Honda N360
Encyclopedia
The Honda N360 is a kei car
, designed and built by Honda
and produced from March 1967 through 1970, while its larger N600 brother lasted three more years. After a January 1970 facelift, the N360 became the NIII360 and continued in production until 1972. The car featured front wheel drive and an air-cooled 354 cc, 31 hp (23 kW) 2-cylinder engine also used in the Honda Vamos
, with a beam axle
/leaf spring
rear suspension.
A 2-door sedan was the original body style, with a 2-door wagon
called the LN360 coming in June of the first year. An upgraded 36 hp (27 kW) engine was added in October 1968 for the N360 T. A 402 cc engine was used in the similar N400.
The Hondamatic
-equipped N360AT which appeared in August 1968 was the first kei car equipped with an automatic transmission
.
The N600 was developed alongside the N360 in order to target export markets like the US and Europe, where motorways demanded higher top speeds. Just seven months after road testing the N360, Britain’s Motor
magazine tested a Honda N600 in November 1968. They reported that it had a top speed of 77.1 mph (124.1 km/h) and could accelerate from 0-60 mph (96.6 km/h) in 19 seconds. An overall fuel consumption of 36.3 mpgimp was achieved. The test car was priced in the UK at £589 including taxes, at a time when the Mini 850
was retailing for £561. The testers were impressed to find 1100 performance from a 600 cc car, but found it ‘very noisy when extended’. They found the Honda as easy to drive and park, and ‘quite well equipped’. The performance figures put the car at or near the top of its class under most criteria, reflecting its favourable power-to-weight ratio. The car was thus 5 mph (8 km/h) faster than the 72 mph (115.9 km/h) achieved by rival magazine Autocar
in an N360 in May 1968, and more than ten seconds quicker to 60 mph (96.6 km/h) which the N360 achieved in 29.3 seconds. Consistent with its slower performance, the N360 squeezed 3 extra miles out of a (UK) gallon of fuel, managing an overall 39.4 mpgimp.
The N600 was introduced to the USA in 1969 as a 1970 model, and was the first Honda automobile to be officially imported to the United States. It was technologically advanced for its time, with an all alloy engine that could achieve 9000 rpm. Engine output was 36–45 hp (27–34 kW) and the N600 was capable of 81 mph (130 km/h). It delivered surprisingly peppy performance because of its light weight (around 550 kg/1100 pounds), due to compact dimensions and some plastic parts (like the boot lid). The first brakes were very weak, despite having front discs and servo assistance. Rear suspension was a dead axle on leaf springs. The N600 (along with the TN360
trucklet), were the first Honda cars to be assembled outside of Japan, with production in Taiwan by local joint venture Sanyang Industrial
beginning in 1969. The N600 was called the Fu Gui, meaning 'Wealth' in Chinese (富貴).
US sales stopped in 1972, as for the sportier Honda Z600 (or Z, depending on country), after about 25,000 had been sold there. The first generation Honda Civic
replaced these little cars with something a little more suited to the American Interstate system.
Kei car
Kei cars, K-cars, or , are a Japanese category of small vehicles, including passenger cars, vans, and pickup trucks. They are designed to comply with Japanese government tax and insurance regulations, and in most rural areas are exempted from the requirement to certify that adequate parking is...
, designed and built by Honda
Honda
is a Japanese public multinational corporation primarily known as a manufacturer of automobiles and motorcycles.Honda has been the world's largest motorcycle manufacturer since 1959, as well as the world's largest manufacturer of internal combustion engines measured by volume, producing more than...
and produced from March 1967 through 1970, while its larger N600 brother lasted three more years. After a January 1970 facelift, the N360 became the NIII360 and continued in production until 1972. The car featured front wheel drive and an air-cooled 354 cc, 31 hp (23 kW) 2-cylinder engine also used in the Honda Vamos
Honda Vamos
The Honda Vamos was a Mini SUV leisure vehicle originally produced by Japanese automaker Honda from 1970 to 1973, and reintroduced again as a trim level of the Honda Acty microvan starting in 1999. Its name, "Vamos", is Spanish for "let's go".-1970-1973:...
, with a beam axle
Beam axle
A beam axle is a suspension system, also called a solid axle, in which one set of wheels is connected laterally by a single beam or shaft...
/leaf spring
Leaf spring
Originally called laminated or carriage spring, a leaf spring is a simple form of spring, commonly used for the suspension in wheeled vehicles...
rear suspension.
