Wednesday, December 19, 2007

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Honda predicts record sales as it goes green  FT.com via Yahoo! News - Dec 19 1:15 PM
Honda (NYSE:HMC) on Wednesday said it expected record sales this year and gave an upbeat assessment of its outlook for next year, in spite of signs of a general global slowdown.


American Honda Motor recalls 167,000 lawn mowers  Reuters via Yahoo! News - Dec 19 8:46 AM
Honda Motor Co Ltd's American Honda Motor Corp is recalling about 167,000 lawn mowers, saying their blades pose a danger to consumers, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission said on Wednesday.


Honda to Invest in Hybrids  Washington Post - Dec 19 10:16 AM
TOKYO -- Honda expects its global sales will rise 6 percent this year to a record 3.76 million vehicles on booming demand in the U.S., Europe and Asia, the automaker's president said Wednesday.


Honda eyes global sales rise in 2008  Washington Post - Dec 19 8:36 AM
TOKYO (Reuters) - Honda Motor on Wednesday predicted it would beat this year's record car sales in 2008, and said it would step up its research and development functions by building a dedicated facility for its premium Acura brand.


Honda to invest in hybrids  CNN.com - Dec 19 12:29 AM
TOKYO, Japan (AP) -- Honda plans to invest aggressively in research for hybrids and other new technology in Japan, the automaker's president said Wednesday.


Honda Investing in Hybrids for Growth  AP via Yahoo! Finance - Dec 19 7:31 AM
Honda is investing in hybrids and other technologies to tap growing consumer demand for environmentally friendly cars and keep its sales momentum going, the automaker's president said Wednesday.


Honda Expects Fuel-Efficient Models to Boost Sales (Update3)  Bloomberg.com - Dec 19 4:46 AM
Dec. 19 (Bloomberg) -- Honda Motor Co., Japan's second- largest automaker, expects fuel-efficient models to help it boost sales in the U.S. by 3 percent next year, even as the overall market shrinks.


Honda boosts hybrid sales target; plans to launch new model in 2009  Detroit News - Dec 19 7:56 AM
TOKYO -- Honda President Takeo Fukui said the company plans to boost its hybrid offerings in coming years so that the segment accounts for about 10 percent of Honda Motor Co.'s sales by 2010.


AUTOMOBILES: Honda eyes 10% of sales from hybrids  Asahi.com - 1 hour, 18 minutes ago
Honda Motor Co. said Wednesday it expects gas-electric hybrid vehicles to account for about 10 percent of its global unit sales as early as 2010. That would translate into an annual 400,000 units, a sharp rise from the current 50,000, said Honda President Takeo Fukui.


Honda sees record year on 6% rise in global sales  The Japan Times - Dec 19 2:20 PM
Honda expects its global sales to rise 6 percent this year to a record 3.76 million vehicles, thanks to booming demand in the United States, Europe and Asia, President Takeo Fukui said Wednesday. Read more ...








































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Metasearch
metasearch: Honda Cars Motorcycles Watercraft ATVs Engines Generators, Acura
Honda.com - the official site for Honda cars, motorcycles, personal watercraft, atvs, engines, generators, marine motors, and Acura cars.
www.honda.com/


Honda Cars - New and Certified Used Cars from American Honda
Honda Cars - Home of information on the latest Honda cars and SUV models, Certified Used Cars. Photos, videos, and technical specs for all car models from ...
automobiles.honda.com/


2008 Honda Civic Hybrid - Official Honda Hybrid Car Web Site
Honda Civic Hybrid - See pictures and specs of the 2008 Honda Civic gas-electric Hybrid car at the official Honda vehicle Web site. The 2008 Civic Hybrid is ...
automobiles.honda.com/civic-hybrid/


News results for "honda"

Earthtimes
Honda to Decide Whether to Launch Hybrid Sports Car in US Market - 4 hours ago
By NORIHIKO SHIROUZU DETROIT – Honda Motor Co. will likely decide over the next several weeks whether to mass-produce for the US market the CR-Z ...
Wall Street Journal


Honda Motorcycles
Honda Motorcycles - Visit the new official Honda Motorcycles Web site and find information on all Honda Motorcycles, atvs, Scooters and Personal Watercraft ...
powersports.honda.com/


