A Second Chance for the First Honda Car

If you've been a driver of Honda cars for a while, you know that the brand has a long and storied history. Here at Pacific Honda we're proud to sell the latest models, but we also know that there are plenty of vehicles that paved the way for current cars and crossovers like the 2019 Honda CR-V and the 2019 Honda Civic. The Honda brand recently took the time to restore the first car it brought to the United States, and it taught us a bit about history in the process.

Someone discovered a 1967 N600, an original Honda vehicle, all the way back in 2016. That's pretty exciting, but what was even cooler was that this chassis had the number 1000001, meaning that it was the very first car that the Honda brand imported into the United States! After years of selling motorcycles to American drivers, the Honda brand decided to experiment and see if its cars could sell as well. It brought over just fifty N600 models over to see how it would fare. The Honda N600 was powered by a small engine that produced between thirty-five and forty-five horsepower. It only weighed 1,100 pounds though, so it was able to hit a surprising top speed of eighty-one miles per hour!

The first N600, or the “Serial One” as it's been called by the Honda brand, was found by restoration specialist Tim Mings. It was so dirty that it took a while for him to scrape off the dirt and see that this was actually the first American Honda car. He restored it over the course of a year and it will now become a proud display in the American Honda Museum. We're glad that someone found this interesting piece of Honda history!

If you're looking for reliable cars that stand the test of time, visit our Honda dealership serving Lemon Grove, CA. Our friendly and knowledgeable dealers will help you find the perfect car, truck, or SUV today!