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Today (November 17) is a special day for Honda – it’s 100 years since our
founder, Soichiro Honda was born in the little village of Komyo, near Hamamatsu
in Japan.
Mr Honda may have died on August 5, 1991, but his dreams live on in all of
our products. From the HondaJet to the humblest lawnmower, all Hondas have been
infused by the DNA of that special man.
Born on November 17, 1906, the son of a blacksmith and a weaver, Soichiro was
fascinated by machines and what made them work. One of his earliest memories was
being enthralled by the first motor car he had ever seen.
He later said: “As the car rolled through our small village I turned and
chased after that car for all I was worth. I could not understand how it could
move under its own power. And when it had driven past me, without even thinking
why, I found myself chasing it down the road as hard as I could run.”
By the age of 15, Soichiro hadn’t any formal education, but he had a thirst
for knowledge and what made things work. After a few years of helping his father
in their bicycle repair business, Soichiro started as an apprentice at a garage,
working as a car mechanic before starting his own auto repair business in 1928.
Racing was an early passion. Soichiro built his first racing car with parts
including a V8 aircraft engine, but he left racing in 1936 after a serious
accident.
In 1948 Honda Motor Co was formed. The first Honda motorcycle – the A Type –
was an early success, proving to Soichiro that motorcycles could be the answer
to cheap transportation. Early machines were refined until the development of
the legendary 1958 Super Cub.
A passion for racing was still in our founder’s blood and soon the Isle of
Man TT races would provide the pedestal to advertise the quality of Honda’s
motorcycles. In 1954 he said: “I here avow my intention that I will participate
in the TT race and I proclaim with my fellow employees that I will pour all my
energy and creative powers into winning.”
Two years after their debut on the island, Mike Hailwood won the
Ultra-Lightweight and Lightweight TTs. Another dream was realised.
Others have since been chased, and realised: Formula 1 wins, a Formula 2
championship and countless motorcycle titles. Honda has diversified into road
cars, All-Terrain Vehicles, engines, generators, outboard motors, personal
watercraft, water pumps, scooters, snowblowers, robots and most recently jet
aircraft.
Soichiro Honda remained president until his retirement in 1973, but he stayed
on as a director and was appointed ‘supreme advisor’ in 1983. During his
retirement, Soichiro remembered his humble roots and spent much of his time
working with the Honda Foundation, which was set up to aid non-profit-making
organisations which help youngsters in minority or impoverished communities. It
was fitting that his was an active retirement, as both Soichiro and his wife
Sachi both held private pilot’s licences and he also enjoyed sports as diverse
as hang-gliding, ski-ing and ballooning. Long after retirement he was still
often seen on the shop-floor, discussing problems with his engineers and
managers.
For more on this remarkable man, go to:
http://world.honda.com/history/limitlessdreams/joyofmanufacturing/text/01.html
10 famous Mr Honda quotes
“We only have one future, and it will be made of our dreams, if we have
the courage to challenge convention.”
“Real happiness lies in the completion of work using your own brains and
skills.”
“Racing improves the breed.”
“What we learn through failure becomes a precious part of us, strengthening
us in everything we do. So let the tough things make you tougher.”
"Since I was a small child, one of my dreams has been to compete in motor
vehicle races all over the world with a vehicle of my own making, and to win."
“We will not be content with this victory alone
[first win in F1]
. We will
study why we won and aggressively apply those winning technologies to new cars.”
“Enjoying your work is essential. If your work becomes an expression of your
own ideas, you will surely enjoy it.”
“After materials are carried into the factory, nothing but products should be
carried out from it.”
“If Honda does not race there is no Honda.”
“Because the water raises rice and the fishes live in the water, I don’t want
to contaminate it.”
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