Honda Z: First Generation

You can take you’re Datsun Z cars. For us, the coolest motor rock the alphabet’s last digit is Honda’s sweet little kei-car. It was phased out all too quickly by the all-conquering and perennial Civic in 1973 – but for us the softer, rounded lines are much more pleasing to the eye than the first gen Civic.

It was originally marketed as a sports coupé version of the 600 – it used the same engine and the running gear was more or less the same. And, coming into the world at the time of the oil crisis of the early seventies – its brilliant fuel consumption was extremely timely.

You still see a few of these lurking around contemporary city streets. It’s high up on our spotters hit list: and check out its appearance in the cult Aussie film, still one of our quirky faves – called Malcolm.