Honda S800 Price Guide

The Honda S800 of 1966 to 1970 was Honda’s first serious sports car. They delivered a tiny roadster with a 791cc twin-cam four-cylinder that revved to 8,000rpm and produced 70bhp, using motorcycle-derived technology in a body that weighed just 760kg. The S800 competed directly with the Austin-Healey Sprite and MG Midget while offering an engine of dramatically higher specific output than either British rival. It was the car that proved Honda could build a road car with the same engineering intensity as its motorcycles.

The Car

The 791cc DOHC four-cylinder used roller-bearing con-rod ends. This was a motorcycle technique that allowed the extremely high rev ceiling. Four Keihin carburettors fed the engine. The chain-driven rear wheels used a live axle on later cars, replacing the earlier independent rear suspension. Available as a roadster and a coupe. Around 11,400 S800s were produced.

Buying

The S800 is a significant and increasingly valuable Japanese sports car. Rust in the steel body is the primary concern. The high-revving engine requires specialist Honda knowledge. The Honda S800 is the starting point of Honda’s road car heritage.