Everything You Need to Know About Honda's History

Honda, one of the prominent companies in the global automotive industry, was founded in Japan in 1948. Its founder, Soichiro Honda, was born in 1906. Soichiro Honda's early exposure to mechanical science occurred when he worked as an apprentice to his father, who made a living by repairing bicycles for his 11-member family. With a keen interest in mechanical science, Honda pursued his education in the field of metallurgy. His passion for mechanical science and his knowledge of metallurgy would later enable him to develop a groundbreaking piston design.

During his youth, Soichiro Honda was an idealistic individual who made a living much like his father, by repairing mechanical devices. In his spare time, he continued to work on his project to develop a new piston design. Honda believed so strongly in this project that he eventually left his job and focused entirely on completing it. However, his dedication to the project led to economic hardships, and he even had to sell his wife's jewelry to make ends meet.

Despite facing numerous challenges, Soichiro Honda continued his work with determination and, after two years, he approached Toyota, the leading automotive company in Japan at the time, with his developed project. Unfortunately, Toyota rejected Soichiro on the grounds that his project did not meet their standards.

The Birth of an Automotive Giant

Undeterred by the lack of interest in his project, Soichiro Honda continued his work with perseverance. Two years later, he knocked on Toyota's door once again, this time with an improved project. This time, Toyota accepted Honda's project and purchased it. With the money he earned from selling his project, Soichiro Honda decided to establish his own automotive factory. However, due to the wartime conditions, he couldn't find concrete to build the factory walls. Determined and resourceful, Soichiro Honda, along with a few friends, produced their own cement and constructed the factory. Despite his efforts, the factory was bombed twice by the American Air Force.

Nevertheless, Soichiro Honda didn't give up. He collected empty gasoline cans left by the American military and used them as raw materials for his factory. In a Japan where even cement for building walls was scarce during the war, Honda humorously referred to these empty gasoline cans as "President Truman's gifts." Even after facing these hardships, he still had to contend with a devastating earthquake that completely destroyed his factory. Soichiro Honda decided to sell his piston operation to Toyota.

With the end of the war, Japan was in ruins, its economy in shambles, and there was a severe shortage of resources, including gasoline. Soichiro Honda found a solution to the gasoline shortage by mounting surplus army motorbikes onto bicycles, giving rise to the first Honda Motorcycle. These practical, simple, and skillfully made Honda Motorcycles provided significant ease of transportation for the Japanese people struggling with shortages. While there was a high demand for his motorcycles, Honda didn't have enough money to establish a factory to produce new engines. Therefore, he went to bicycle shop owners throughout the country, explained his project, and asked for financial support. Approximately 4,500 bicycle shop owners across Japan believed in the project's potential to benefit the nation and supported him.

Soichiro Honda's success in resolving the issue of heavy motorcycles led to his being awarded the Japanese Imperial Order of the Sacred Treasure. Honda continued motorcycle production until the 1970s and later entered the automobile sector, eventually becoming one of the world's largest automotive companies.