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Honda S500

Field	Value
name	Honda S500
image	1963 Honda S500 01.jpg
manufacturer	Honda
production	1963–1964
1,363 produced
assembly	Hamamatsu factory, Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan
successor	Honda S600
class	Sports car
Kei car
body_style	2-door roadster
length	3300 mm
width	1430 mm
height	1200 mm
wheelbase	2000 mm
layout	Front-engine, rear-wheel-drive layout
engine	531 cc DOHC I4
transmission	4-speed manual
related	Honda T500

1,363 produced Kei car

The Honda S500 was the second production car model manufactured by Honda (and its first passenger automobile), released in 1963, following the T360 truck into production by four months. It was a larger-displacement variant of the S360 roadster which, though developed for sale in 1962, was never produced.

Design

Honda S500 interior at the Honda Collection Hall in Motegi

Like the S360, the S500 used a high-tech engine developed from Honda's motorcycle expertise. It was a dual overhead cam straight-4 with four Keihin carburetors and a 9500 rpm redline. Originally intended to displace 492 cc, the production version was 531 cc and produced 44 hp at 8000 rpm. At the time of its introduction, its dimensions and engine displacement were larger than established kei car regulations.

The S500 used a four-speed manual transmission. A four-wheel independent suspension was also novel, with torsion bars at the front and chain-driven, coilover-sprung trailing arms at the rear.

The car was priced at $1,275 in 1963. An optional fiberglass hardtop was also available. 1,363 S500s were produced from October 1963 through September 1964.

The S500 saw competitors during its introduction, such as the Datsun Fairlady, the Toyota Sports 800, and the Daihatsu Compagno.

References

Notes

References

"Honda Global {{!}} Launching the S360 and T360 / 1962".
(Sep 21, 2010). "Sporting Hondas – Classic Buyer's Guide". New Zealand Classic Car magazine.
Buckley, Martin.''The Illustrated Book of Classic Cars''. Anness Publishing Ltd, 1997, 2003, p. 146. {{ISBN. 1-84215-972-0

Info: Wikipedia Source

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