A RISING CLASSIC FROM THE LAND OF THE RISING SUN

By 1998, Honda had been around for 50 years and already achieved incredible success with its motorbikes and cars, but it hadn’t made much of an impact in the sports or sporting-style car market. Much earlier, in 1963, Honda had made the S500, a very compact two-seater convertible, which was only the second model of the four-wheel variety the company had made. This was quickly followed with the S600 and then the S800. Engine size was the main difference, although a coupé body style was also added. Honda’s first four-wheeler was actually a small truck with a 360cc motor.

Production of the S-Series finished in 1970 after seven years, with around 25,000 units of all three models in total having been produced. Honda then gave itself a 30-year hiatus from sports cars until it launched the S2000 in 1999.

From little acorns

Soichiro Honda, a very junior bicycle repairman, was not interested in school work. He created