1973 Honda N600 – Auction Car of the Week

Maybe it’s part of the human condition, maybe some sort of psychological trick we play on ourselves, or maybe we do it for fun. Whatever the reason, there is no denying that we like to put human qualities on things that are in fact not human. And we’re not talking about pets here. We’re talking about cars. Look at the little Healey Sprite and tell us it doesn’t look like a happy frog. Look at a Ferrari F355 and tell us it isn’t laden with alluring curves. Look at this 1973 Honda N600 and tell us it isn’t adorable. Look at it. It looks like something from a Disney cartoon. It’s sweet, it’s adorable and despite being a (small) mass of steel and chrome, it’s happy. Who doesn’t want a bit of that in their lives?

View the auction for this 1973 Honda N600 here

The N600, so named for its 598cc two-cylinder engine actually started life in the late ’60s as the N360, which had an impossibly small 354cc version of the same engine. This was because the car was designed to meet Japan’s stringent Kei Car standards – the smallest class of passenger-carrying vehicles. Designed to be city-friendly, frugal and practical, the Kei market is still booming today. It’s strange to think it extends so far into the past given how common they are today, and that’s globally, not just in Japan. But we digress.

The N600 is the result of Honda trying its luck in the global market. The bigger (using the word lightly) engine actually broke Kei car rules, so it was never sold in Japan. Instead, it was an export model for the likes of Europe and the USA. And despite being about as big as a Tunnock’s Teacake, the N600 managed to put Honda, as a car maker, on the map. Small, cheap, reliable to a fault, simple and despite losing to a sewing machine on a rolling road, brilliant fun to drive.

So what of this one? Well, owing to the fact the European climate sees Japanese metal of the ’60s and ’70s as something of a tasty treat, there are very few left. This 1973 Honda N600 has lived a cherished life though. It lived in Germany for most of its life with just two owners before coming to the UK in recent years. The paint is original, showing just how well it has been cared for. This N600 has also, painstakingly, been converted to right-hand drive in readiness for its new UK life, and the engine has been rebuilt, serviced and fully detailed. Seriously, pop that tiny bonnet at a show and you will draw a crowd. It’s mint.

There are some signs of life, like holes where wing mirrors should be, the fuel flap appears to be missing, and the steel wheels could use a lick of silver paint, but that’s nothing. The main thing is the structure is original and rock solid – just look in the boot for example – and all the original trim is present and correct. It’s an adorable little stunner of a car. And one that is almost certainly going to find its forever home with its next owner. If you had this, would you be able to get rid of it? Look at its sweet little face! How could you say no to that?