This Endearing Hatchback Riffs on One of Honda’s Most Beloved Urban Transport Solutions

As cities around the world continue to grow both in footprint and population density, it will only become more important to develop efficient urban mobility solutions.

After all, we’ve already seen how, when left unchecked, seemingly optimistic concepts like shareable electric scooters and rentable bicycles can quickly evolve beyond mere eyesores into matters of public safety. 

And it’s unfortunate, because as much as these sound like modern problems (well, they are), urban mobility in itself isn’t a new concept.

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In fact, long before this kind of flotsam and jetsam began to litter our sidewalks, Honda had developed a last-mile transport solution of its own. It was designed to fold flat, and it came in a package deal with one of the automaker’s smallest models at the time.

Uptown trunk

The car was called the City, and its urban-going trunk-stowed companion was known as the Motocompo. The pairing first hit the Japanese market in 1981, intended to offer buyers a convenient way to get around the center of town without having to worry about the need to fight for parking.

Honda

Under the hood, the City came powered by a 1.2-liter inline-four making 67 horsepower. The Motocompo, meanwhile, packed a 50cc two-stroke single good for all of 2.5 ponies.

Although those numbers weren’t enough to inspire much in the way of spirited driving, Honda did improve on things in subsequent follow-ups with the City Turbo and City Turbo II.

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Thanks to the addition of a turbocharger, the little four-banger ‘s output grew to around 108 horsepower and 118 lb-ft of torque.

When mated to a five-speed manual transmission and accompanied by some special bodywork changes — like an air dam, a rear diffuser and a hood bulge — it transformed the diminutive hatch into a pint-sized performance car. The addition of special graphics only added to the appeal.

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A better box

Honda continued to build the City long after replacement of the first generation (in some markets around the world, the car is now on its seventh iteration), but the Motocompo only enjoyed a brief run from 1981 to 1983. Moreover, the little scooter was exclusive to Japan, so any that have made their way Stateside are grey market imports. 

However, come 2023, Honda revived the spirit of its innovative urban-focused transport solution with the release of the Motocompacto. As with its predecessor, it can fold flat for storage. Now, though, the scooter comes powered by a battery and an electric motor.

Honda

Between its low weight (40 pounds) and even lower price tag ($995), the Motocompacto offers a marked improvement over the original. As endearing as the Motocompo is from a design standpoint, its two-stroke powerplant made it heavy (~100 pounds) and more finicky to ride (carbureted and kick-start only).

It’s because of the above history, along with all of these reasons, that this particular Cars & Bids listing is so cool. The owner has paired a minty 1983 Honda City Turbo II with a color-coordinated Motocompacto. The result is a duo that honors the spirit of the original while delivering a true upgrade in real-world utility.

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In a way, it’s reminiscent of the spirit of a restomod, albeit one in which the component reboot is a distinct vehicle rather than a mere feature or accessory.

Opportunity awaits

If you’re interested in the City Turbo II and the matching Motocompacto pictured here, you can check them out on Cars & Bids. Showing approximately 30,400 miles on the clock, the car is offered on a clean U.S. title. As of this writing, bidding is sitting around $14,000 with two days left in the auction.

Should you be looking for more information on Honda’s Motocompacto electric scooter, you can check it out here. MSRP is $995.

Honda

Honda Motocompacto

• $995 at Honda

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