Honda Motorcycles - Motocross, Cruiser, Touring, Off-Road Motorcycle
Honda Motorcycles - Honda's motorcycle line-up is here—and it's waiting for you! Check out awesome all-new models like the race-ready CBR1000RR, ...
powersports.honda.com/motorcycles/


Honda Worldwide : Honda Motor Co.,Ltd.
Honda Motor Co.,Ltd. Honda Worldwide - Visit the official Honda global web site and find information on all Honda Motor and its subsidiaries and affiliates.
world.honda.com/


Honda Worldwide | ASIMO
Official home page of Honda's Humanoid Robot. Site includes a history of the robotics, photos, technology descriptions, and event information.
world.honda.com/ASIMO/


Honda Marine Outboard Motors - Outboards, Dealers, Accessories - Home
Honda Marine - Home of 4-stroke Honda outboards from 2 to 225 HP. Find outboard engine specs, Propellers, Flush Kits and other Accessories, and a Honda ...
www.honda-marine.com/


Honda - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Honda Motor Company, Limited (本田技研工業株式会社 Honda Giken Kōgyō Kabushiki-gaisha, Honda Technology Research Institute Company, Limited? ...
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Honda


Honda Power Equipment - Official Site - General Outdoor Power ...
Welcome to the official site of Honda Power Equipment - Honda is proud to provide you with powerful and durable lawn care equipment, snow equipment, ...
www.hondapowerequipment.com/


Honda Generators - Honda's Portable Electric Power Generator Line
Honda Generators - Honda Power Equipment markets a complete line of generators for commercial and consumer applications. Lightweight, portable, compact ...
www.hondapowerequipment.com/gen.asp


Honda Engines
Honda l Honda Marine l Honda Power Equipment · Home · Products · Dealers/Distributors Order Literature Product Manuals ...
www.honda-engines.com/


Honda Corporate - Vision, Offices, Headquarters, Corporate History
Welcome to Honda Corporate, the official online headquarters of the American Honda Motor Company, Inc. The Honda corporate identity involves much more than ...
corporate.honda.com/


Honda in America
Honda's success in the global marketplace relies on its commitment to continued investment in America's future. That's been our philosophy since we first ...
corporate.honda.com/america/


honda
84.40.3.164/


Honda Cars | New 2007 & 2008 Honda Car Models — Yahoo! Autos
Yahoo! Autos — Honda Cars. Research all Honda 2008 & 2007 car models, such as the 2008 Honda Accord. Compare new Honda vehicles & buy used Hondas for sale.
autos.yahoo.com/honda/


Honda Media Newsroom
News, information, photos, press releases regarding Honda vehicles.
www.hondanews.com/


Honda Tuning, Honda Engine Swap, and Drag Racing - Honda Tuning ...
Honda Tuning Magazine is the resource for Honda and Acura enthusiasts building and tuning cars for show and competition.
www.hondatuningmagazine.com/














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Honda Motor Company, Limited

Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki-gaisha

本田技研工業株式会社
TypePublic TYO: 7267 NYSE: HMC
FoundedSeptember 24, 1948
Headquarters Tokyo, Japan
Key peopleSoichiro Honda, Founder

Takeo Fukui, CEO
IndustryAutomobile & Truck manufacturer & Motorcycle
Productsautomobiles, trucks, motorcycles, scooters, ATVs, electrical generators, robotics, marine equipment, jets and jet engines, and lawn and garden equipment. Honda and Acura brands.
Revenue $93 billion[1] USD (2006)
Net income $5.0 billion[1] USD (2006)
Employees167,231
Slogan"The Power of Dreams"
WebsiteHonda.com, World.Honda.com, Autos.Honda.com





The logo of the Honda automobiles







"Powered by Honda" logo



Honda Motor Company, Limited (本田技研工業株式会社 Honda Giken Kōgyō Kabushiki-gaisha Honda Technology Research Institute Company, Limited?) listen  (TYO: 7267, NYSE: HMC), or simply called Honda, is a Japanese multinational corporation, engine manufacturer and engineering corporation.


