Vintage Ad: Displacement Envy?
– Posted on December 27, 2011
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Ok so that is a strange one for sure. It looks like that may be a CA plate on the Honda and I’m thinking that it was shot at Orange County International Raceway but the fender mounted mirrors were not legal in the US and I’ve never seen them on one here. The black wheels are also interesting. I remember the N600’s having silver steel wheels but the Z600’s I remember had a “mag” style steel wheel, silver with black accents IIRC. So was this a JDM spec car brought over for shooting the ad, general testing, and to show potential dealers?
Right-hand drive, too.
I’ll bet that was a test mule brought into the US for evaluation.
Damn, I wanted one of those little Hondas…
Yup it is OCIR. Here is a site with period photos of the place. http://silverstone.fortunecity.com/bonneville/218/ocir01/ The 72-74 page has shots where you can see the Champion signs lit up as well as the Bell and Cragar signs in front of the stands.
I noted all of the above too. At the minimum, to shoot the ad. Maybe they could just check the 600 as luggage?
You are correct Paul, it is an ad shoot. Actually, shooting JDM cars on US locations has been immensely popular in Japan for ages.
I stumbled upon a Toyota photo shoot in Santa Cruz, summer of 1986. RHD Toyota FX-16 Corollas with fender mirrors and Japanese plates.
JDM mirrors but it looks like Orange written on the lane divider. Black steel wheels on the Honda with civic style centre caps an chrome nuts
I would say that the Japanese lettering on the top LH corner and the way out there mirrors indicates that was a brochure for the Japanese market.
The Japanese, in those years, were crazy for anything American.
Putting that car in an obviously American backdrop would have been a good marketing presentation.
Still are. And traditional Yank metal (RWD/4×4, V8, flamboyant-for-Japan styling et al) is still capable of fetching very hefty premium.
A buddy of mine in the Presque Isle Bicycle Club (and an ardent environmentalist) had one when new (his was yellow). I used to borrow it often, rallyed it quite a bit, and even ran a couple of D Sedan autocrosses with it (it could give a stock Mini some competition). Absolutely wonderful car, four in the dash, almost peppy and really fun in the handling department. A real go-cart. Imagine one with a Yakima roof rack on it carrying two racing 10-speeds. Absolutely hilarious – almost gave one the feeling that you could 180 the entire assembly and pedal your way down the road.
John had the car for two years (’72-73) then traded it in on a Sebring-Vanguard CitiCar. Which I spent a lot of time driving. Have seriously considered trying to put an article together about living with it.
I hope you get a chance to write that up. The CitiCar was never meant as anything more than a town car (a go-kart with a body), but it was the most-produced American electric in history before the Volt, Focus Electric and such.
I encountered a CitiCar at the curb last year, and chatted with the driver. She bought it new and has used it regularly for errands and such around town all these years since. Sure wish I’d had a camera with me for a proper CC. Haven’t seen it since.
Had a neighbor who had both Z+N600s when they were new.
The two most popular kids at Santa Monica High School– Chris Cooper and Mark Dillon– drove new-from-the-dealer Honda N600 sedans… very cool at the time… much cooler than my ’58 VW Beetle! A popular mod at the time: dual carbs from a Honda motorcycle, and a Japanese rising sun flag (in homage to the Mini) painted on the roof.
Photoshop perhaps. Probably the easiest way to get a JDM car to Orange County.