Mission statement

Honda Motor Co., Ltd. operates under the basic principles of "Respect for the Individual" and "The Three Joys" — commonly expressed as The Joy of Buying, The Joy of Selling and The Joy of Creating. "Respect for the Individual" reflects Honda’s desire to respect the unique character and ability of each individual person, trusting each other as equal partners in order to do the best in every situation. Based on this, "The Three Joys" expresses the company’s belief and desire that each person working in, or coming into contact with Honda Motor Co., Ltd., directly or through its products, should share a sense of joy through that experience.

Company history

In October 1946, Soichiro Honda established the Honda Technical Research Institute in Hamamatsu, Japan, to develop and produce small 2-cycle motorbike engines. Two years later, Honda Motor Company, Ltd. was born, and in 1959 Honda opened its first storefront in Los Angeles with six industrious employees.

In 1966, Honda also started to develop road cars in Japan after solely focussing on the production of motorcycles in the years before. Their first production automobile was the S500 produced in 1963 featuring a 492cc engine. However, these small vehicles failed to attract attention in the U.S. Yet, in 1972, Honda introduced the Civic. This coincided with the 1973 energy crisis and the introduction of new emissions laws in the U.S. Consequently, American car producers took their time in producing vehicles which complied with the new requirements giving Honda the chance to get a foothold in the lucrative American automobile market

Strapline

The Power of Dreams.

Advertising

Sponsorships

In 2011, Honda is the official sponsor of the Austin City Limits Music Festival, where participants can win a new Honda Civic when participating in a prize draw. Honda also sponsors the Civic Racing Style, and is also the national sponsor of Little League® Baseball and Softball for the 15th consecutive year.