The company manufactures automobiles and motorcycles, and has passed Nissan to become the second largest seller of autos in Japan[2][3].verification needed] Honda also produces a long list of other products: trucks, scooters, robots, jets and jet engines, ATV, water craft, electrical generators, marine engines, lawn and garden equipment, and aeronautical and other mobile technologies. Honda's line of luxury cars are branded Acura in North America and China. More recently they have ventured into mountain bikes.


Honda is the largest engine-maker in the world, producing more than 14 million internal combustion engines built each year.


Honda is headquartered in Tokyo, Japan. Their shares trade on the Tokyo Stock Exchange and the New York Stock Exchange, as well as exchanges in Osaka, Nagoya, Sapporo, Kyoto, Fukuoka, London, Paris and Switzerland. American Honda Motor Co. is based in Torrance, California. Honda Canada Inc. is headquartered in the Scarborough, Ontario district of Toronto, Ontario, and is building new corporate headquarters in Richmond Hill, Ontario, scheduled to relocate in 2008. Hero Honda, a joint venture between India's Hero Group and Honda, is the largest manufacturer of two wheelers in the world. Honda of Canada Manufacturing is based in Alliston, Ontario. Honda has also created joint ventures around the world, such as Honda Siel Cars India Ltd, Hero Honda Motorcycles India Ltd, Dongfeng Honda Automobile Company in China and Honda Atlas Cars Pakistan.








Contents




  • 1 Company history

  • 2 Leadership

  • 3 Racing history

    • 3.1 Motorcycle

    • 3.2 Automobile

    • 3.3 Downhill mountain biking



  • 4 Strategy and public image

  • 5 Initiatives

  • 6 Marketing

  • 7 Facilities (partial list)

    • 7.1 Japan

    • 7.2 United States

    • 7.3 Canada

    • 7.4 Mexico

    • 7.5 United Kingdom

    • 7.6 Brazil

    • 7.7 Colombia

    • 7.8 Thailand

    • 7.9 Turkey

    • 7.10 Malaysia

    • 7.11 Philippines

    • 7.12 Pakistan

    • 7.13 Argentina

    • 7.14 India

    • 7.15 Vietnam



  • 8 Robots

  • 9 See also

  • 10 Notes on sources

  • 11 References

  • 12 External links





Company history






Honda head office in Aoyama, Tokyo



Company founder Soichiro Honda , after working at Art Shokai, developed his own design for piston rings in 1938 . He attempted to sell them to Toyota.citation needed] He constructed a new facility to supply Toyota, but soon after, during World War II, the Honda piston manufacturing facilities were almost completely destroyed.


Soichiro Honda created a new company with what he had left. The Japanese market was decimated by World War II; his country was starved of money and fuel, but was still in need of basic transportation. Honda, utilizing his manufacturing facilities, attached an engine to a bicycle which created a cheap and efficient method of transport. He gave his company the name Honda Giken Kōgyō Kabushiki Kaisha which translates to Honda Research Institute Company Ltd. Despite its grandiose name, the first facility bearing that name was a simple wooden shack where Mr. Honda and his associates would fit the engines to bicycles. The official Japanese name for Honda Motor Company Ltd. remains the same in honor of Soichiro Honda's efforts. On 24 September 1948 the Honda Motor Co. was officially founded in Japan.


Honda began to produce a range of scooters and motorcycles and Soichiro Honda quickly recovered from the losses incurred during the war. Honda's first motorcycle to be put on sale was the 1947 A-Type (one year before the company was officially founded). However, Honda's first full-fledged motorcycle on the market was the 1949 Dream D-Type. It was equipped with a 98cc engine producing around 3 horsepower. This was followed by other highly popular scooters throughout the 1950s.






Honda Super Cub C50



In 1958, the American Honda Company was founded and one year later, Honda introduced its first model in the United States, the 1959 Honda C100 Super Cub. The Honda Cub holds the title of being the best-selling vehicle in history, with around 50 million units sold around the world.[4] By the 1970s, Honda became the largest producer of motorcycles in the world, and remains so as of 2007.citation needed]


In the United States during the 1960s, large motorcycles had the image of being ridden by tough, hardened characters. It was an image fostered by owners of Harley Davidson motorcycles, but Honda countered this public perception with their successful "You meet the nicest people on a Honda" advertising program. Honda introduced their new SOHC inline 4-cylinder 750 in 1969, which was immediately successful and established this configuration as one of the most popular for performance motorcycles.citation needed]


