Honda Motor CO.
Honda began in 1946 when Soichiro Honda established a Honda Technical Research Institute. It incorporated in 1948. The head office moved to Tokyo in 1952 and the following year Yamato Factory (now Saitama Factory Wako plant) was established.
With continued growth, Honda established its first overseas subsidiary, a motorcycle marketing company, in the US in 1959.
Honda gradually strengthened its presence in Europe after 1961, when it became the first Japanese motorcycle maker to establish a subsidiary in Germany. The foundations of Honda's business in South America were also laid in the 1960s with the arrival of the company's motorcycle business in the region.
In 1963, Honda constructed its first overseas manufacturing facility, a plant for small motorcycles in Belgium. The company continued to expand domestically and internationally, and by 1980 Honda had achieved annual unconsolidated net sales in excess of one trillion Yen.
In 1982, Honda became the first Japanese automaker to manufacture a passenger car in the US. Further expansion occurred in 1993 when Honda
signed a business agreement with Isuzu Motors for product complementation.
The year 1997 was the first year in which a Honda model, the Civic was manufactured and sold in Brazil.
During 2000, the company established Honda South America, a full service company catering to the expanding South American market. The subsequent year, a new subsidiary called Honda Motorcycle & Scooter India was set up and its first 100cc scooter, the Honda Activa, rolled off the assembly line. In July Honda began conducting fuel cell vehicle testing on public roads in Japan. November saw the establishment of Honda Motorcycle Korea, a subsidiary for motorcycle wholesale ...