Honda S600
A tiny two-seat roadster whose jewel-like four-cylinder engine loved to spin fast.
1964 Honda S600 roadster at the Motorcar Museum of Japan. · 先従隗始 · CC0 1.0 Universal
Research pending
A matching completed auction sale has not been verified for this exact year, body, trim, engine, transmission and market.
Joyride shows this gap instead of substituting an asking price, unsold bid or mismatched special vehicle.
More than a set of wheels.
Honda launched the S600 roadster in Japan in March 1964, less than six months after the S500. Its larger 606 cc engine lifted output to 57 PS and Honda listed a top speed of about 145 km/h. The little car won its class at the second Japanese Grand Prix soon after launch and then its displacement class at the Nürburgring 500 km race.
Look a little closer.
Its nickname in Japan is “Esuroku,” a friendly shortening of S600.
Photos show an example of the model or generation. The pictured vehicle’s year, equipment, or modifications can differ from the specification described here.
Motorcycle thinking in a car
The rear suspension carries the final drive through chains inside trailing-arm housings. That unusual solution helped Honda combine independent rear suspension with knowledge gained from motorcycles.
Source: Honda · S-series model history ↗A quick international lesson
Honda records a GT-1 class win at Suzuka in May 1964 and a class win at the Nürburgring 500 km race that September. Racing did not turn every S600 into a competition car, but it showed how much performance Honda had packed into the roadster.
Source: Honda · 1964 S600 challenge ↗Where these facts come from
- Honda · S500/S600/S800 model history and specifications
- Honda · 1964 S600 challenge
- Honda · production engineering and the S600
Selected facts checked for this edition. Some source pages link to broader model families. Last reviewed September 29, 2026.