Honda began developing prototypes for road cars in the early 1960s, mostly intended for the Japanese market. The first production vehicle by Honda was the 1963 T360, a tiny pickup truck featuring 4 different body styles (including a traditional truck bed and a panel van) and a 360cc, 30hp engine. This was followed two months later by Honda's first production automobile, the S500. The S500 was a 2 door roadster featuring a 492cc engine capable of 44 hp with a high 9,500 RPM redline. It was fitted to a 4-speed transmission with the rear wheels being chain driven. Mr. Honda took his extensive knowledge of motorcycles and applied it to making his car, of which the chain drive and high redline are evidence.


At the time, nearly all of the Japanese automakers were associated with the former zaibatsu, or keiretsu — Japanese business conglomerates. These large companies had close ties with the government who urged them to absorb smaller carmakers into large brands that could be marketed internationally. Since the government had extensive control over the industry, it was unheard of for a small, independent company to mass produce vehicles, thus making Honda's success historical in the Japanese economy.


Though participating in international motorsport (see Racing), Honda was having difficulty selling its automobiles in the United States. Built for Japanese buyers, Honda's small cars had failed to gain the interest of American buyers. Honda's first automobile imported to the United States was the N600, sold in Hawaii in 1969. In 1970 , the car was imported to California and beyond, but its tiny 600 cc engine and minuscule dimensions made it very unpopular with the American public.






Honda Civic



Honda finally established a foothold in the American market in 1972 with the introduction of the Civic — larger than their previous models, but still small compared to the typical American car—just as the 1973 energy crisis was impacting worldwide economies. New emissions laws in the US requiring American car makers to add expensive smog pumps and catalytic converters to engines increased car prices. However, Honda introduced an innovative variation on the stratified charge engine, the CVCC (Compound Vortex-Controlled Combustion) in the 1975 Civic, this allowed the Civic to meet emission standards without a smog pump or a catalytic converter. Due to its more complete combustion it also obtained the lowest fuel consumption rating of any vehicle available on the American market for four years during its production.[5] American companies were slow to begin producing small, fuel efficient cars, which gave the Honda Civic a chance to sell well, as well as prove Honda's reputation for reliability and further expand its customer loyalty.






Honda Accord



In 1976 , the new, larger-than-the-Civic Accord was immediately popular because of its value, economy, and fun-to-drive nature. The Accord has since consistently been one of the best selling cars in the United States, and evolved into a large mid-size for the North American market with V6 and hybrid versions.


Honda began building motorcycles in Marysville, Ohio in 1978 and then made history in 1982, when Honda was the first foreign auto manufacturer to build car plants in the US. The first car made in the US was the Accord. They now have five plants located in Ohio: two in Marysville (the Marysville Auto Plant and the Marysville Motorcycle Plant), one in East Liberty, Ohio, a Honda Transmission plant Russells Point, Ohio and an engine plant in Anna, Ohio. They also have plants in Lincoln, Alabama (Honda Manufacturing of Alabama) and Timmonsville, South Carolina and have recently (2006) opened a new plant in Tallapoosa, Georgia. Honda also has an extensive aftermarket parts operation located in Marysville, Ohio, and a research and development facility in Raymond, Ohio. Honda's North American and U.S. headquarters are located in Torrance, California. Honda's Canadian and many US-market Civics have been manufactured in their plant in Alliston, Ontario since 1986. On 27 June, 2006, Honda announced that another vehicle assembly facility will be opening in North America, this time in Greensburg, Indiana. Its completion is expected in 2008.


Honda was the first Japanese automaker to introduce a separate luxury line of vehicles. Created in 1986 and known as Acura, the line is made up of modified versions of Honda vehicles usually with more power and sportiness than their Honda counterparts. The very first model was the Acura Legend, with a 2.5 liter engine producing 151 horsepower. European luxury-car manufacturers initially scoffed at the thought of a luxury company from Japan, with criticism coming mostly from Mercedes-Benz.


1987 was an important year for new safety and technology at Honda. The 1987 Honda Prelude was the first passenger vehicle in the world equipped with four-wheel steering (4WS) technology. This also marked the year for the first Japanese car equipped with an SRS airbag, the Honda (Acura) Legend.