A 2-door sedan was the original body style, with a 2-door wagon
Station wagon
A station wagon is a body style variant of a sedan/saloon with its roof extended rearward over a shared passenger/cargo volume with access at the back via a third or fifth door , instead of a trunk lid...
called the LN360 coming in June of the first year. An upgraded 36 hp (27 kW) engine was added in October 1968 for the N360 T. A 402 cc engine was used in the similar N400.
The Hondamatic
Hondamatic
The Hondamatic was Honda's first automatic transmission. It was produced from 1973 through 1979. The Hondamatic name is used on all automatic transmissions from Honda....
-equipped N360AT which appeared in August 1968 was the first kei car equipped with an automatic transmission
Automatic transmission
An automatic transmission is one type of motor vehicle transmission that can automatically change gear ratios as the vehicle moves, freeing the driver from having to shift gears manually...
.
The N600 was developed alongside the N360 in order to target export markets like the US and Europe, where motorways demanded higher top speeds. Just seven months after road testing the N360, Britain’s Motor
The Motor (magazine)
The Motor was a British weekly car magazine founded on 28 January 1903....
magazine tested a Honda N600 in November 1968. They reported that it had a top speed of 77.1 mph (124.1 km/h) and could accelerate from 0-60 mph (96.6 km/h) in 19 seconds. An overall fuel consumption of 36.3 mpgimp was achieved. The test car was priced in the UK at £589 including taxes, at a time when the Mini 850
Mini
The Mini is a small car that was made by the British Motor Corporation and its successors from 1959 until 2000. The original is considered a British icon of the 1960s, and its space-saving front-wheel-drive layout influenced a generation of car-makers...
was retailing for £561. The testers were impressed to find 1100 performance from a 600 cc car, but found it ‘very noisy when extended’. They found the Honda as easy to drive and park, and ‘quite well equipped’. The performance figures put the car at or near the top of its class under most criteria, reflecting its favourable power-to-weight ratio. The car was thus 5 mph (8 km/h) faster than the 72 mph (115.9 km/h) achieved by rival magazine Autocar
Autocar
Autocar is a weekly British automobile magazine published by Haymarket Motoring Publications Ltd. It refers to itself as "The World's oldest car magazine".-History:...
in an N360 in May 1968, and more than ten seconds quicker to 60 mph (96.6 km/h) which the N360 achieved in 29.3 seconds. Consistent with its slower performance, the N360 squeezed 3 extra miles out of a (UK) gallon of fuel, managing an overall 39.4 mpgimp.
The N600 was introduced to the USA in 1969 as a 1970 model, and was the first Honda automobile to be officially imported to the United States. It was technologically advanced for its time, with an all alloy engine that could achieve 9000 rpm. Engine output was 36–45 hp (27–34 kW) and the N600 was capable of 81 mph (130 km/h). It delivered surprisingly peppy performance because of its light weight (around 550 kg/1100 pounds), due to compact dimensions and some plastic parts (like the boot lid). The first brakes were very weak, despite having front discs and servo assistance. Rear suspension was a dead axle on leaf springs. The N600 (along with the TN360
Honda TN360
The TN360 and its successors in the long running TN series is a pickup truck from Honda, which replaced the T360 in November, 1967.The TN360 uses an air-cooled two-cylinder 354 cc engine with a single overhead camshaft...
trucklet), were the first Honda cars to be assembled outside of Japan, with production in Taiwan by local joint venture Sanyang Industrial
SYM Motors
SYM Sanyang Industry Co., Ltd. was founded in Taipei in 1954 by Huang Ji-Jun. The company's headquarters is established in Hsinchu, Taiwan and SYM's three major production bases are in Taiwan, China and Vietnam. The company manufactures and sells scooters, motorcycles and ATVs under the SYM brand...
beginning in 1969. The N600 was called the Fu Gui, meaning 'Wealth' in Chinese (富貴).
US sales stopped in 1972, as for the sportier Honda Z600 (or Z, depending on country), after about 25,000 had been sold there. The first generation Honda Civic
Honda Civic
The Honda Civic is a line of subcompact and subsequently compact cars made and manufactured by Honda. The Civic, along with the Accord and Prelude, comprised Honda's vehicles sold in North America until the 1990s, when the model lineup was expanded...
replaced these little cars with something a little more suited to the American Interstate system.