The 600: Honda's First North American Car
By James Grahame
The Honda N600 reached North America in 1969. Powered by a 598cc 2-cylinder air cooled engine, it had a buzzy top speed of about 80 mph. The 600 carried a list price of only $1545 and got 40 mpg, but it was simply too small and underpowered for the American market.
Honda followed up in 1972 with the immensely successful $2,200 Civic, propelled by a revolutionary 4-cylinder that was clean burning and efficient. This played well throughout the OPEC oil embargo of 1973-1974, which saw demand for compact cars skyrocket.
Honda 600 too small for North America [driving.ca]
Japanese Cars: Then and Now


