Michael Hoffmann, a shop foreman from Munich who designed and built this extraordinary vehicle of mostly hardware store and junkyard parts between 1949 and 1951. The tiny engine, slow speed, and only three wheels meant the "car" was considered a motorbike, and thus was tax-free and no license was required to operate it.
The Honda Beat was built for the Japanese Domestic Market, aka JDM. This mid-engine, two-seat convertible Kei-class car was produced from May 1991 to February 1996, with nearly two-thirds of the production occurring in the first year.
The Honda City Turbo was the brainchild of Hirotoshi Honda, founder of well-known Honda tuning firm Mugen and son of Honda’s founder Soichiro Honda. When he created the City Turbo, Hirotoshi took one of Honda's most unassuming vehicles, the City, and turned it into an aggressive JDM pocket rocket, considered to be well ahead of its time. Impressed, Honda took Hirotoshi's idea and made a production version of it.
Few companies have offered electric vehicles, with only a handful being sold or leased. These cars typically suffer from heavy battery weight, short range, and long charging times.
The Honda Life Step Van was Japan’s first microvan. Based on the 1971 Honda Life Sedan, the unique-looking vehicle’s primary mission was to serve as a delivery mule for Japan’s rapidly-growing economy.
The LN360 is a commercial version of Honda’s first successful kei-class car, the N360. The “L” in the model name notes that it is a “light van”. It is similar in idea and design to the Morris Mini Van.
Honda Motor Co. is one of the greatest success stories of the post war motor industry. Soichiro Honda began making piston rings for the aircraft industry in the late 1930s. The flourishing factory was completely destroyed by bombing during WWII.
Honda Motor Co. is one of the greatest success stories of the post war motor industry. Soichiro Honda began making piston rings for the aircraft industry in the late 1930s. The flourishing factory was completely destroyed by bombing during WWII.
Honda Motor Co. traces its automobile roots back to 1959. The s800 was introduced to the world at the 1965 Tokyo Motor Show, and would replace the successful s600.
At 125.8 inches in length and 1,410 pounds, the Today was Honda’s first “kei” class passenger car since the Honda Life was discontinued ten years prior. Although it only offers 31 horsepower, the light weight and small size made it popular with many Japanese urban dwellers.
During the 1970s light, rugged utility cars were very popular with the public in Europe. Vehicles in this category included the Volkswagen Thing, the Citroën Méhari, the Mini Moke, and this model, the Honda Vamos.
Honda was becoming increasingly well-known in the USA for its line of fun and reliable motorcycles in the 1950s. The N600 was the first sedan Honda sold in the United States in 1967. The same car with a smaller 360cc engine satisfied Japan’s Kei (light automobile) class, and was popular there.
IFA is not a brand name of a particular automobile, but rather the state-owned company to which all the automobile factories belonged (such as Audi, DKW, Horch, Wanderer, and Phanomen). The f9 was jointly produced by Horsch (who produced the bodywork) and Audi (who assembled the vehicle) and was based on a pre-war DKW design. This rare convertible IFA is a very close copy of the DKW Auto Union 1000.
Ferdinand Innocenti’s company started in 1931 as a major steel tubing manufacturer. His patented “Innocenti pipe” is still used in scaffolding today. Before the war, the company also developed heavy press machinery. After World War II, Innocenti was mainly known for their Lambretta scooters until they began production of a license-built Austin A40 in 1960.
