Every so often we see things fall in place just the way they should. Honda has been in the US selling vehicles since the 1950’s, but it wasn’t until 1969 that they decided it was good idea to have some of those vehicles offer four wheels instead of two. Over the ten years prior Honda had been growing its motorcycle market and had become the top-selling motorcycle manufacturer in the US which meant it was time for a new venture of growth for the company by adding another pair of wheels and a surrounding cabin to the vehicles they sold.
The first vehicle offered from Honda in the US was the N600 which came in at only 122 inches in length. As a car from a motorcycle name the expectation should and was that the N600 would have motorcycle-like power and specs. This car weighed in at nearly twice the weight of an NSX and was powered by a 600cc two-cylinder engine that could achieve 9000 rpm and offer a top speed of 81 mph. While this wasn’t the fastest car on the road it signaled the beginning for Honda selling automobiles in the US that has grown to what we see today.
What happened to the very first N600 that was sold here? This car was bought and is still owned by Tim Mings who is now the only mechanic in the world who exclusively works on N600 and Z600 vehicles. While this car was not much of anything to look at or admire at the time, Mings learned he owns the first ever when he cleaned off the serial number to find it to have a single digit at the end of a string of zeros, making it the very first N600 in the US.
In an effort to depict some of the history of Honda and cover this exclusive vehicle as it is restored by Mings Honda is producing a documentary called “Serial One” that will feature Tim and his Honda N600. This vehicle of his is now only one of three left in existence of the fifty N600s that were brought to the US for sale. Honda is excited to cover this story and follow Mings along his journey which is a labor of love for him as the vehicle is brought back to life and Honda is able to show off its history and roots in a new video.
Is it luck this vehicle was actually found, I would think so. This car could have been scrapped long ago and left for dead or recycled into a different model, but somehow luck is on the side of Tim Mings and Honda as this first Honda N600 is restored back to perfection and the stories are told. Maybe this car will end up in a Honda museum after Mings is done restoring it, but its certain this will be an interesting and fun journey to cover as this car is brought back to life.
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