In 1971, the Honda Z360 blew away ideas of what small cars could do. Amazingly, it even convinced former

Mini owner Richard Bradford to go smaller still

1973 Honda Z360

Words Ben dillonPhotos nathan duff

he Honda Z360 Hardtop is small. Not the kind of ‘small’ any current manufacturer can boast, but so small it’s a shock to see this tiny toy on modern Australian roads. It probably caused a few blue rinses to curl on its release, too.

Here was a car as small as a shopping trolley that could T

FORHot Zot

return barely believable fuel consumption – one car magazine achieved an incredible 136mpg (2.08L/100km) out of the tiny Z – yet could cart around a small family or act as a second car for the daily commute.

The handsome coupé styling won many hearts here and the 9000rpm redline must have caused a stir among the RSL crowd, not least because it came from ‘the enemy’.

In other export markets, like the US and UK

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1973 Honda Z360

Zot

centre right Not even clever lens work can make the Zot seem large inside.

centre left Room for four. Well, two and two halves.

far left Black and white licence plates are a good match for the badge.

near left We all know badges with vents go faster.

where only the 598cc version was available, the Z was just as well received and paved the way for future passenger Hondas.

Z360 sales coincided nicely with the oil crisis of 1973, which helped to push the case for the economical Honda, but it wasn’t to be – the Z360/Z600 enjoyed only a four-year lifespan worldwide. The US market played the biggest part in the demise of the Z car, because although it and its sister N cars were well received in print and by the public, the average North American rump couldn’t fit into it.

The Z360 gained a lot of new admirers, but in the end it was deemed just too small. Far from being the end of small Hondas, though, its death heralded the rise of the Civic badge that made Honda a household name.

Spot the ZotRichard Bradford is a bit of an early Honda collector, and among his collection of N360

‘Scamps’, S-series and small trucks comes this petite water-cooled Z360 ‘Zot’.

“We’re into cars,” says Richard’s son Alastair (see photo, left).

His father puts this statement into context: “Everyone knows the S cars [S600/S800], but 15 years ago nobody really knew about the Zots and Scamps [360/600cc three-door wagon models], so I wanted to branch out from the S cars.”

Richard’s first car was a Mk2 Mini Cooper S. His earliest brush with the Japanese marque came in the form of an S600 roadster. This started him down the path of all things small and Honda.

While ringing around for S600 parts, Richard discovered Honda had sold quite a few tiny terrors he had never heard of. “I called a guy in Victoria about parts for the S600 and then asked what other Hondas he had. He had Zots, Scamps, S cars and trucks.” (Most of these

Richard Bradford Chapel Hill, QLD

In tHe mIddle of malcolmThe Zot is also a movie star, playing a role in the 1986 Australian film Malcolm.

Some may remember a chase sequence where the Z360 wasn’t getting away from the cops (truth in a movie!) but Malcolm (Colin Friels) had ingeniously modified it to split in half and evade the fuzz.

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1973 Honda z360

EnginE: 356cc (21ci) two-cylinder water-cooled OHC

Transmission: Four-speed manual

PowEr: 26kW (36bhp) @ 9000rpm

TorquE: 31Nm (23lb/ft) @ 7000rpm

ComPrEssion: 9.0:1

LEngTh: 2995mm (117.9’’)

widTh: 1295mm (51’’)

hEighT: 1275mm (50.2’’)

wEighT: 530-563kg (1157-1241lb)

0-100km/h: 28.8 seconds (two-up)

ToP sPEEd: 114 km/h (71mph)

SPecSThe

size it up The Zot’s engine seems light on grunt – until you judge it by output per litre.

Richard had never heard about.)Fast-forward 15 years and

Richard has amassed a collection of the first Hondas in Australia.

the Second waveJust as food from different cultures helps to break down cultural barriers, so can cars. After World War II, few people in Australia would have considered a Japanese car, but less than 20 years later Hondas were hitting Australian streets to great acclaim.

The Z360 was the midget submarine of the Honda range, going under the radar of most but surprising those who found the car in dealerships and were curious enough to investigate. The distinctive ‘hardtop’ styling is very attractive and quite muscular for such a small design.

