How Honda Shaped the Automotive Industry
The history of Honda in the automotive industry is rich with innovation, evolution, and motorsports. From its first motorcycle to modern-day achievements, the automaker has always been at the forefront of the car-making world. This innovation has provided the groundwork for modern features, technology, and design aesthetics. Honda has pushed the envelope, forcing the competition to follow suit, and as a result, has left a mark on the automotive world.
By identifying needs and predicting trends, Honda has always stayed ahead, inviting other manufacturers to try and keep up. The result: a company built on hunting down success and invention. This automaker has never just made cars that are more advanced, it’s also built machines that are crafted around the driving experience. With its fair share of roots in the motorsport world, Honda understands what it takes to make a vehicle perform well, under any conditions.
Every Great Super Hero Has an Origin Story
It may seem like Honda came into the car manufacturing industry late, starting in 1946, but that fashionably-delayed entrance set the stage for the reliability that Honda is known for today. It started on two wheels in 1949 with the Honda Dream motorcycle. In the 1950s, Honda went global—exporting to many countries, including the United States. In 1962, Honda introduced its first three automobiles at the Ninth Tokyo Motor Show: the S360, T360, and S500.
Throughout the 1970s, Honda began to focus on safety and emissions control, releasing the CVCC engine and the Honda Civic. The 1980s marked a time of huge performance advancements for the brand with the release of Honda Variable Valve Timing and Lift Electronic Control (VTEC), traction control for front-wheel-drive automobiles, and an antilock braking system for motorcycles. The Acura brand was also launched by Honda as a luxury nameplate. Then, Honda released the first hybrid vehicle in North America in 1999 with the Honda Insight, leading the way for greater efficiency.
From the Track to the Street
Developing new automotive technologies—engines, drivetrains, suspensions, and advanced capabilities—eventually requires road testing. There’s nowhere better to test the capabilities of a car than at the race track. Honda has participated in motorsports for many years, adapting what it learned on the track to the cars it offers customers. That’s why the brand is so synonymous with top-tier performance.
Honda started racing motorcycles on a global scale in the 1950s and created a legacy of winning. Whether it’s motorcycle racing, Formula One, Indy Car, SCCA, Baja, or Global Rallycross, Honda has been a major competitor in motorsports. With the creation of the Honda Racing Line and Honda Performance Development, the automaker focused on furthering its brand at every level of competition. What the brand learned then transferred into consumer cars like the Honda Civic Type R and the Acura NSX.
Committed to Evolution
A lot has changed since Honda first entered the automotive manufacturing industry. From early concepts to modern racing marvels to some of the best consumer vehicles on the road, Honda has evolved as a company, and it continues to be the catalyst for many changes in the industry.
Honda is still committed to changing the automotive industry, and it remains a leader in efficiency, performance, and luxury. Visit Steve Padgett’s Danville Honda at 4050 Riverside Drive or contact our sales staff online today and let us show you how the rich history of Honda has helped this brand generate some of the best vehicles on the market today.
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