I remember the early 70s fairly well when it comes to cars. At 14, I was already car-crazy, and after seeing the great cars of the sixties, I was even more excited to see 1970 Chargers, Mustangs, Javelins, Chevelles, and the like hit the showroom floor. I couldn’t wait for my license. In 1972, gas averaged just 36 cents a gallon. Of course, just my luck, by the time I got my license in 1974, it had almost doubled to 53 cents a gallon. Around that time, America saw a real uptick in small Japanese cars that got amazing gas mileage. For example, the 1972 Honda N600 is available here on Facebook Marketplace for $4,600. It is in Chanute, Kansas. And Zappenduster, thanks again for a great tip!
The heart of an N600 is the Honda 598 cc engine, or a mere 36.5 cubic inches. This mighty mite produced about 36 to 42 horsepower, and pushing that through the 4-speed transmission could get it up to 77 MPH. The big thing at the time, of course, was that it got 35 MPG in the city and a whopping 40 MPG on the highway, if you were brave enough to take it. American cars at the time averaged an amazing 13 MPG, which was incredibly efficient. The engine on this example car isn’t running great. The seller says it starts and runs but dies after a while, and they aren’t sure why. However, the transmission is said to have been good during the limited time they could drive it.
The interior looks like it has seen better days. I think it will need considerable work to be acceptable. Being a front-wheel-drive car, the interior benefits from a flat floor and no transmission tunnel. This gave passengers a roomy feeling despite the small exterior. The original vinyl bucket seats and back bench show considerable wear, and the original black nylon loop carpet is gone. Without it, though, you can see the rust on the floorboards and maybe make a more educated guess about their condition.
In 1972, you could pick up a brand-new Honda N600 for a tad under $2000. Today, depending on condition, you can expect to pay between $7,500 and $8,200. I’m not sure whether the patina is a selling point or a detractor. The body seems to be in decent shape, but would a clear coat on a 1972 N600 be the same as on a 1950s pickup truck? I’m not sure. What do you think?
That was my first new car. It cost all of $1395 in 1970. When I replaced it with a 600Z a couple of years later, that one set me back $1795.
Sadly, parts are incredibly hard to find, although working on a 600 is pretty simple. The only failure I ever had was a bent valve (no doubt from winding the daylights out of that little powerplant), and I replaced it in my parents’ driveway.
Most of the 600s I’ve seen in recent years were either Roach Motels — many even worse than this one — or restored, usually by Merciless Mings in California. Not really ready to shell out almost $5K for one that needs just about everything.
And I’ve looked. I’d really love to have another. They were great fun and economical all at once. I racked up over 100K miles on the two of them, and never stopped smiling.
I still think it’s amazing, these big car companies today, and what they started out as. The Subaru 360, early Datsuns and Toyotas, and these, just a novelty and never taken seriously. Despite the rise in gas prices, we still continued to drive our gas guzzlers, and even a Pinto was better than these. That all changed when gas prices doubled yet again, ’79-’80 when gas went to $1.19, we took notice and cars like the Civic, and B210s changed our perception of Asian cars forever.
Does anyone remember the hoaky, yet entertaining CHiPS episode where Rosie Greer gets pulled over in one of these, and tears it apart at the side of the road? Classic.