The 1967 Honda S800 is a jewel of Japanese automotive engineering " a tiny sports car that punched far above its weight class and helped establish Honda's reputation as a builder of high-revving, technically sophisticated automobiles. Honda entered the automobile market in 1963 with the S500, followed by the S600 and finally the S800, each iteration featuring a more powerful version of Honda's remarkable twin-cam four-cylinder engine. The S800's 791cc engine produced 70 horsepower " an extraordinary specific output of nearly 90 horsepower per liter at a time when most American V-8s produced less than 50 horsepower per liter. The engine revved freely to 9,500 rpm, a characteristic that would become a Honda hallmark. The S800 was available as both a roadster and a coupe, and its handling was praised by contemporary road testers as genuinely sporting. Production ended in 1970 after approximately 11,000 cars were built, making surviving examples quite rare today. The S800 is widely regarded as the spiritual ancestor of the Honda S2000 and represents a pivotal moment in Japanese automotive history.
