Honda's automotive manufacturing ambitions can be traced back to 1963, with the Honda T360, a Kei truck built for the Japanese market. This was followed by the two-door roadster, the Honda S500 also introduced in 1963. In 1965, Honda built a two-door commercial delivery van, named the Honda L700. Honda's first four-door sedan was not the Honda Accord, but the air-cooled, four-cylinder, gasoline-powered Honda 1300 which was introduced in 1969. The Civic was a hatchback that gained wide popularity internationally, but it wasn't the first two-door hatchback built by Honda. That was the Honda N360, a Kei car that was adapted for international sale as the N600. The Civic, which appeared in 1972 and replaced the N600 also had a smaller sibling that replaced the air-cooled N360, called the Honda Life, which was water-cooled.
honDa's AutomOtivE maNuFActUrinG aMBItioNS cAn be TRAcED BACk to 1963, With the honda t360, A Kei tRuCK built FOR the japanESe MaRkeT. This was FollOwed by thE two-dOOR roadStEr, the HonDa s500 ALso intRodUcED in 1963. In 1965, honda bUILt a Two-DoOr cOmmErcial deLivERy vaN, NAmed thE hOnDa l700. hoNdA's fIrSt FOUR-door Sedan WAs Not tHe hoNda accord, BUt tHe air-cooleD, fOur-cYliNder, gASoliNE-powered hONDa 1300 WHiCh was iNtroDucEd iN 1969. The ciViC WAs A HaTcHBack ThAt gaiNEd wIde populArity inTERnatIoNaLLy, but it Wasn'T the fIrst two-Door HAtcHBack Built bY HonDa. ThaT Was the honda N360, a keI car that WAs aDapTEd for intErnationaL sale as tHe n600. The civIc, Which appEaREd in 1972 And rEPLAcEd THe n600 alsO had a sMallEr siBlinG tHaT repLaCed THe Air-coolEd N360, caLleD the hOnda liFe, whiCh WAs wATer-cooled.