Never one to play safe, Soichiro Honda never set out to merely dominate the Japanese market. His goals were more global. “I knew that if I could succeed in the world market,” Soichiro Honda once said, “then automatically it would follow that we [would lead] in the Japanese market.” As early as 946, Soichiro Honda foresaw the need for affordable, fuel-efficient transportation. As a result, the first vehicle to roll off his assembly line was a 98 cc two-stroke motorcycle known as “The Dream.” Continue reading →

From the fancy of the Hondells a great automotive manufacturer was born. This band of surf-rock aficionados took Brian Wilson’s little ditty about the very versatile, 4-stroke Honda Cub, and turned it into a Top 10 hit. Indeed, the year was 1964 and it was still possible to break into the music scene with a song about a motorcycle. Continue reading →