Auto History Spotlight: Soichiro Honda, Founder of Honda

by  |  On August 5th, 2013  |  In Car Articles, Honda

The automaker that today goes by the name Honda states that their basic philosophy is to “provide joys around the world through new challenges and the realization of dreams”.  Honda has come a long way since its beginning and today offers innovative and high quality vehicle lineup around the world. There are Honda dealerships dotted around the U.S.  We sat down with one recently, David Hobbs of WI, to discuss, among other things, the Honda brand, its history, and where the automaker is today. Of particular note, we learned that brand loyalty is consistently high and the dealership has found that Honda owners find it important to stick with the brand they love, and so even when their vehicle needs change, they keep coming back. The company was originally founded by a man named Soichiro Honda (1906-1991).  Soichiro Honda started out working as a mechanic where he tuned cars and entered them in races.  In 1937 Soichiro Honda founded Tokai Seiki (Eastern Sea Precision Machine Company).  The company was formed to make piston rings.  After initial failures, Tokai Seiki wan a contract to supply piston rings to Toyota.  They lost the contract due to poor quality of the piston rings.  But Soichiro Honda did not give up.  He attended engineering school.  He visited factories around Japan to understand the quality control process of Toyota.  In 1941 Honda was able to mass-produce piston rings acceptable to Toyota.  Honda used an automated process that could employ unskilled wartime laborers.

In 1944 Honda again faced starting over again after a bomber attack destroyed the piston ring plant.  Honda simply salvaged the remains of the company and sold them to Toyota.  Honda used the proceeds in 1946 to found the Honda Technical Research Institute.  Honda had a staff of 12 men working in a 172-square-foot shack.  They built and sold improvised motorized bicycles.

Honda Model A

The motorized bicycle “factory” used war surplus radio generator engines.  When these engines ran out, Honda began building their own engines.  This was the Honda Model A, nicknamed the Bata Bata for the sound the engine made.  In 1949 the first complete motorcycle with both frame and engine made by Honda was produced.  Honda Motor Company grew from there to become the world’s largest manufacturer of motorcycles by 1964.

Honda did not stop there.  In 1963 He produced his first automobile.  It was the T360 mini pick-up truck.  Honda’s first car was the S500 sports car, also produced in 1963.  In 1986 Honda introduced the successful Acura to the American market.

Jyotsna Ramani is a passionate writer and an avid globetrotter. She had a knack for writing since her early years, though that was mostly letters to her penpals and jotting her thoughts down in her "Dear Diary". Over the years, she realized how her hobby could turn into a full time career and she started writing web content, books and pieces for local magazines. There has been no looking back ever since.

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