fired up with the convertible down. That sound was not commonplace in any car back then.
The small engine had, for example, a carburettor for each cylinder, and despite only 791 cc it developed a whopping 70 hp at 8000 rpm. It was the first car from Honda with 160 km/h potential. What surprised everyone with a sense of cars was the fine workmanship and attention to detail, which made the little English roadsters stand red-cheeked.
The car went out of production in 1970, but it was a warning of what Honda could and wanted in the future. It was a bit strange to bet so much on small open cars, as Honda did initially in the form of
cars like this. But that's how Honda was back then. You had to go your own way. Unfortunately, only 11,500 units were produced. of this fun little car.
That is why it also took many years before Honda threw itself into this segment again. It only happened in 1999 with the S2000 model.
The S800 also made a name for itself in motorsport in the small classes up to 1000 cc. It is still seen as a classic racing car, but the car is now so rare and access to spare parts so difficult that you really have to want to throw this car around a racetrack with contempt for death.