In 1989 Honda launched their VTEC variable valve timing system in its production car engines, which gave improved efficiency and performance across a broader range of engine speeds. One of the first of its kind in passenger vehicles. It operates on the premise of using different camshaft profiles (including duration, enganging a third rocker arm) depending on a number of sensors: throttle position, water/oil temperature, RPM. Low-load driving would result in VTEC not being engaged, the camshaft using an efficient-for-low-speed profile. When all sensors permit, the ECU engages the third lobe is engaged, using a different rocker arm, effectively changing the camshaft profile for an efficient-for-high-rpm profile.


In 1999 Honda began selling the Insight which was the first hybrid vehicle on the market. Power is derived from a combination of a 1.0L 3-cylinder gasoline engine, and a large NiMH battery pack providing power-assist during acceleration. This computer-controlled combination provided acceptable performance with exceptionally low fuel consumption and emissions. Honda's hybrid power train is now an available option for the Civic and Accord.


For the 2007 model year, Honda plans to improve the safety of its vehicles by providing front-seat mounted side airbags, side-curtain airbags, and anti-lock brakes as standard equipment in all automobiles available in North America (except the Insight and S2000, which will not have side-curtain airbags). By 2008, Honda plans to have standard traction with vehicle stability control with rollover sensors in all light trucks, which include the CR-V, Odyssey, Pilot, and Acura MDX. Honda also plans to make its vehicles safer for pedestrians, with more safely-designed hoods, hinges, frame constructs, and breakaway wiper pivots.


In 2007, Honda stated it is going to launch low-priced hybrids and advanced diesel technology in the near future.



Leadership



  • 1948-1973 — Soichiro Honda

  • 1973-1983 — Kiyoshi Kawashima

  • 1983-1990 — Tadashi Kume

  • 1990-1998 — Nobuhiko Kawamoto

  • 1998-2004 — Hiroyuki Yoshino

  • 2004-present — Takeo Fukui



Racing history



Motorcycle




Main article: Honda Racing Corporation







Honda Racing Corporation logo



Honda Racing Corporation (HRC) was formed in 1954. The company combines participation in motorcycle races throughout the world with the development of high potential racing machines. Its racing activities are an important source for the creation of leading edge technologies used in the development of Honda motorcycles. HRC also contributes to the advancement of motorcycle sports through a range of activities that include sales of production racing motorcycles, support for satellite teams, and rider education programs.


Soichiro Honda, being a race driver himself, could not stay out of international motorsport. In 1959, Honda entered five motorcycles into the Isle of Man TT race, at that time the most prestigious motorcycle race in the world. While always having powerful engines, it took until 1961 for Honda to tune their chassis well enough to allow Mike Hailwood to claim their first Grand Prix victories in the 125 and 250 cc classes. Hailwood would later pick up their first senior TT wins in 1966 and 1967. Honda's race bikes were known for their "sleek & stylish design" and exotic engine configurations, such as the 5-cylinder, 22,000 rpm, 125 cc bike and their 6-cylinder 250 cc and 380 cc bikes.


1979 saw Honda return to Grand Prix motorcycle racing with their exotic, monocoque-framed, four-stroke NR500. The NR500 featured elongated cylinders each with 8 valves and with connecting rods in pairs, in an attempt to comply with the FIM rules which limited engines to four cylinders. Honda engineered the elongated cylinders in an effort to provide the valve area of an 8-cylinder engine, hoping their four-stroke bike would be able to compete against the now dominant two-stroke racers. Unfortunately, it seemed Honda tried to accomplish too much at one time and the experiment failed. For the 1982 season, Honda debuted their first two stroke race bike, the NS500 and in 1983, Honda won their first 500 cc Grand Prix World Championship with Freddie Spencer. Since then, Honda has become a dominant marque in motorcycle Grand Prix.


In motocross, Honda has claimed 24 motocross world championships.



Automobile



See also Honda F1






Honda re-entered Formula One in 2006 after buying the British American Racing team.



