A couple of months ago we published a post detailing how Honda was undergoing a project to restore the first Honda car ever to be sold on American soil, the 1969 Honda N600. Honda actually got their hands on the very first car to have rolled off the assembly line with America in mind, and that “N600-1000001” model went under the knife to be rejuvenated and rebuilt into something gloriously drivable once again.
All that hard work has come to its conclusion, as the original Honda N600 officially has been restored. Tim Mings, who Jalopnik calls “possibly the only full-time Honda N and Z600- mechanic left on Earth,” spent the better part of 2016 so far putting this thing back together, so finally being given the opportunity to see the final product is quite the payoff for our patience here at Gillman Honda San Antonio.
From the outside it’s like looking at a Polaroid shot from the early ‘70s, but under the hood it’s pretty incredible to see an original 598cc engine churn just like it would have almost a half-century ago. That engine would have put out only 42 hp and topped out at 80 mph back in 1969, which obviously is only slightly better than most riding lawn mowers for sale these days. Still, it speaks volumes about the build quality Honda models had even back then that the car could be restored at all.
As your Honda dealership serving Selma, TX, we love seeing Honda throwback to its cherished American past, but we also love seeing how great the car looks decades after having been manufactured. It almost makes you wonder how today’s great Honda automobiles will hold up over time!
Source: http://thegarage.jalopnik.com/heres-what-happened-to-americas-first-honda-1787945409
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