The story of Honda is rooted in one man’s dream to get Japan mobile again following the devastation of World War II.
Soichiro Honda was born on 17 November 1906 in Yamahigashi, a few miles to the west of Mount Fiji.
Company founder Soichiro Honda developed his own design of piston ring in 1938 and won the contract with Toyota. However during World War 2, his entire piston manufacturing facilities was destroyed.
Then he started a new company and attached the engine to the bicycle which cheaper and efficient. These early Honda motorized bicycles were very popular and the stock of surplus two stroke engines soon ran out. In September 1948
Honda Motor Company officially founded. Honda Motor Company’s first official race was the famed Isle of Man Tourist Trophy in 1959 in which three Honda riders placed in the top 10, and the team captured the prestigious Team Cup. In 1947 Honda started selling motorcycle. In 1958 The Honda Super Cub motorbike is in the market.
Honda officially withdrew from motorcycle world championship at the end of 1967. Mr. Honda said he had sufficiently proven himself in the motorcycle realm, and now wanted to divert resource into his company’s nascent automobile line.
The first Honda vehicle was 1963 T360 a pickup truck and two months later first production of first car S500.
Honda finally established a foothold in the American market in 1972 with the introduction of the Civic. Americans bought 32,575 Civics that first year at prices starting at $2,150. Three years later, sales of the Civic reached 132,286.
In 1976, the new, larger-than-the-Civic Accord was immediately popular because of its value, economy, and fun-to-drive nature. The Accord has since consistently been one of the best selling cars in the United States.
Honda is the only global company that produces so many forms of powered equipment: motorcycle, automobile, marine and power products.
History of Honda
