I just got home from Proctor Honda in Tallahassee after taking my car in for regular service. In the showroom - they proudly display an innovative car - a vanguard of fuel efficiency and economy.
This Honda gets an honest 60 miles per gallon. It is not a hybrid and does not require special fuel - just good old regular gas. It has a two-cylinder air-cooled gasoline engine that directly drives the front wheels that have 10 inch tires. It has a 4-speed standard shift mounted on the dashboard. It seats 4 people and has a small hatchback for cargo.
The amazing thing about this car is the window sticker of $1525. That includes an AM-FM radio. Another interesting gas saving feature is the hand choke.
Although this little orange beauty has a prominent place in the Proctor Honda showroom today - the car was introduced to America in 1972.
Lulu and I got married in 1971. We spent our honeymoon on Miami South Beach in a motel for $8 a night. The next summer - we decided to return to Miami. Before we left Pennsylvania - we bought a brand new car. It was the 1972 Honda 600. Even then I was a bit tight with spending and the $1525 price caught my eye.
Up until 1972 - Honda only sold motorcycles in America. The Honda 600 was marketed through cycle shops one full year before Honda introduced the world famous Civic in 1973.
We bought the car in Scranton and drove it non-stop to Miami - 1300 miles down US Route 1. Even though gasoline only cost 25 cents a gallon at the time - living on a $6000 a year teacher's salary demanded thrift. We were able to make the trip on $8 of regular leaded gasoline!
In about 24 hours we were in Miami - our funds were running low. When I dropped by the local Honda shop to buy an oil filter - the sales manager encouraged me to sell the little cars for him. He offered me a flat $60 commission for every car I sold. I only had to sell 100 of them to match my annual teacher salary.
When I returned to my classroom in the fall - my students got great pleasure out of carrying my little ride up the school's steps giving me a bumpy ride home.
Honda went on to be one of the most successful auto companies in America. In a few years - they started making their cars in Ohio. Maybe they should consider re-introducing this innovative car. At present fuel prices it would sell like "a Honda."
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