1965 Honda S600 Coupe
Chain-driven independent rear suspension distinguished Honda’s entry into European sports car markets, with individual roller-chain final drives transmitting power to each rear wheel.
The fastback coupe variant debuted in early 1965, about a year after roadster production commenced, adding roughly 100 pounds to the convertible’s approximately 1,575-pound (715 kg) curb weight through its steel roof and fixed body structure.
A 606cc DOHC inline-four with four Keihin carburetors produced 57 horsepower at 8,500 rpm, delivering motorcycle-derived performance through a 9,500 rpm redline that remains among the highest ever specified for production automobiles.
The aluminum engine transmitted power through a four-speed manual gearbox and conventional differential before reaching those distinctive chain drives. Rack-and-pinion steering and fully independent suspension provided handling dynamics comparable to contemporary British roadsters despite the significantly smaller displacement.
Honda manufactured approximately 1,800 coupes alongside 11,284 convertibles during the three-year production run ending in 1966.
Available in standard S600 or export-market SM600 trim, the model represented Honda’s first widely sold sports car and one of its earliest automobiles offered to European buyers, available in both right-hand and left-hand drive configurations.
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