History of the 1967 - 1970 Honda S800
Honda S800, 1966 - 1970
The Honda S800 is a small sports car (coupe and roadster) that was produced by Honda between 1966 and 1970, although it was only available in the UK from 1967. Intended to compete with small sports cars such as the Austin Healey Sprite/ MG Midget and cabriolets such as the Fiat 124 Spider and MGB, the car has a front engine, rear wheel drive layout.
Mechanically, the car drew some advantages from Honda's motorcycle expertise. Despite having a tiny 791cc straight 4-cylinder, DOHC engine, it revved up to 10,000rpm and had a top speed of 101mph, reaching 60mph from a standing start in just over 13 seconds.
Honda S800s are rare in the UK; just over 1,000 coupes were sold in the UK but around 250 convertibles, so the latter demand around a significant premium over the tin top. Due to the high-performance nature of the engine, rebuilds can be costly and so care should be taken to have the engine properly checked before any purchase. Bodies were steel and rust in all the usual places: floors, sills, valences and A-pillar. There's good owner support though through an online club and forum.