1970/71 Honda Z600 in Jay Leno's garage.

Honda has progressed over the years. This Honda Z600, featured in the recent broadcast of "Jay Leno's Garage," is an example of one of Honda's early production models.

It was a 1970 or 1971 model, modified by Buck Woodruff and his son Harrison. Woodruff, the eldest son, was one of the first Honda dealers in the U.S. and still sells Honda products in Georgia, and the two thought it would be a good idea to find an early Honda to display in their showroom to represent both their family history and Honda's history.

The Z600 was marketed as a coupe version of the N600, the first Honda sold in the U.S. The N360 was introduced in 1967 with twin 360 cc engines to meet the light car standards of the time, which encouraged smaller cars with smaller displacement engines. For export markets such as the U.S., Honda developed a 598cc version of the N360, which was installed in both the N600 and Z600, with the N600 delivering a mighty 36 horsepower. And as you will hear in the video, it delivers it while buzzing through the revs.

The car has not been restored, only brought back to running condition with original paint and many original parts (including, surprisingly, a 1970s washer fluid bag). It was neglected for three years before the Woodruffs acquired it, but it still needs some shakedown, as a clogged fuel vent stopped the fuel flow during a test drive.

Honda sold the Z600 in the U.S. from 1970 to 1972, but then withdrew from this market to make way for the Civic, launched in 1973 with Honda's innovative CVCC engine.Compound Vortex Controlled Compound Vortex Controlled Combustion," and by using clever technical tricks such as pre-chamber combustion, the engine met the first U.S. emission regulations (in effect from the 1975 model year) without the need for a catalytic converter. But that is a story for another time.

Although it did not have the same impact as the original Civic, the Z600 helped Honda establish itself as an international automaker. For more on this overlooked piece of Honda history, watch the full video.