My newest toy is a Honda Passport.
“Wait,” you say. “Mack505, owner of two antique fire engines, driver of all things Diesel and aficionado of the manual transmission , bought a Japanese family hauler?!”
Yes I did. Sort of.
Its no secret that I enjoy a bit of mechanical history. See the above referenced fire engines, as well as a stable of model steam engines, a room full of cameras, and a 50 year old pickup which still does useful work.
I’ve owned a VW Beetle, the single most produced car in the world. The Golf is the most popular car line in history; three of them have passed through this household with the latest version currently in the garage beneath my feet.
Neither is the most popular vehicle in history however. For that we need to go to postwar Japan and Honda Motors. Introduced in 1958, the Super Cub sold over 60 million units in 50 years of production. It was the vehicle that put Asia on wheels, and it’s the vehicle that launched Honda in America.
The 70cc American version was badged as (wait for it. . . . . . . . )
The Passport. One cylinder, 2 passenger, 0.07 liters with a projected top speed to 50MPH. It will go anywhere its modern namesake can, except an interstate highway.
I discovered my 1981 version on Craigslist. The owner had been peddling it for a while and had reduced the price to a very tempting level. It starts on the first kick and runs well. The body is in good shape, but it will need new plastic fairings. All of the light bulbs were burnt out, and I don’t trust the tires. Those should be easy winter projects. All that leaves is the small matter of plates and a license to ride it.
Damn you, James May!
Notes from Mosquito Hill 