In the early 1980s, Honda made scrappy little cars and bikes like the City Turbo II, and fitted them with strangely useful options like a Motocompo scooter-in-the-trunk for daily commutes in densely populated areas of Japan. It was a creative way to get around city congestion by parking your City a few miles away and using the Motocompo folding scooter to get to your final destination. It’s the “last mile” that tech mobility companies like to talk about now, only thirty years ahead of them.
The Honda City is really cool all on its own, but throw in a Motocompo trunk bike and you’ve got a recipe for something totally rad.
The City Turbo is powered by a 1.2-liter turbocharged motor, paired with a five-speed manual transmission. Compared to the standard City’s 67 horsepower, the Turbo II made use of an intercooler to produce a respectable 108 horsepower. It’s hardly quick enough to keep up with a modern sport hatch, but it’s not exactly slow.
If you want something slow, just grab the Motocompo out of the back of the car and go for a quick ride around the block. With just 2.5 horsepower from the factory, the little rolling block with wheels will hit a top speed of around 30 kilometers per hour, which is not a lot.
This car was recently imported to the US, where the Volk Racing wheels (with small spacers) were fitted, a small bit of rust was repaired and re-painted, and a new set of factory decals was affixed before it was offered for sale. Those little details take this special car above and beyond the norm. It’s such a unique little car that any enthusiast of JDM car should be champing at the bit to own this diminutive piece of Honda history.
With the minor repaint already dealt with, this car looks about as perfect as can be expected from a 36 year old hot hatch. The 49cc bike in the trunk is also visually correct, and is said to be running tip top. The two cut a dashing pair of figures, and look positively Lilliputian on American roads next to giant three-row SUVs and large cruiser motorcycles.
If you want one of your own, check out the listing for this car and bike combo on Bring A Trailer. It’s currently bid up to just over $13,000, but there are four days of bidding left. Of course, JDM vehicles like this always go over really well at Radwood events, and whoever buys this should definitely take it t