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Honda S800 - the son of a Grand Prix winner

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Created on June 11, 2015

Reading time 8min

Written by:

Bruno von Rotz

Photos:

Balz Schreier

25

Bruno von Rotz

19

Archiv Gerhard Buchholz

11

Honda / Werk

2

Archiv

34

Balz Schreier

25

Bruno von Rotz

19

Archiv Gerhard Buchholz

11

Honda / Werk

2

Archiv

34

Honda S800 Coupé (1969) - kaum länger als ein Mini

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Honda S800 Coupé (1969) - wenn er gestartet wird, wirkt er gar nicht mehr unauffällig

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Honda S800 Coupé (1969) - die graue Farbe tarnt den kleinen Sportwagen

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Honda S800 Coupé (1969) - hübsches Coupé

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Honda S800 Coupé (1969) - alles dran, was ein Sportwagen braucht

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Honda S800 Coupé (1969) - 1,4 Meter breit

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Honda S800 Coupé (1969) - wirkt etwas pummelig von hinten

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Honda S800 Coupé (1969) - optisch wenig spektakulär, der Reiz kam vom Antrieb

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Honda S800 Coupé (1969) - 162 km/h schnell damals

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Honda S800 Coupé (1969) - bot im Vergleich zum Cabriolet (bei geschlossenem Dach) das bessere Raumgefühl

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Honda S800 Coupé (1969) - Drehorgel unterwegs

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Honda S800 Coupé (1969) - gehörte damals zu den Schnellen seiner Klasse

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Honda S800 Coupé (1969) - schon bei 80 km-h stehen fast 4500 U/min an

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Honda S800 Coupé (1969) - der Seitenhalt entsteht vor allem durch die räumliche Enge

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Honda S800 Coupé (1969) - links der Tank, gut zugänglicher Kofferraum

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Honda S800 Coupé (1969) - sportlicher Innenraum für zwei Passagiere

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Honda S800 Coupé (1969) - sportlich aufgemachtes Cockpit

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Honda S800 Coupé (1969) - das Lenkrad kommt aus dem Zubehörhandel

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Honda S800 Coupé (1969) - 200 km/h lief er zwar nicht, aber drehen konnte er auch über 10'000 U/min

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Honda S800 Coupé (1969) - alles da, was man zum schnellen Fahren braucht

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Honda S800 Coupé (1969) - der Schalthebel sitzt perfekt positioniert neben dem Lenkrad

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Honda S800 Coupé (1969) - kurzer Schalthebel, kurze Schaltwege

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Honda S800 Coupé (1969) - der Schalthebel führt direkt ins Getriebe

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Honda S800 Coupé (1969) - Kippschalter für Hupe

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Honda S800 Coupé (1969) - roter Bereich ab 8500 U/min, gedreht werden konnte auch höher

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Honda S800 Coupé (1969) - ob die Handbremse wirklich die grösste Leuchte verdiente?

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Honda S800 Coupé (1969) - auf ein Öldruckmanometer verzichtete Honda

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Honda S800 Coupé (1969) - Türverkleidung

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Honda S800 Coupé (1969) - das Prunkstück von einem Motor von oben gesehen

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Honda S800 Coupé (1969) - vier Keihin-Seiki-Vergaser

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Honda S800 Coupé (1969) - diese vier Vergaser sorgen für die Gemischaufbereitung

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Honda S800 Coupé (1969) - nostalgisch wirkender Sicherungskasten

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Honda S800 Coupé (1969) - Bremsmechanik

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Honda S800 Coupé (1969) - Fahrgestell-Identifikation

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Honda S800 Coupé (1969) - etwas Chrom durfte sein

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Honda S800 Coupé (1969) - das Honda-Zeichen auf dem Kühlerrgrill

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Honda S800 Coupé (1969) - Powerdome auf der Motorhaube

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Honda S800 Coupé (1969) - auf der Flanke eindeutig beschriftet

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Honda S800 Coupé (1969) - auf beiden Flanken beschriftet

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Honda S800 Coupé (1969) - filigrane Türgriffe

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Honda S800 Coupé (1969) - Club-Mitgliedschaft

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Honda S800 Coupé (1969) - Stahlfelgen und Raddeckel

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Honda S800 Coupé (1969) - kleine Heckleuchten

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Honda S800 Coupé (1969) - zwei Auspuffrohre, Reserverad unter dem Kofferraum

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Honda S 360 (1962) - wirkt noch etwas eleganter als der Nachfolger S 500

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Honda S500 (1964) - der Vorläufer des Honda S600 und S800

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Honda S 500 (1964) - vom Motorrad zum Auto, Hochleistungsmotor mit nur 0,5 Liter Hubraum aber doppelter Nockenwelle für die Ventilsteuerung - Genfer Automobilsalon 1964

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Honda S 500 (1964) - Fahrgestell des kleinen japanischen Roadsters - die Hinterräder werden über Ketten angetrieben - Genfer Automobilsalon 1964

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Honda S 500 (1963) - kaum ein anderer Motor drehte so hoch zu jener Zeit

