Publication: Car Graphic
Format: Road Test
Date: February 1970
Author: “C/G Test Group” (uncredited)

Summary: Air-cooled four-cylinder, powerful, smooth up to 8000rpm, low noise level even at high revolutions, power performance comparable to a 1600cc GT, poor fuel economy, worrisome handling a cause for concern, unsatisfactory heater and demister.

Road testing the Honda 1300 77 Deluxe

Few cars have been as controversial in recent years as the Honda 1300. Technically, it is an ambitious design that features a powerful, double-wall air-cooled, dry-sump lubricated four-cylinder engine, mounted transversely and driving the front wheels, following in the footsteps of the ill-fated Honda F1 racing car, the RA302, and has attracted the attention of engineers both in Japan and abroad. However, for the first two or three months after its release on April 15 last year, the Honda 1300 was rarely seen on the streets. At the time, the automotive world was abuzz with the issue of defective Honda cars, and dark rumors were circulating that the 1300 might also be caught up in the scandal. (In reality, it was said that the measures to deal with the “defects” in the N360 had disrupted the production plans for the 1300, as the design staff and factory personnel were temporarily diverted to that role.)

Publication: Car Graphic
Format: Road Test
Date: April 1970
Author: “C/G Test Group” (uncredited)

Summary: A highly practical five-seater coupe based on the 1300 sedan. Roominess not inferior to the sedan. Air-cooled engine with four carburetors. Exceptional power. Stiffer unibody construction and suspension than the sedan, chassis finally catching up with the engine. Maneuverability significantly improved over the sedan.

Road testing the Honda 1300 Coupe 9S