Honda entered Formula One as a constructor for the first time in the 1964 season at the German Grand Prix with Ronnie Bucknum at the wheel. 1965 saw the addition of Richie Ginther to the team, who scored Honda's first point at the Belgian Grand Prix, and Honda's first win at the Mexican Grand Prix. 1967 saw their next win at the Italian Grand Prix with John Surtees as their driver. In 1968, Jo Schlesser was killed in a Honda RA302 at the French Grand Prix. This racing tragedy, coupled with their commercial difficulties selling automobiles in the United States, prompted Honda to withdraw from all international motorsport that year.


After a learning year in 1965, Honda-powered Brabhams dominated the 1966 French Formula Two championship in the hands of Jack Brabham and Denny Hulme. As there was no European Championship that season, this was the top F2 championship that year. In the early 1980s Honda returned to F2, supplying engines to Ron Tauranac's Ralt team. Tauranac had designed the Brabham cars for their earlier involvement. They were again extremely successful. In a related exercise, John Judd's Engine Developments company produced a turbo "Brabham-Honda" engine for use in CART racing. It won only one race, in 1988 for Bobby Rahal at Pocono.


Honda returned to Formula One in 1983, initially with another Formula Two partner, the Spirit team, before switching abruptly to Williams in 1984. In the late 1980s and early 1990s, Honda powered cars won six consecutive Formula One Constructors Championships. WilliamsF1 won the crown in 1986 and 1987. Honda switched allegiance again in 1988. New partners Team McLaren won the title in 1988, 1989, 1990 and 1991. Honda withdrew from Formula One at the end of 1992, although the related Mugen-Honda company maintained a presence up to the end of 1999, winning four races with Ligier and Jordan Grand Prix.


Honda debuted in the American CART series as a works supplier in 1994. The engines were far from competitive at first, but after development, the company powered six consecutive drivers championships. In 2003 , Honda transferred its effort to the rival Indy Racing League series. In 2004, Honda-powered cars overwhelmingly dominated IRL, winning 14 of 16 IRL events, including the Indianapolis 500, and claimed the IRL Manufacturers' Championship, Drivers' Championship and Rookie of the Year titles. In 2006, Honda became the sole engine supplier for the IRL, including the Indianapolis 500. In the 2006 Indianapolis 500, for the first time in Indianapolis 500 history, the race was run without a single engine problem [5].


During 1998, Honda considered returning to Formula One with their own team. The project was aborted after the death of its technical director, Harvey Postlethwaite. Honda instead came back as an official engine supplier to British American Racing (BAR) and Jordan Grand Prix. Honda bought a stake in the BAR team in 2004 before buying the team outright at the end of 2005, becoming a constructor for the first time since the 1960s. Honda won the 2006 Hungarian Grand Prix with driver Jenson Button.



Downhill mountain biking


Honda have also built a Downhill racing bike, known as the Honda RN-01. Honda have taken on several people to pilot the bike, among them is Greg Minnaar. The team is known as Team G Cross Honda. The key feature of this bike is the gearbox, which replaces the standard Derailleur found on most bikes.



Strategy and public image






2006 Honda Accord



During the 1960s, when it was a small manufacturer, Honda broke out of the Japanese motorcycle market and began exporting to the US. Taking Honda’s story as an archetype of the smaller manufacturer entering a new market already occupied by highly dominant competitors, the story of their market entry, and their subsequent huge success in the US and around the world, has been the subject of some academic controversy. Competing explanations have been advanced to explain Honda’s strategy and the reasons for their success.


The first of these explanations was put forward when, in 1975, Boston Consulting Group (BCG) was commissioned by the UK government to write a report explaining why and how the British motorcycle industry had been out-competed by its Japanese competitors. The report concluded that the Japanese firms, including Honda, had sought a very high scale of production (they had made a large number of motorbikes) in order to benefit from economies of scale and learning curve effects. It blamed the decline of the British motorcycle industry on the failure of British managers to invest enough in their businesses to profit from economies of scale and scope.






2004 Honda Super Cub



The second story is told in 1984 by Richard Pascale, who had interviewed the Honda executives responsible for the firm’s entry into the US market. As opposed to the tightly focused strategy of low cost and high scale that BCG accredited to Honda, Pascale found that their entry into the US market was a story of “miscalculation, serendipity, and organizational learning” – in other words, Honda’s success was due to the adaptability (and hard work) of its staff, rather than any long term strategy. For example, Honda’s initial plan on entering the US was to compete in large motorcycles, around 300cc. It was only when the team found that the scooters they were using to get themselves around their US base of San Francisco attracted positive interest from consumers that they came up with the idea of selling the Supercub.