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Honda S 600 (1965) - auch die Dame scheint sich an diesem Cabrio bei einer Ausstellung zu freuen

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Honda S 600 (1967) - fortschrittliche Technik im kleinen Gehäuse

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Honda S600 (1965) - der Vorgänger des S800 nutzte noch Ketten für die Kraftübertragung auf die Hinterachse

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Honda S 600 (1965) - Werbeaufnahme vom Coupé

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Honda S800 (1966) - Cabriolet mit geschlossenem Dach, es gab auch ein Hardtop zu kaufen

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Honda S800 M (1969) - kompaktes Cabriolet

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Honda S800 (1966) - Coupé und Cabriolet waren nur 1,4 Meter breit

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Honda S800 (1966) - Blick durch die praktische Heckklappe des Coupés

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Honda S800 (1966) - Coupé und Cabriolet waren rund 1,2 Meter hoch

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Honda S800 (1966) - Heckansicht des Cabriolets

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Honda S800 (1966) - das Cabrioletverdeck wr voll versenkbar

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Honda S800 (1966) - das Cabriolet macht auch geschlossen eine gute Figur

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Honda S800 (1966) - Seitenansicht des Coupés

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Honda S800 (1966) - Prospektaufnahme des Cabriolet

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Honda S800 (1966) - Coupé und Cabriolet auf dem Handbuch von 1966

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Honda S800 (1967) - als Cabriolet

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Honda S800 (1967) - als Coupé

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Honda S800 (1966) - Verschiffung von Cabriolets mit der Francis Drake

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Honda S800 (1967) - auch in Deutschland beliebt

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Honda S800 (1967) - Blick ins Cockpit des Cabrios

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Honda S800 (1967) - das Coupé bot mehr Kofferraumvolumen

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Honda S800 (1967) - im Cabrio macht das Fahren besonders viel Spass

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Honda S800 (1968) - das Cabriolet verkaufte sich hierzulande schlechter

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Honda S800 (1968) - das nur 3,34 Meter lange Coupé

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Honda S800 (1968) - Heckansicht des Cabrios S800M mit Rechtslenkung

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Honda S800 (1966) - der Drehzahlmesser reicht bis 11'000 Umdrehungen

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Honda S800 (1969) - als Coupé im Verkaufsprospekt

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Honda S800 (1969) - als Coupé und Cabriolet auf einem Verkaufsprospekt

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Honda S800 (1969) - Cockpit

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Honda S800 (1969) - der stolze Besitzer des neuen Coupés

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Honda S800 (1969) - frisch gekauft

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Honda S800 (1969) - das wohl einzige Coupé mit aufgespritztem Kunststoffdach

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Honda S800 (1969) - Sitzprobe im Coupé

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Honda S800 (1969) - Coupé bereit für den Renneinsatz

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Honda S800 (1969) - Schottenring im Jahr 1970

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Honda S800 (1969) - das Renn-Cabriolet im Fahrerlager

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Honda S800 (1969) - als reiner Rennwagen durfte der S800 nicht mehr auf die Strasse

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Honda S800 (1969) - Arbeiten am Renn-Cabriolet

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Honda S800 (1969) - am ADAC Rheinruhr Pokal Rennen im Jahr 1972

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Honda S800 (1969) - beim ADAC 300 km Rennen auf dem Nürburgring im Jahr 1972

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Honda S800 (1968) - der Motor mit zwei obenliegenden Nockenwellen

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Honda S800 (1966) - Schaltdiagramm für sportliche und ökonomische Fahrweise

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Summary

Between 1966 and 1970, Honda built the S800 as a coupé and convertible. In contrast to its predecessor, the S600, which was only occasionally seen in this country, Honda also sold the speedster in our latitudes with some success. Anyone who heard it was thrilled, because its engine revved up to 9000 rpm and even significantly higher if necessary. And this was at a time when Formula 1 engines delivered their maximum power at well below 10,000 rpm. This driving report describes the S800 and shows it in current and historical pictures, supplemented by several sales brochures, technical data and the 80-page manual from back then.

This article contains the following chapters

From the S360 to the S800
An engine that was born on the racetrack
As a coupé or convertible
Very competitive
"Little scoop"
Suitable for racing?
Racing feeling at 60 km/h
Sales success?
Large fan base
Further information

Estimated reading time: 8min

Preview (beginning of the article)

In the sixties, Japanese cars were still considered unknown exotics in this country and were rarely seen on the roads. However, Honda, which had already attracted attention with its motorcycles, entered Formula 1 in 1964 and won its first Grand Prix in 1965. Building cars was the obvious thing to do, and with small four-cylinder sports cars they proved that they could do some things better than their European competitors. As early as 1962, Honda presented the first sports car from the manufacturer, which had previously specialized in motorcycles, at the Tokyo Motor Show. The car was called the S360 and had an engine of only 356 cc. Even then, there was an alternative version with 492 cm3. This was followed by the S500 with 531 cm3 and finally the S600 with 606 cm3. What all these cars had in common was that the engine power developed at high engine speeds was transmitted to the rear axle via a chain.

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