DRIVING THE FIRST HONDA! | 1968 HONDA N600

Get behind the wheel of the first Honda ever imported into the United States, the 1968 N600 with Petersen Automotive Museum's Chief Curator, Leslie Kendall. Born in San Diego, California, Leslie has had an insatiable interest in automobiles and automotive history from a very early age. Leslie joined the team creating the Petersen Automotive Museum in April 1993 and has never looked back! Honda N600 Serial One, which is the first Honda automobile imported to the U.S.! The car was restored by Tim Mings of Merciless Mings, and James and Leslie really enjoyed their trip around the backstreets of Los Angeles.
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The Petersen Automotive Museum is dedicated to the exploration and presentation of the automobile and its impact on American life and culture using Los Angeles as the prime example.

[@alohagoodbye8868]

This little car has a lot of history. I’m glad these are being re made. I love to see it!

[@maxtufeld6423]

It's really fun seeing how much these cars have evolved. You get a little car like this N600 in comparison with the modern day Civic or Accord. So cool that this car is on display at the museum.

[@johnayala1150]

The original N600 looks cozy but its still a quality Honda product. Great to listen to the early history of curator Leslie Kendall a true motorhead.

[@stevetilk4926]

I had a 1972 600 that my uncle bought in Detroit in the late 70s. My uncle gave it to me in 1982. Sadly, it succumbed to the rust from Michigan’s salty roads. Every time is see one, it brings back a flood of great memories.

[@jamesbrown3352]

Awesome car !!! This was restored by Tim Mings (not Tom Mings).

[@animefan1929]

I love this car! It's such a small and cute design, I could totally see myself driving this car. I remember seeing it in the vault and being fascinated with it's history and design.

[@jboy2621]

Dude this car needs to be showcased on Jay Leno's garage. Also the new EV N600 version from Honda.

[@fritzlanguish456]

This was the first car I learned to drive in. I loved driving that car.

[@billruss6704]

Tim Mings not Tom. I had three N600's. One of them ran at Bonneville and was officially the worlds fastest. I didn't want it to be forever lost so I called Tim, " Hey Tim, you have the first how would you like the fastest?" He came by and picked it up, and I believe is in the process of restoring it. As for the other two, one of them I am using as a parts car, and the other I am restoring to like new condition. I will put a little video on KZbin when I'm finished.

[@bluckq]

You finish them yet?

[@billruss6704]

Very close, I will be posting a KZbin video when I'm done.@@bluckq

[@electrichellion5946]

I like how the shifter sticks out of the dashboard and from a standing stop we didn’t need to use the clutch when accelerating.

[@electrichellion5946]

My friends dad had one of these when we were in high school. One day going to the rock quarry to shoot .22 rifles we were driving on a gravel road and got in the deeper gravel alongside the hardback dirt because the car was so narrow and we went into a slide got into a low sloping ditch but not in it. Steering wheel hard right we were coming up to the road and left front tire went in a gopher hole and we ended up on the drivers side. The rifles left two dents inside and bumps on the outside the roof. We loved that little car and he was grounded from it for awhile. Dunno what happened to it as his parents divorced and dad kept it when he moved away.

[@jeff1586er]

We bought one of these in late 1972 at Reedman's in Langhorne, PA. It would only do 77 on the level but with 10" tires you didn't have to slow down for the curves.

[@Ancient_Child]

it's so cute! I love Japanese cars! Enjoyed hearing the history on the Honda N600!

[@johnd8892]

This is the big power version in the N600. For a few years before Japan and other markets got the N360 with just 356cc or so. Earlier around 1964 they had 500cc mini trucks, then the S500, S600 and S800 sports cars. Still good to see an early survivor from the US.

[@davidk3729]

Driving one of these in the 1980’s. Wife’s father had it standing unused on his drive three years. Narrower than a mini. I went through the gap where a car was waiting to turn right (UK roads). Heard a screech of tyres and some guy had followed me before realising there was no room. Great fun, at the lights would leave everything for dead up to 40mph. Spent a lot of time repairing the exhaust pipe with bean cans. Nobody thought of safety gear in those days. I ended up in the hospital with rusty metal in my eye. TG for magnets. Wife reported the clutch felt ‘funny’. Pulled it apart and the diaphragm spring was broken. Ordered parts by post and was up and running in no time. This model did not have the brake servo and the spare wheel sat under the bonnet (hood to you) in that place. The heater was a plastic bucket which enclosed the cylinders and could be pulled back and forward by a rod attached to a handle on the dashboard. Several members of the family and friends passed their driving tests in the little shuttle.

[@audreydavis7761]

One of my favorites at the museum!

[@bjrnh.1074]

That grand Toyota follows you

[@Kevin19700]

Excellent overview of this history making vehicle. I saw these around San Francisco in the early 70s.

[@hdtvcamera1]

Tim Mings is the godfather of the N600 in America. Nobody knows more about the vehicle.

[@aussiebatman4290]

Love these little cars, i recently bought one as a project that I am restoring back to life. Also btw there is a Honda CRX at 4:37 which i thought was cool.

[@dandoyle9881]

I inspected one in a junkyard in metro denver--engine was removed. This was at the time when Japanese makers were still attempting to duplicate american gauge of steel. It feels very solid therefore, and all of the switches and accessories are sturdy universal types. Definetely a keeper.

[@voicevitality7197]

Awesome! Kurtwood Smith drives a car!

[@travezripley]

“Cherry Bra, Cherry! Brand New, 1968!”

[@peacefulscrimp5183]

The first 57 seconds of this video had me sweating 😳 Traffic has changed a bit in the last few years, i bet you wouldn't take a treasure like that out on the roads with these maniacs today 😜

[@troynov1965]

Would have been nice to actually see the car and go over the engine etc...

[@OYisit]

I have a Z 600 and the N & Z models are about the same weight, size and even tire size as the Mk1 Mini and it does have a belt driven fan under the hood. Did this guy do any homework before the camera shoot?

[@condimentking14]

Did I hear no fan to cool the engine they must have put fans in them later in production because my 71 n600 has a fan to cool the engine

[@KroggandMohawk]

Honda Age: Origins

[@Jay-uu5lu]

Didn't the n600 become the civic

[@aussiebatman4290]

The year after they stopped making the N600, they made the first civic which definitely had some similarities in design to the N600.

[@diegoreyes3230]

It looks like a honda FIT

[@craigjorgensen4637]

Too rare to be driven on the street. Too many things can happen.

[@agapitofioramonti381]

La prima HONDA fu la S 500....FIRST HONDA CAR WAS S 500....

[@kuchilos]

¡Ohhhhh boyyyyyyyy ...poor car .... bad driver,too much.