Honda: Birth and Rise Through Small Motorcycles
The article tells the story of Honda's birth and rise as one of the world's leading automobile and motorcycle manufacturers, starting with the founder Soichiro Honda's ingenious idea of retrofitting bicycles with surplus generator motors in post-war Japan. The article highlights how Honda's dedication to innovation, reliability, and aggressive marketing campaigns played a significant role in the company's growth and expansion strategy, especially with smaller bikes and mopeds that tapped into a crucial market segment. The success of their mopeds was underpinned by their appeal, practicality, simplicity, and affordability. Honda's small motorcycles and mopeds continue to hold significant importance in the firm's lineup, with sales of products like the Super Cub crossing over 100 million units as of 2017.
MOPEDSMOTORCYCLES MOPED CULTURE HONDA JAPAN
Iain Mackay
10/29/20232 min read
Honda: Birth and Rise Through Small Motorcycles
The story of Honda, one of the world's foremost automobile and motorcycle manufacturers, begins in 1946 with an ingenious idea by its founder, Soichiro Honda. A blacksmith's son, Honda was intrigued by mechanics and machines from an early age. After an apprenticeship as a mechanic in Tokyo, he returned home and started his own garage. However, it was not until 1946 that his observations of post-war Japan, a nation needing quick and affordable mobility, led him to design the first 'Honda' - a bicycle retrofitted with a surplus generator motor. This idea quickly caught on, and the demand for these motorized bicycles grew.
In order to meet this burgeoning demand, in 1948 Soichiro Honda incorporated the Honda Motor Co., Ltd. The company started off as a small factory in Hamamatsu, primarily dealing with manufacturing bicycle auxiliary engines. Despite being a small-sized manufacturer, Honda was committed to innovation and set out to transform the transportation landscape.
In 1958, Honda unveiled the Super Cub, a convenient and friendly scooter that witnessed an enormous degree of popularity. This model capitalized on the need for affordable and efficient transportation in urban environments and marked a turning point in Honda's history, propelling the company into the global auto industry.
Honda's smaller bikes and mopeds played a significant role in the company's growth and expansion strategy. Recognizing the appeal and practicality of such vehicles, Honda had managed to tap into a crucial market segment. Because of their size, mopeds and small motorcycles were cheaper to produce and purchase, a necessary consideration in the economically turbulent era following World War II. They also offered a simplified riding experience, opening up motorcycle ownership to a much broader demographic.
The success of their mopeds was underpinned by Honda's dedication to reliability and innovative design. The Super Cub's construction based on a 'step through pressed steel monocoque underbone' design rather than the conventional motorcycle frame. This made the Super Cub easy to mount and dismount, enhancing its appeal to a wider range of users.
Furthermore, Honda's aggressive marketing campaigns also played an integral part in their growth strategy. Their U.S. campaign, 'You meet the nicest people on a Honda', significantly impacted Honda's image and altered American attitudes towards motorcycling.
Today, Honda's small motorcycles and mopeds, although part of a significantly broader product line, continue to hold significant importance in the firm's lineup. Sales of products like the Super Cub have crossed over 100 million units as of 2017, making it the most produced motor vehicle in history. As the company keeps innovating and expanding, the legacy of their early years continues to shape Honda's present and future.