Honda celebrates the 50th anniversary of its arrival in the United States this week. On June 11, 1959, American Honda Motor Company, Inc. was established in a small store front at 4077 West Pico Boulevard in Los Angeles.
Kihachiro Kawashima was joined by seven employees in the former photo shop. He bought the building instead of simply renting it because he felt that Honda needed to commit itself to this new market in America.
Although the plan had been to sell motorcycles larger than 300cc, the Honda study group noticed that Americans seemed to be more interested in the Honda C100 Super Cub, a small, step-through moped with a relatively clean, quiet, 50cc four-stroke engine. The Super Cub would become the most popular motorcycle in the world in 1959, as more than 500,000 examples poured out of the Honda factories. Kawashima's group sold 1,700 C100s in the U.S. that year.
In tribute, American Honda has erected a facsimile of the original storefront (now an acupuncture clinic, if the current signage is any guide) in the lobby of its headquarters in Torrance, California, and an original Honda C100 and the first U.S.-built Honda Accord are posed within. Now, of course, American Honda has more than two dozen design, manufacturing, research and testing facilities in North America.
While Honda already has an elaborate museum in Japan at Twin-Ring Motegi, American Honda has recently been gathering an informal assembly of important vehicles in its own history, including motorcycles, cars, concept cars and racing machinery.
And yet for all Honda's expansion into products of all kinds, it remains the company of the Super Cub. The Honda 50 was a real pop culture phenomenon in the era of the hula hoop, and in fact the Honda C100 is still sold in Southeast Asia, little changed from the moped of 50 years ago. And just like the Honda 50, every Honda automobile is designed to be practical, thrifty, effortlessly intuitive to use, and, most of all, friendly.
Fifty years later, friendly is still the Honda Way.
rick8365 says:
06:31 AM, 06/11/09
Cool.
I've grown to admire this company and its products as time has passed.
firstwagon says:
09:31 AM, 06/11/09
looks like the old neighbourhood has gone downhill a little bit.
estreka says:
11:51 AM, 06/11/09
That's my dream garage.
"And just like the Honda 50, every Honda automobile is designed to be practical, thrifty, effortlessly intuitive to use, and, most of all, friendly"
I'd disagree with this statement as of late. I think Honda has lost its way.
stovt001 says:
12:46 PM, 06/11/09
I think estreka is mostly correct. I wouldn't say they've fully lost their way, but they are going that direction. Even if Honda isn't my particular cup of tea, I've long admired their focus on knowing what they do well and not deviating far from that. While Toyota has foolishly followed the "bigger is better at all costs" mindset that got GM in trouble, Honda has stuck to mostly small, simple, efficient cars. However, the interiors are now getting more complex controls than the flying saucer in Pixar's "Lifted" short, the Accord has become a land yacht, and besides the Civic Si they're short on sportiness. They are still more focused and true to their roots than most companies, but that is fading with time.
desmolicious says:
01:30 PM, 06/11/09
Sad that with all the amazing bikes Honda has built, they choose to showcase their new beyond lame Fairy I mean Fury 'chopper'. Just released, only 5 years behind the curve...
A Goldwing would have been far more apropos.
hondacura4 says:
02:31 PM, 06/11/09
Congrats Honda!
"That's my dream garage."
Mine too Estreka!
"I think estreka is mostly correct. I wouldn't say they've fully lost their way, but they are going that direction."
Stovt, unfortunately.... I somewhat agree with this statement. On the contrary I think Honda will refocus and get back to its core values partly due to loyal consumer expectations and the new gov't regulations.
I think Hondas lack of focus stems from the fact that they (like most car companies) tried to produce vehicles that appealed to a much larger audience. Of course, that concept sounds good and has the potential for stronger sales, yet in reality thats not the best approach as the overall sales figure is not a goal in itself but simply a by-product of good execution.
"besides the Civic Si they're short on sportiness"
Stovt, given all the new and revamped performance cars (Mustang GT, Camaro, Genesis Coupe, 370Z, Cobalt SS, MS3 ETC ETC) that have debuted within the last year or so one would think Honda who has a vast/successful motorsports heritage would have something available above the Si (Id even accept the mighty might JDM Civic Type R).
On the contrary, given the status of the economy it may make sense as Honda has done pretty well for themselves. Logical thinking is whats kept them alive and healthy thus far.
cwc1 says:
02:24 PM, 06/14/09
Anyone notice the similarity of Acupunctura and Acura, if you remove the 'punctu' letters? Funny that a building once owned by American Honda ended up with that word on it, since Acura was a name created for the American market. Funny coincidence, it seems.