Honda Outboard motor on a pontoon boat



The most recent school of thought on Honda’s strategy was put forward by Gary Hamel and C. K. Prahalad in 1989. Creating the concept of core competencies with Honda as an example, they argued that Honda’s success was due to its focus on leadership in the technology of internal combustion engines. For example, the high power-to-weight ratio engines Honda produced for its racing bikes provided technology and expertise which was transferable into mopeds.


Honda's entry into the US motorcycle market during the 1960s is used as a case study for teaching introductory strategy at business schools worldwide.


Its first entrance into the pickup segment, the lightduty Ridgeline, won Truck of the Year from Motor Trend magazine in 2006 (also in 2006, the redesigned Civic won Car of the Year from the magazine, giving Honda a rare double win of Motor Trend honors).



Initiatives


Although a relatively small manufacturer compared to the other Japanese automakers, Honda is the largest engine maker in the world. Honda has a number of firsts in many categories, including the first engine to meet the 1970 US Clean Air Act (1975 CVCC), the first luxury Japanese car (1987 Legend) and motorcycle (2006 Gold Wing bikes) equipped with an airbag, as well as the first mid-size pickup truck with independent rear suspension (2006 Ridgeline).


The 2006 Ridgeline was a reintroduction of the concept of a Uni-Body truck. Earlier examples of this concept are the Subaru Brat, Volkswagen Rabbit pick-up, and Dodge Rampage/Plymouth Scamp.


Honda has also pioneered new technology in its HA-420 HondaJet that allows new levels of reduced drag, increased aerodynamics and fuel efficiency thus reducing operating costs.


Honda's robot ASIMO (see below) as an R&D project brings together expertise to create a robot that walks, dances and navigates steps.



Marketing


Honda's official slogan is "The Power of Dreams" however has never used this to sell their products. It was Mr. Honda's belief that well built products will sell themselves. Many of Honda's most remarkable advertising campaigns have been released for the UK market, and have not been broadcast in North America except on the internet.


In 2003, Honda released its Cog advertisement in the UK and on the Internet. To make the ad, the engineers at Honda constructed a Rube Goldberg Machine made entirely out of car parts from the Honda Accord. To the despair of the engineers at Honda, all the parts were taken from 2 of only 6 hand assembled pre-production models of the Accord. The ad depicted a single cog which sets off a chain of events that ends with the Honda Accord moving and Garrison Keillor speaking the tagline, "Isn't it nice when things just... work?" It took 606 takes to get it perfect.citation needed]


In 2004, they produced the Hate Something advert, which is still shown on British television now, usually immediately followed by a shortened version of the 2005/2006 Impossible Dream advert.


In 2006, Honda released its Choir advertisement, for the UK and the internet. This featured a 60-person choir who sang the car noises as film of the Honda Civic are shown.


In December 2005, Honda released The Impossible Dream a 2 minute panoramic advertisement filmed in New Zealand, Japan and Argentina which illustrates the founder's dream to build performance vehicles. While singing The Impossible Dream (The Quest), a man reaches for his racing helmet, leaves his trailer on a minibike, then rides a succession of vintage Honda vehicles; a motorcycle, then a car, then a powerboat, then goes over a waterfall only to reappear piloting a hot air balloon, with Garrison Keillor saying "I couldn't have put it better myself" as the song ends. The song is from the 1960s musical "Man Of La Mancha", sung by Andy Williams.


In Australia, Honda advertised heavily during most motor racing telecasts, and were the official sponsor of the 2006 FIA Formula 1 telecast on broadcaster channel "Ten". In fact, they were the only manufacturer involved in the 2006 Indy Racing League season. In a series of adverts promoting the history of Honda's racing heritage, Honda claimed they "built" cars that won 72 Formula 1 Grand Prix. Detractors scoffed and called it "false advertising", saying that nearly all those victories were claimed by Honda powered (engined) machines, with the cars themselves designed and built by Lotus F1, Williams F1 and McLaren F1 teams respectively. However, former and current staff of the McLaren F1 team have repeatedly proclaimed that Honda contributed more than just engines and provided various chassis, tooling and aerodynamic parts as well as funding. Ayrton Senna, arguably the greatest F1 driver of all time, repeatedly stated that Honda probably played the most significant role in his 3 World Championships. He had immense respect for founder, Soichiro Honda and had a good relationship with Nobuhiko Kawamoto, the chairman of Honda at that time. Senna once called Honda "the greatest company in the world".


