Honda S600

The Honda S600 is a vehicle of the Japanese car manufacturer Honda, which was produced from 1964 to 1966.

Development

The Honda S- series includes pre-production model after the Sports 360 only the S 500 ( Year 1963-64 ), which came on the market as a convertible with a water-cooled 531- cc engine. He was produced in March 1964, Hamamatsu factory, from November in the new Sayama plant and now on a conveyer belt for larger quantities. At the same time the production of the five-digit number was converted to the seven-digit.

In March 1964, the S600 Convertible (type AS285 code and the product code 506 in Japan and 507 for export) are presented and sold. In March 1965, the Honda S600 Coupe (Type AS285C code and the product code 508 in Japan and 509 for export) produced and sold shortly thereafter.

In 1965 at the IAA in Frankfurt, the S600 was first introduced to the German public. Already in February 1965 began the export from Japan. In the same year the SM600 and SM600 coupe was sold in Japan as a luxury version with accessories and special finish in a quantity of 1,519. The additional parts were, for example, Reversing lamp, radio, door switch for interior lights and cigarette lighter. The special colors were "silver sky" for the SM600 and SM600 for the coupe alpine blue or sky blue, each with black interior. The S600 was not sold in Germany, though Soichiro Honda had in 1963 the European public presented the S500 on a Rhine steamer at Koblenz. He was officially sold only in Japan, Australia, France, Italy and Switzerland. The first 50 copies exported to Europe S600 Convertible Coupe were discharged on August 26, 1965 after the maiden voyage of the Hapag- cargo ship MS Alemannia at Hamburg Port. Two vehicles were two importers in Scandinavia, the others were sold to Switzerland and Italy. A total of 180 copies of the S600 were introduced and transported by road to Switzerland and Italy via the Port of Hamburg. As an accessory there was a plastic hardtop ( convertible), glove box lock, door lock right front passenger seat rails, cigarette lighter, car radio with speaker, spray hood ( convertible), passenger sun visor, door mat, arm rest, luggage rack ( convertible), headrest, radiator blind for winter operation, reversing lights and five-speed gearbox ( on request). At a price list 7795 DM and 7795 DM for the coupe was named for the Cabriolet.

The S700 prototype from 1965, with a 687 cc engine and 72 hp at 9500 rpm SAE was not produced.

At the Paris Motor Show 1966, Honda S 800 for the first time the European public. In Japan, he had already been presented and sold in January 1966. As of October it was exported and after the construction of the dealer network, he was also in Germany as from 21 March 1967. The car was powered by a 800 cc engine with 67.2 hp. The little sports car was offered in two versions, a convertible and coupe.

The L700 and P700 of 1965 had a tamer engine of the S600 and Honda 's were first van (combi or flatbed ). They produced with effective 687 cc 52 bhp at 7500 rpm now.

With the launch of the S2000 roadster in 1999 Honda revived the old sports car tradition. From the name establishes a close relationship can not be denied that technology and the speeds are similar.

Technology

She was equipped with a water-cooled 606 cc engine with 57 PS (42 kW) at 8,500 rpm, which corresponds to a specific power output of 94 hp. Mean piston speed at rated speed was quite high for a production vehicle with 18.41 m / s. Double overhead camshaft operated the valves via bucket tappets. The crankshaft and the lower connecting rod had needle bearings. Four Keihin carburetor throttle horizontal (type CVB 31-26-1 ) supplied the engine with the mixture. It 12er spark plug type NGK D8E ( DR8ES -L) and D9E for tours, and D10E ( DR10ES ) were used for racing. The four-speed gearbox was synchronized to the first gear. The force was transmitted to the rear wheels through a propeller shaft to a differential to the drive shafts, and from there via a respective left and right chains. The chain boxes with oil bath were supported as a swing through coil springs with telescopic shock absorbers inside the frame. The car therefore had an independent suspension. This design principle retained for the whole Honda Sports series at. Only the later S800 got from May 1966 conventional rigid axle on trailing arms and Panhard rod. The front wheels were out on wishbones and damped by shock absorbers and sprung by torsion bars located along that were fixed in the frame. The sheet-steel body, bolted to a separate frame was galvanized in part. The delay took over the front and rear drum brakes. Possible to see the S600 at the front grille with seven horizontal spokes. The specimens of 1964, the dome-shaped glass cover as the S500, which ranges over the headlights and parking lamps glass. The specimens from November 1964 got a chrome frame, like the later S800 without the domed glass cover. The three-spoke steering wheel was made ​​of aluminum and had a handrail wooden ring.

As an accessory there was a plastic hardtop ( convertible), glove box lock, door lock right front passenger seat rails, cigarette lighter, car radio complete with antenna, spray hood, passenger sun visor, door mat, arm rest, luggage rack ( convertible), headrest, radiator blind ( for winter), reversing lamps and five-speed gearbox.

The S600 in motorsport

Even in racing the S600 was used. In a season-opening race on May 3, 1964 for the 2nd Grand Prix in Suzuka, won the American racing driver Ronnie Bucknum in the class of GT -I to 1000 cm ³ with a white factory-backed S600 convertible with red hardtop (No. 15) and came characterized as a driver in the Honda formula 1 racing team. The first six places were in this race is among others the factory-backed Japanese Genkitano.

The international racing debut, opened the New Zealander Denis Hulme, future Formula 1 World Champion (1967 ), on September 6, 1964 at the 500 - km race at the Nürburgring. With a white S600 Convertible / Hardtop Gran Turismo sports car (No. 88 ), who had to take the handicap on with about 630 cc to start ³ in the Gran Turismo class up to 1000 cc. He won in this category with an average of 106.3 km / h

At the long-distance journey Spa -Sofia - Liege 1964, the Belgian Henri cross Cute and Japanese Nobuo Koga went with a white S600 Convertible / Hardtop (No. 47), but resigned because of an accident of.

At the long-distance journey Marathon de la Route ( Route Nürburgring ) 1965 drove back the Belgians Henri cross Cute and Japanese Nobuo Koga in a white S600 Convertible / Hardtop (No. 43). On the Nürburgringkurs with 22.81 kilometers they drove in the 84 -hour race 289 laps and were thus class winner. In this course, the vehicles had a day with an average speed of 102.6 km / h and on the night of 67 km / h.

At the VII International ADAC 500 -kilometer race at the Nürburgring- Nordschleife drove the Swiss James Bernard Fort man in a red - S600 Convertible ( No. 97) to a 9th place in the class 9 for touring cars to 700 cc. He drove in 17 rounds an average of 101 km / h

In 1966 drove W. J. Lanek as a test driver of the technology magazine hobby with the S600 a record at Monza. The standing kilometer he could travel in 35.635 seconds, which an average of 101.04 km / h resulted. Also in 1966 drove Clay Regazzoni and Aldo Pessina a red S600 Convertible ( No. 1) in 4 hours Campionato Europeo Turismo in Monza.

In the 1990s, Denis Hulme took with Michael Ortmann, chief of the German S800 - interest group, with the S600 Convertible / Hardtop (No. 88 ) of 1964 at historic race in the GT's (Gran Turismo ) in the TC9 FIA class up to 1150 cc of the model years 1962 to 1965, in part.

Model Overview

(Super Plus 98 ROZ )

(Japan only)

(Japan)

(1967)

( Number of items)

Production summary table

397968
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