Honda City E 5-speed
Honda's first City turned a very small street footprint into a surprisingly useful cabin by building upward. This page follows the Japanese launch E passenger-car type with the five-speed manual, not the sportier R, later Turbo or later high-economy revisions.
1981 Honda City E front three-quarter · TTTNIS · CC0 1.0
Research pending
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More than a set of wheels.
Honda announced the City on October 29, 1981 and put it on sale across Japan on November 11. The E was one of the two launch passenger-car types and cost ¥760,000 in Tokyo with the five-speed manual. Honda paired the compact front-wheel-drive car with a 1,231 cc COMBAX engine and an unusually tall body, then developed the folding Motocompo as a separate companion machine that could be secured in the luggage area.
Look a little closer.
City and Motocompo were developed together, but the tiny motorcycle was separate equipment rather than something every City automatically included. Honda even fitted the car with anchor nuts so an optional belt could secure the folded bike in the luggage area.
Photos show an example of the model or generation. The pictured vehicle’s year, equipment, or modifications can differ from the specification described here.
Small footprint, tall cabin
Honda called the shape Tall Boy. Instead of making the City longer, the designers used extra height and upright seating to create useful room while keeping its road footprint compact. Honda's launch release also says the new rear-suspension layout was chosen partly to protect luggage space.
Source: Honda Japanese launch release · City and Motocompo ↗A young team and a six-wheel idea
Development began in April 1978 under the internal SA-7 name, with a core team whose average age was 27. Their resource-conscious small car grew into a wider mobility idea: drive the City to a destination, unload the separate folding Motocompo, and continue on two wheels.
Source: Honda heritage · City / 1981 ↗Where these facts come from
Selected facts checked for this edition. Some source pages link to broader model families. Last reviewed 2026-10-06.