Sôichirô Honda(1906-1991)
From an early age, Honda became interested in his father's workshop, where he repaired bicycles. From 1923 he worked as an apprentice in a workshop in Tokyo. Already during this time he demonstrated clever inventiveness. After completing his apprenticeship, Honda opened his own car repair shop and business was going well. Honda not only repaired cars, but also manufactured racing cars and also took part in the competitions as a driver. He had some racing successes until he had an accident during the Japan Rally in 1936 and suffered serious injuries. He then gave up racing. Honda then devoted itself to the production of piston rings, which he sold throughout Japan. During World War II, he was commissioned by the Japanese military to make wooden airplane propellers. At the same time, he invented a special production machine for this order, which impressed with its performance. After the Second World War, Honda founded the company "Honda Technical Research Institute" in 1946 as the basis of the later global corporation Honda.
It all began in a small wooden shed. By founding the company, Honda responded to the growing needs of many people for mobility and transportation. First, the inventor assembled motorcycles from used engines. The idea was a huge success and spurred Honda to develop its own motorcycles. In 1942, Honda bought a 40 percent stake in the car manufacturer Toyota, but the shares were sold again after the end of the war. In 1948, Honda founded the "Honda Motor Company" to produce its own motorcycles and appointed Takeo Fujisawa as commercial manager and Kijoshi Kawashima as technician to his team. In this constellation, the small company quickly developed into a successful company that, in its early days, primarily built quality motorcycles. Honda sought to escape Japan's economic crisis by participating in international racing and increasing exports. To this end, he developed his own racing department in his manufacturing company to design machines for trophy racing in Europe.
This ambitious project also quickly bore fruit of success from 1959 onwards. In the same year, Honda introduced the first motorcycle model with an electric starter in Amsterdam. After a Honda branch was opened in the USA, a base for Europe followed in Hamburg in 1961. The export hit Honda from Japan was unstoppable worldwide. In the meantime, the company had expanded its range not only to include cars and boat engines, but also in other technical areas. Honda continued to test new vehicles itself until he was 65 years old. In 1973, he gave up the position of president in his company. He dedicated himself to the "Honda Foundation", which strives to create a harmonious relationship between technology and the environment. Honda celebrated its greatest successes in international motorsport. Together with McLaren and William, the drivers Nelson Piquet, Ayrton Senna and Alain Prost won the Formula 1 World Championship five times in a row from 1987 to 1991. Honda was considered an expressive person who liked to dress according to fashion. He did not run his company according to patriarchal principles, but rather in a democratic manner, according to which performance should lead to earnings. He was the father of a son and two daughters.
Soichiro Honda died on August 5, 1991 in Tokyo.
It all began in a small wooden shed. By founding the company, Honda responded to the growing needs of many people for mobility and transportation. First, the inventor assembled motorcycles from used engines. The idea was a huge success and spurred Honda to develop its own motorcycles. In 1942, Honda bought a 40 percent stake in the car manufacturer Toyota, but the shares were sold again after the end of the war. In 1948, Honda founded the "Honda Motor Company" to produce its own motorcycles and appointed Takeo Fujisawa as commercial manager and Kijoshi Kawashima as technician to his team. In this constellation, the small company quickly developed into a successful company that, in its early days, primarily built quality motorcycles. Honda sought to escape Japan's economic crisis by participating in international racing and increasing exports. To this end, he developed his own racing department in his manufacturing company to design machines for trophy racing in Europe.
This ambitious project also quickly bore fruit of success from 1959 onwards. In the same year, Honda introduced the first motorcycle model with an electric starter in Amsterdam. After a Honda branch was opened in the USA, a base for Europe followed in Hamburg in 1961. The export hit Honda from Japan was unstoppable worldwide. In the meantime, the company had expanded its range not only to include cars and boat engines, but also in other technical areas. Honda continued to test new vehicles itself until he was 65 years old. In 1973, he gave up the position of president in his company. He dedicated himself to the "Honda Foundation", which strives to create a harmonious relationship between technology and the environment. Honda celebrated its greatest successes in international motorsport. Together with McLaren and William, the drivers Nelson Piquet, Ayrton Senna and Alain Prost won the Formula 1 World Championship five times in a row from 1987 to 1991. Honda was considered an expressive person who liked to dress according to fashion. He did not run his company according to patriarchal principles, but rather in a democratic manner, according to which performance should lead to earnings. He was the father of a son and two daughters.
Soichiro Honda died on August 5, 1991 in Tokyo.