Which mini pickup truck was Honda's first production automobile?

The Honda T360 was Honda’s first production automobile. This compact kei-class pickup truck entered production in June 1963, four months before the S500 sports car.

The T360 marked Honda’s transition from a motorcycle specialist into an automobile manufacturer. Its mid-mounted 356 cc DOHC inline-four engine reflected Honda’s motorcycle engineering background, yet the vehicle was designed as a practical commercial pickup for Japan’s kei-vehicle market.

Honda produced the T360 in several configurations, including a conventional pickup, flatbed versions, and a covered van. The truck remained in production until 1967, with more than 108,000 T360s built. A related T500 used a larger 531 cc engine and was mainly aimed at export markets.

The usual confusion concerns the S500. The S500 was Honda’s first passenger automobile, but it was not the first Honda automobile to reach production. That distinction belongs to the T360.