Honda Motor Company's History

Honda Motor Co. has a reputation in Japan and the United States for making quality cars at affordable prices. Honda vehicles consistently enjoy good reviews and high reliability ratings. The Accord and Civic models consistently rank among the best-selling cars in the United States. The Honda Motor Company began in 1948, but the real history goes back further. Soinchiro Honda grew up enraptured with cars and motors, and worked as an apprentice in Tokyo's Art Shokai motor shop in the 1920s. There, he helped the owners build a Curtiss Racer, which won the Japan Motor Car Championship in 1924. In 1946, Honda launched the Honda Technical Research Institute, which became the Honda Motor Company in 1948 when it began making and selling motorcycles. Even as other motor companies began shifting towards automobiles, Honda kept his focus on motorcycles throughout the 1950s. Honda launched his Juno scooter as a means of competing with Italy's Vespa scooter, and sales took off. With a sixth-place finish in the 125cc category at the Isle of Mann TT Race, Honda began to make a mark internationally. The 1970s represented a major turning point for Honda. In 1973, Honda began exporting the Civic to the United States, which would become one of the most successful family vehicles of all time. When the energy crisis hit, the economical vehicle---which was already starting to enjoy success---boomed. Honda began selling the Accord soon after, and began building cars in the United States in 1982. Honda also created the high-end Acura line of vehicles to appeal to consumers with deeper pockets than those who were buying the more practical Civics and Accords. Today, Honda is known for quality vehicles in just about every market segment, from trucks to cars to its original market, motorcycles. Honda is moving into the market for environmentally friendly cars with the Insight, a hybrid vehicle designed to compete head-to-head with Toyota's popular hybrid, the Prius. It has a slightly lower fuel economy, but also a lower price tag. It immediately became Japan's best-selling vehicle, becoming the first hybrid to top the list.