Honda's Origin: The First Mass-Produced Passenger Car - S500 (AS280)

Original Article by HonDaZhi | Japanese Car Enthusiasts Magazine | 2025-02-25 11:30:00

✨ Hello, my friend...
Welcome to a hidden gem—OLD FISHER DISCOUNT, your one-stop online shop with 9,999+ unique finds waiting for you. 🎉
🛒 Explore a World of Discoveries
Dive into our collection and uncover special treasures that will delight and inspire.
🔗 Start Your Journey Here: www.fisherdiscount.com
Come and see why we’re more than just a shop; we’re a place of endless possibilities! ✨

Seeing this title, many Honda fans might unfollow us:

"You call yourselves Honda experts? The first Honda four-wheel car was the S360! The first mass-produced vehicle was the T360! And the first sedan was the N360! How can you not know this?"

Well, you're all right! The S360 was Honda's first officially unveiled car, but it never went into production—it remained a concept. The T360 was indeed the first mass-produced Honda vehicle, but it was classified as a truck (pickup). As for the N360, it was launched in 1967, years after the others, though it was truly a four-seater sedan.

So, the S360 was never mass-produced. Instead, it was succeeded by the S500. Since a sports car is also considered a sedan, the S500 became Honda’s first mass-produced passenger car. Though only 504 units were ever built, it holds a special place in history.

📸 Image: The original Sports 360 prototype preserved in the Honda Collection Hall—the ancestor of the entire S-series sports cars. It had only a 360cc engine, but a larger engine was used for production.

📸 Image: The unusual S360 speedometer design—said to be designed with a perfectionist mindset. It's rare and requires manual calculation of speed, intended to match the tachometer’s display style.

In 1961, the Japanese Ministry of International Trade and Industry introduced a new automotive industry development plan to regulate and organize the nation's car production. Though Soichiro Honda opposed this policy, he realized the company had to expand beyond motorcycles. By October 1962, at the 9th All-Japan Auto Show (now Tokyo Motor Show), Honda revealed two concept cars: the S360 and Sports 500, announcing their production in spring 1963.

The S360, with its 356cc engine producing 33 HP and weighing only 510 kg, was deemed too underpowered to be a "sports car." Only 12 test units were ever built between 1961 and 1963. However, the Sports 500 (later S500) was intended for production from the start. After its 1962 showcase, Honda launched a public price survey advertisementfor the S500 on June 16, 1963. The response was overwhelming, with 5.73 million letters received. The most suggested price? 485,000 yen.

📸 Image: At the 1962 exhibition, the S360 drew more attention than the Sports 500. However, only 12 test units of the S360 were ever made, while the Sports 500 evolved into the S500 production model.

On August 29, 1963, a red left-hand drive S500 was displayed in Germany to introduce Honda’s roadster to European buyers. Simultaneously, another left-hand drive S500 was sent to the United States for testing and promotion. The decision to develop the S500 over the S360 became clear—S500’s AS280E engine was larger and more powerful. These two S500 prototypes were later fitted with S600 and S800 engines for extended testing, paving the way for Honda's future export market success.

📸 Image: The red-black interior left-hand drive S500, personally driven by Soichiro Honda on August 29, 1963, for a European showcase. Note the German license plate used for promotional photography.

📸 Image: The red-beige interior left-hand drive S500 tested in the U.S. Later modified with an S800 engine, preparing for export expansion.

Honda S500’s Engineering & Impact

💡 The AS280E engine weighed 118 kg, with a displacement of 492cc, DOHC layout, and four Keihin CVB 21-26-1 carburetors. It featured a 54mm bore, 58mm stroke, generating 44 HP at 8,000 RPM and 4.7 kgm of torque at 4,500 RPM. The total vehicle weight was 675 kg.

📸 Image: The S500's AS280E engine—featuring an advanced-for-its-time DOHC four-cylinder design. Each cylinder had an independent throttle body, optimizing high-rev power output.

Honda rushed to release the S360 before regulations changed. However, by January 1964, the law was abolished, and Honda had already committed to passenger cars. The S500 was officially launched in October 1963, priced at 459,000 yen—slightly lower than the public-suggested price. Yet, following overseas testing, Honda realized the S500 lacked power. This led to the early 1964 launch of the S600, making the S500’s production short-lived.

The S500’s Unique Suspension & Production Figures

Honda, originally a motorcycle company, incorporated motorcycle-inspired engineering in the S500’s chain-driven independent rear suspension. The wheelbase was 2,000mm, with a double-wishbone front suspension. For a front-engine, rear-wheel-drive (FR) roadster, creating independent rear suspension was challenging in the 1960s. Honda engineers cleverly used separate chain-driven swing arms for each rear wheel, connected to a rigid axle and differential.

📸 Image: The S500 applied motorcycle engineering to four-wheel design. However, its suspension allowed minimal toe and camber adjustments.

📸 Image: The drivetrain connected to a rigid differential, transferring power via chain boxes, which also functioned as trailing arms.

📸 Image: The S500, S600, and early S800 used this non-monocoque chassis. However, by the later S800, the rear chain-drive was phased out.

Production estimates vary. Some English sources claim 1,363 units were built from October 1963 to September 1964. However, Honda’s own records indicate that many S500 orders shifted to the S600, limiting S500 production to 504 units, including the two left-hand drive prototypes.