Just about every brand out there has built weird cars at one time or another. Honda is no exception. Here we’ll explore which vehicle is the weirdest the brand has ever made and see what other strange cars Honda has had the pleasure (or not) of producing. 

Honda’s weirdest offering

The Honda Vamos is definitely the weirdest vehicle the brand ever made. According to Silodrome, the name ‘Vamos’ is Spanish for “Let’s go!” Honda produced only 2,500 units between 1970 and 1973 when lightweight vehicles with various functions were popular making it a prime candidate for commercial or agricultural use. It was the brand’s answer to the British Mini Moke.

However, you could only get it in Japan, as the automaker felt it wasn’t worth exporting it to other markets. Honda developed the Vamos on a TN360 truck platform, giving it a steel body and offering it with either a two or four-passenger configuration. 

It’s hard to really classify this vehicle as it was basically a cross between a pickup and a small car with jeep-like qualities and as many amenities as you would find in an economy car, which wasn’t much. Originally it was priced at $3,095 new. 

What features did it offer?

Powering it up was a 354cc two-cylinder air-cooled engine with a single overhead camshaft and two valves per cylinder generating 30 hp. Paired with it was a four-speed manual transmission. This combination gave the Vamos a top speed of 35 mph, according to Lane Motor Museum’s site.

The few gauges and switches it came with were sealed tight to prevent dust and moisture from getting inside because the cabin was open to the air. Honda offered a fabric covering for the cab as the brand decided it wasn’t necessary to put a solid roof on it. 

 The total weight of the vehicle was astonishing 1,146 lbs, which is quite a bit lighter than most trucks or small cars today. While it had a small pickup bed-like space, payload capacity only offered 440 lbs. 

Other weird Honda vehicles

Honda had a few other weird vehicles over the years. One such example is the Civic Del Sol, which was a small roadster meant to take on the likes of the Mazda Miata. It was produced between 1993 to 1997 and was a convertible with a Targa top, according to Gear Patrol. 

It didn’t sell as well as the brand hoped, but it did have one favorable feature, the TransTop where the trunk would open and retract the top, tucking it away into a special compartment. It was only offered in the Asian and European markets, though. 

The Honda Element was an interesting SUV that wasn’t able to tackle off-road terrain. The brand produced it from 2003 to 2011. Its boxy looks didn’t do it any favors, but it was great for hauling your canines. It was unfortunately a fire hazard due to the engine Honda dumped into it sparking a lawsuit. 

From 2010 to 2013, Honda sold the Acura ZDX, which was a sports coupe crossover. It didn’t blend the styling well as the top part was too coupe-like making less room for cargo and for rear seat passengers. The bottom had more of a midsize SUV feel. The rear doors had the handles up onto the window frame and there was a design on the front grille reminiscent of a smile. 

There are certainly plenty of weird Honda vehicles over the years. But, the one that really stands out has to be the Vamos, which was a pickup/small car concoction. It proved to be useful for some markets, but today, with only 2,500 made, it’s highly collectible.