Honda

ContentHistory of HondaCompany overviewOwners and ManagementActivitiesModels Honda is one of the well-known manufacturers in the motor vehicle market. Under this name, the production of two- and four-wheeled vehicles is carried out, which can easily compete with leading automakers. Thanks to high reliability and excellent design, vehicles of this brand are popular all over the world. Since the 50s of the last century, the brand has been the largest manufacturer of motorcycles. The company is also known for the development of reliable powertrains, the circulation of which reaches 14 million copies a year. As of 2001, the company occupied the second position in terms of production among automobile manufacturers. The firm is the ancestor of the world's first luxury brand Acura. In the company's product catalog, the buyer can find motors for boats, garden equipment, electric generators powered by internal combustion engines, jet skis and other mechanics. In addition to cars and motorcycles, Honda has been developing robotic mechanisms since 86. One of the achievements of the brand is the Asimo robot. In addition, the company manufactures aircraft. In 2000, the concept of a jet-powered business-class aircraft was shown. History of Honda All his life Soichiro Honda loved cars. At one time he made money in the Art Shokai garage. There, a young mechanic tuned racing cars. He was also given the opportunity to take part in races. 1937 - Honda receives financial support from an acquaintance, which he uses to create his own mini-production based on the workshop where he used to work. There, a mechanic made piston rings for engines. One of the first major customers was Toyota, but the cooperation did not last long, as the company was not satisfied with the quality of the products. 1941 - After carefully familiarizing himself with the quality control procedure that was carried out by Toyota, Soichiro built a real plant. Now the production capacity could produce satisfying products. 1943 - Following the acquisition of 40 percent of the newly minted Tokai Seiki by Toyota, the director of Honda was demoted and the plant was used to meet the country's military needs. 1946 - With the proceeds from the sale of the remnants of his property, which was almost completely destroyed in the war and in the subsequent earthquake, Soichiro establishes the Honda Research Institute. On the basis of a small company founded, a staff of 12 employees assemble motorbikes. Tohatsu engines were used as power units. Over time, the company developed its own engine, similar to the one used previously. 1949 - the company was liquidated, and a company was created with the proceeds, which was called Honda Motor Co. The brand's staff includes two experienced employees who had an understanding of the intricacies of the financial side of doing business in the automotive world. At the same time, the first full-fledged motorcycle model appeared, which was called Dream. 1950 - Honda creates a new four-stroke engine that develops twice the power of previous analogues. This made the company's products popular, thanks to which, by the 54th year, the brand's products occupied 15 percent of the Japanese market. 1951-1959 no prestigious motorcycle race took place without the participation of Honda motorcycles, which took first places in those competitions. 1959 - Honda becomes one of the leading motorcycle manufacturers. The company's annual profit is already $15 million. In the same year, the company rapidly conquers the American market with very cheap, but more powerful devices compared to local copies. 1960-1965 sales revenue in the American market increases from $ 500 to $ 77 million per year. 1963 - The company becomes an automaker with the first T360. It was the first kei car that laid the foundation for the development of this direction, which is very popular among Japanese motorists due to the small engine size. 1986 - a separate Acura division is created, under the leadership of which the production of premium cars begins. 1993 - the brand manages to avoid the takeover of Mitsubishi, which has gained a large scale. 1997 - the company expands the geography of its activities by building factories in Turkey, Brazil, India, Indonesia and Vietnam. 2004 - Another Aero subsidiary appears. The division develops jet engines for aircraft. 2006 - Under the leadership of Honda, the Aircraft division appears, the main profile of which is aerospace. At the company's factory, the creation of the first luxury aircraft for private individuals begins, the deliveries of which started in 2016. 2020 - Announced that two companies (GM and Honda) will form an alliance. The start of cooperation between the departments is scheduled for the first half of 2021. General information about the company The main office is located in Japan, the city of Tokyo. Production facilities are dispersed in different countries of the world, thanks to which auto, motorcycle and other equipment is available anywhere in the world. Here are the places where the main divisions of the Japanese brand are located: Honda Motor Company - Torrance, California; Honda Inc - Ontario, Canada; Honda Siel Cars; Hero Honda Motorcycles - India; Honda China; Guangqi Honda and Dongfeng Honda - China; Boon Siew Honda - Malaysia; Honda Atlas - Pakistan. And the factories of the brand are concentrated in such places of the world: 4 factories - in Japan; 7 factories - in the USA; One is in Canada; Two factories in Mexico; One is in England, but they plan to close it in 2021; One assembly shop - in Turkey, whose fate is identical to the previous production; One factory in China; 5 factories in India; Two are in Indonesia; One factory in Malaysia; 3 factories in Thailand; Two are in Vietnam; One in Argentina; Two factories in Brazil. Owners and management Honda's main shareholders are three companies: Black Rock; Japanese bank Trustee Services; Mitsubishi UFJ financial group. Throughout the history of the brand, the presidents of the company were: 1948-73 - Soichiro Honda; 1973-83 - Kiyoshi Kawashima; 1983-90 - Tadashi Kume; 1990-98 - Nobuhiko Kawamoto; 1998-04 - Hiroyuki Yoshino; 2004-09 - Takeo Fukui; 2009-15 - Takanobu Ito; 2015-present - Takahiro Hatigo. Activities Here are the industries in which the brand has already excelled: Production of motorcycles. This includes equipment with a small volume of internal combustion engines, sports models, four-wheeled motor vehicles. Machine manufacturing. The division produces passenger cars, pickup trucks, luxury and subcompact models. Provision of financial services. This division provides loans and makes it possible to purchase goods by installments. Manufacture of business jet aircraft. So far, the company has only one model of the HondaJet aircraft with two engines of its own design in the arsenal of the company. Mechanical products for agriculture, industrial and domestic needs, for example, production of lawn mowers, manual snow machines, etc. Models Here are the key models that rolled off the assembly lines of the brand: 1947 - the A-Type scooter appeared. It was a bicycle with a two-stroke internal combustion engine installed on it; 1949 - a full-fledged Dream motorcycle; 1958 - one of the most successful models - Super Cub; 1963 - start of production of a car made in the back of a pickup truck - T360; 1963 - The first sports car S500 appears; 1971 - the company creates an original motor with a compound system that allowed the unit to comply with environmental standards (the principle of the system is described in a separate review); 1973 - A breakthrough in the automotive industry is made by the Civic model. The reason was that other manufacturers were forced to curtail production because their cars were too voracious in the conditions of the oil crisis that broke out, and the Japanese manufacturer provided customers with an equally productive, but very economical car; 1976 - another model appears, which is still popular - Accord; 1991 - Production of the iconic NSX sports car begins. The car, in a sense, was also innovative. Since the body was made in the design of an aluminum monocoque, and the gas distribution system received a phase change mechanism. The development received the VTEC marking; 1993 - To expose the rumors about the company's sad situation, the brand creates family-friendly models - the Odyssey and the first CR-V crossover.