Which Honda car was its first Formula One racing car to enter a race?

The Honda RA271 was Honda’s first Formula One racing car to enter a race.

Honda’s RA271 made its Formula One race debut at the 1964 German Grand Prix, held at the Nürburgring. It was also the first Japanese-built car to enter a round of the FIA Formula One World Championship, marking Honda’s arrival in the sport just a few years after it began producing road cars.

The RA271 was developed from Honda’s 1963 RA270 prototype and was engineered around an unusual 1.5-litre V12 engine. At a time when many rivals relied on V8 power, Honda chose twelve cylinders and mounted the engine transversely. Yoshio Nakamura led the car project, while Tadashi Kume was responsible for engine development.

Only one RA271 was built. It competed in three Grands Prix during 1964, with a best result of 13th place at its debut in Germany. The car was not a winner, but it established the engineering foundation for Honda’s next-generation RA272.

The RA272 is a frequent source of confusion because it achieved Honda’s first Formula One victory in 1965 with Richie Ginther. That later success does not change the RA271’s status as Honda’s first race-entered Formula One car.