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| <tr><td colspan=2>''This article is part of the ] series.''</td></tr></table> | <tr><td colspan=2>''This article is part of the ] series.''</td></tr></table> | ||
| The '''Honda S600''' is an ] manufactured by ]. It was launched in March of ]. It was the first Honda car to be offered in two versions, as ] bearing strong resemblence to the ] and as a fastback ] introduced in March of ]. | |||
| ] | |||
| The |
The S600, launched in March of 1964, was the first Honda car to be offered in two versions; a convertible almost identical to its S500 sibling, and a fastback coupe, introduced in March of 1965. Styling would remain pretty much the same, with the most noteworthy changes coming to the front grille, bumper, and headlights. | ||
| For this model, the engine capacity was increased to 606 cc. The engine produced 57 hp at 8500 rpm and had a top speed of 90 mph. With the convertible weighing in at 1576 pounds, the extra sheet metal of the coupe only added 33 pounds to the overall weight. | |||
| The S600 was the first "mass marketed" Honda car. First offered with right hand steering only, it soon became available in left hand steering so as to be appealing to the export market. (There were a few pre-production S500s manufactured with left hand steering, two or three even being shown in some early sales brochures, but all production S500s were right hand drive.) | |||
| While sold with minimal equipment (typically a low quality ], and rudimentary heater) the Civic represented value for money, with good performance, reliability and economy. | |||
| Both the S600 roadster and coupe were available in standard trim and a special, upgraded package called the SM600 which included, among other items, special paint colors, exclusive badging, a standard radio and speaker, a special antenna in the passenger side sun visor, standard reversing lights, a standard cigarette lighter, a standard heater, better cushioned seats, and a detachable seat track for quick removal of the passenger seat. | |||
| Initially the Civic was sold as either a four speed ], or two speed "]" model. Later models went to five speed manual and full four speed automatic ]es. Like the Mini, the gear box / differential was integral with the engine unit, but drive ] technology in the Civic was a quantum leap ahead of the universal joints of the Mini. | |||
| Production of the S600 was much greater than that of the S500. In fact, of the three production engine sizes for the sports cars, the S600 had the highest figures. | |||
| The Civic evolved through 1335 cm³ (]) to larger capacities and more creature comforts (], ]s etc) through the ]s and into ]s. | |||
| Honda built 3,912 roadsters in 1964, with production climbing to 7,261 convertibles and 1,519 coupes in 1965. Production dropped off in 1966 (as they were shifting to the S800) with only 111 roadsters and 281 coupes, giving tallies of 11,284 convertibles and 1,800 coupes for the 3 year span. | |||
| While the Civic is sold in largely the same form, interesting differences in nomenclature abound. In Japan the ] Civic is just called "Civic" while the sedan or coupé model is called "Civic Ferio". In the United States saying "Civic" usually refers to the sedan and coupe models and "Civic hatchback" is used for the hatchback model. A five-door or station wagon model called the Civic Shuttle was available from the early to late '80s. (This brand name would later be revived for the mid-’90s Honda Shuttle people carrier, known in some markets as the ].) | |||
| Other models have been built off the Civic platform, including the Ballade, the CR-X coupé, the Quint and the Integra. The Civic has worn other badges over the years. The best known are probably from ]: the 200, 400 and 45 were all Civic-based at some point in their lives, as was their predecessor, the ], based on the Honda Ballade. The ], a Civic variant, was sold as the ] in Japan (]–]). In Thailand, the Civic was available as a four-door Isuzu Vertex (]–]). The sixth-generation station wagon was sold as the Honda Orthia (Honda Partner as the downmarket commercial variant). The seventh-generation minivan model is called the Honda Stream or the Honda Civic Stream. | |||
| An interesting engine developments used in 1980 to ] models was the ] system, where a small auxilary inlet valve allowed a rich fuel/air mixture into the cylinder near the spark plug, while the main charge was lean. This design could meet clean air emission standards without the power robbing emission control devices fitted to many cars of that time. This engine was a rare example of commercial development of a ]. | |||
| Current generation Civics use variable valve timing (]), and are approaching the size and weight of the early ] models, which were initially introduced as the "big brother" to the Civic in the mid ]s. | |||
| ] | |||
| The two-door-hatchback body style has been somewhat unpopular in the ], but has achieved wide acceptance in ]. Starting in 2001, the Civic two-door hatchback has been , making all instances of that model (left- or right-hand-drive, anywhere in the world) a British-made car with Japanese engineering. | |||
| The Civic is also popular when equipped with a transplanted ] powerplant. The City Turbo engine "drops in" to the Civic engine bay, making a significant increase in the power-to-weight ratio, boosting performance. A ] is also available that uses a combination ] for propulsion, which reduces exhaust emissions and greatly extends fuel mileage. | |||
| With the release of '']'', the Honda Civic became a well-known ] car. This has had both positive and negative effects on Honda. The Civic's increased popularity led to increased sales and less depreciation. However, antipathy toward the Civic also arose both in response to the increasing popularity of the car as well as a variety of other factors, such that the Civic has been given the epithet of "]" car by some (see also ] regarding a stereotypical ] who applies modifications to his car which are considered gaudy, excessive or of poor taste). | |||
| == External links == | == External links == | ||
Revision as of 23:22, 22 November 2004
| Honda S600 | |
|---|---|
| Manufacturer: | Honda |
| Production: | 1964 – |
| Class: | 1964-1966: Roadster 1965-1966: Coupe |
| Body Styles: | 2-door convertible 2-door coupe |
| Predecessor: | >Honda S360 Honda S500 |
| Successor: | Honda S800 Honda S2000 |
| Shares components with: | S500 |
| Comparable models: | Mazda Miata Saturn ION Toyota Corolla Mazda3 Ford Focus |
| This article is part of the automobile series. | |
The Honda S600 is an automobile manufactured by Honda. It was launched in March of 1964. It was the first Honda car to be offered in two versions, as convertible bearing strong resemblence to the Honda S500 and as a fastback coupe introduced in March of 1965.
The S600, launched in March of 1964, was the first Honda car to be offered in two versions; a convertible almost identical to its S500 sibling, and a fastback coupe, introduced in March of 1965. Styling would remain pretty much the same, with the most noteworthy changes coming to the front grille, bumper, and headlights. For this model, the engine capacity was increased to 606 cc. The engine produced 57 hp at 8500 rpm and had a top speed of 90 mph. With the convertible weighing in at 1576 pounds, the extra sheet metal of the coupe only added 33 pounds to the overall weight.
The S600 was the first "mass marketed" Honda car. First offered with right hand steering only, it soon became available in left hand steering so as to be appealing to the export market. (There were a few pre-production S500s manufactured with left hand steering, two or three even being shown in some early sales brochures, but all production S500s were right hand drive.)
Both the S600 roadster and coupe were available in standard trim and a special, upgraded package called the SM600 which included, among other items, special paint colors, exclusive badging, a standard radio and speaker, a special antenna in the passenger side sun visor, standard reversing lights, a standard cigarette lighter, a standard heater, better cushioned seats, and a detachable seat track for quick removal of the passenger seat.
Production of the S600 was much greater than that of the S500. In fact, of the three production engine sizes for the sports cars, the S600 had the highest figures.
Honda built 3,912 roadsters in 1964, with production climbing to 7,261 convertibles and 1,519 coupes in 1965. Production dropped off in 1966 (as they were shifting to the S800) with only 111 roadsters and 281 coupes, giving tallies of 11,284 convertibles and 1,800 coupes for the 3 year span.
