Honda S800 (1966 – 1971) Review

Honda's first attempt at a sports car wasn't half bad. It was designed to fit in the Japanese market Kei-Class, which imposed severe restrictions on the size of the car and its engine. The first S-models were the 500 and 600, but these weren't exported - but the S800 did make it to international markets.

In true Honda tradition, and calling upon its extensive experience in the motorcycle industry, the S800’s pièce de résistance was its incredible engine. It created a 791cc power unit capable of producing 70bhp at 8000rpm, but with the capability of revving cleanly far beyond this, giving the car an impressive top speed of more than 100mph. This impressive performance was not at expense of fuel economy, which came in at 35mpg.

Available as a coupé or a roadster, the S800 wasn't a huge international seller in the mould of the MGB, but what it did very effectively, was act as a shopwindow for its makers engineering talents.