The total number sold in Australia varies from source to

Most are surprised the car is Japanese and not European

little higher at 35hp (delivered at a very ‘Honda’ 9000rpm!) and 31Nm of torque.

Small matter of nationalityThe car’s size draws crowds. But it isn’t the length or height that causes disbelief – it’s the width. From the outside the Z360 looks laughably narrow. Yet despite having similar proportions to a Fiat 500, there is enough room for both passenger and driver to sit comfortably without the embarrassing rubbing of the passenger’s thigh during gear changes (thanks for being a gentleman, Richard!).

This Tardis-like packaging makes the inside less tight than you would think, with decent leg and head room (just) for those over six foot. The back seat even provides a useful space for kids (though not the tall teen variety) or shopping bags.

The styling seems to please other users of the playground we visit, but most are surprised the car is Japanese and not European.

Richard purchased the car for beer money from an owner ready

source, but sales were so strong on release that those who missed the first shipment had to wait months.

The first Honda Z360s came to Australia between 1971 and 1973 and featured an air-cooled engine pumping out 31hp and a crushing 29Nm of torque. Though these figures were tiny, even in the ’70s, the 354cc air-cooled (and later 356cc water-cooled) engines produced around 100hp per litre – quite an achievement.

While small engines can achieve higher specific outputs than larger ones, imagine a Holden 202 putting out 330hp and you get some idea of the engineering skill lurking under the Z360’s bonnet.

The later 356cc water-cooled models, like Richard’s, were sold between 1973 and 1974 right before the introduction of the first- generation Civic, with power a

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below Just enough storage space for those original Honda brochures.

below right The wheel thing.

1973 Honda Z360

to send the Zot to the crusher – the fate of many a Z360, since the two-cylinder engine enjoys blowing the occasional head gasket.

Richard then embarked on a minor restoration of the Z360 that took a couple of years and only a modest financial outlay. It helped that the Honda was in surprisingly good condition with not many miles on the clock.

Richard now uses the Zot to commute to work and for other chores as often as he can.

paSt iS the futureThis is an example of a neat small car. And while there might be smaller cars, few are neater than Richard’s Z360.

Park the Zot next to a modern

‘small’ car like the BMW Mini or Smart Fortwo and be prepared to scoff. The difference in size is enormous in every dimension, with the new small cars looking anything but.

Amusingly, the Zot also delivers better fuel consumption figures than these newcomers, and to my eyes is a much better-looking vehicle. It also keeps up with traffic as long as you are prepared to give it a rev. So it seems if you want an economical, easy to drive car, you have to look to the past.

Richard’s plans for his Z360 are simple. Keep it, drive it and then pass it on to his sons. Sounds like a perfect plan to us. There is the small matter of the rest of his collection, however, which he admits he will probably never get round to restoring. But with the Zot as it is, we reckon he doesn’t need anything else.

If Richard’s Z360 seems a bit timid, take a look at Australia’s toughest Zot. Dimitri Comino owns this Z360 race car, which runs an engine nearly four times the capacity of the original 360cc Honda unit.

This crazy miniature boasts a mid-mounted 1300cc Suzuki GTi twin-cam engine with Webber carburettors pumping out around 150hp in a body weighing less than a can of baked beans.

As the owner of a die-cast model shop, Dimitri is used to toying with miniature cars like the Zot. So, is it scary to drive? “Uh, yeah… not scary, but it certainly gets you excited. You

can’t relax through the corners because you know that if it does let go it will really let go.”

Looking for an economical way into historic racing, Dimitri spotted the Zot online and was intrigued. Seeing it in the flesh – with its unique nature and the quality of workmanship that had transformed a road car into this ‘blue meanie’ – made the decision easy for Dimitri. “I just liked it, it felt right and suited what I was after,” he says.

Dimitri raced the Zot at Lakeside (see page 20), takes it to Queensland Raceway when he can, and plans to do the Cootha Classic hillclimb in Brisbane this month.

SuzukI’S Hotter zot

the thin redline The Z360 can keep up in modern traffic – if you’re prepared to push the revs a bit.

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