For the last several years, during model close-out sales for the current year before the start of the new model year, Honda's advertising has featured an animated character known simply as Mr. Opportunity, voiced by Rob Paulsen. The casual looking man talks about various deals offered by Honda and ends with the phrase "I'm Mr. Opportunity, and I'm knockin'", followed by him then him 'knocking' on the television screen or "thumping" the speaker at the end of radio ads. Also, commercials for Honda's international hatchback, the Jazz, are parodies of well-known pop culture images such as Tetris and Thomas The Tank Engine.


As part of their marketing campaign, Honda is an official partner and sponsor of Major League Soccer.


In late 2006 Honda released an ad with ASIMO exploring a museum, looking at the exhibits with almost child-like wonderment (spreading out its arms in the aerospace exhibit, waving hello to an astronaut suit that resembles him, etc.), while Garrison Keillor ruminates on progress. It concludes with the tagline: "More forwards please".


The latest campaign for Honda, released May 2007, focuses on their strengths in racing and the use of the Red H badge — a symbol of what is termed as "Hondamentalism". The campaign highlights the lengths that Honda engineers go to in order to get the most out of an engine, whether it is for bikes, cars, powerboats — even lawnmowers. Honda released its Hondamentalism campaign. In the TV spot, Garrison Keillor says, "An engineer once said to build something great is like swimming in honey." while Honda engineers in white suits walk and run towards a great light, battling strong winds and flying debris, holding on to anything that will keep them from being blown away. Finally one of the engineers walks towards a red light, his hand outstretched. A web address is shown for the Hondamentalism website. The digital campaign aims to show how visitors to the site share many of the Hondamentalist characteristics.



Facilities (partial list)



Japan



  • Suzuka, Mie — cars

  • Hamamatsu, Shizuoka — motorcycles (ending 2009)

  • Sayama, Saitama — cars, light trucks

  • Kikuchi, Kumamoto — motorcycles, ATVs (all Honda motorcycles produced from 2008)

  • Utsunomiya, Tochigi — vehicle R&D



United States


North American Facilities List and description



  • Lincoln, Alabama — Odyssey, Pilot, V6 engines

  • East Liberty, Ohio — Civic Sedan/Coupe/GX, Element, CR-V

  • Marysville, Ohio Auto — Accord Sedan/Coupe, Acura TL, Acura RDX,

  • Marysville, Ohio Motorcycle (Gold Wing 1800, Valkyrie Rune, VTX 1300/1800, Shadow 1100), motorcycle engines

  • Anna, Ohio — Engines

  • Raymond, Ohio — Vehicle R&D

  • Indian Lake, Ohio — automatic transmissions

  • Torrance, California — Vehicle R&D/design

  • Swepsonville, North Carolina — General purpose engines, Walk-behind lawn mowers, Snow blower, String trimmers, Water pumps, and Tillers

  • Greensburg, Indiana — Civic Sedan (Opening in Fall 2008)

  • Timmonsville, South Carolina — ATV's & watercraft(Four Trax Recon, Four Trax Foreman, Four Trax Rancher, Four Trax Rincon, Four Trax Rubicon, Sportrax 400EX/250EX, AquaTrax F-12/12X)]



Canada



  • Alliston, Ontario -- HCM 1 - Civic (Including all Coupes and Civic Si's) and Acura CSX

    HCM 2 - Civic Sedan, Ridgeline and Acura MDX



Mexico



  • Guadalajara, Jalisco — Engines, CR-V SUV (50,000 units a year).



United Kingdom



  • Swindon, England, UK - EP3 - Civic SI (USA), Civic SiR (Canada), Civic Type-R, Type-S and standard (Europe, South Africa and Australia) as well as the Honda C-RV for the same destinations.



Brazil



  • Manaus, Amazonas — motorcycles

  • Sumare, São Paulo — cars (Civic and Fit)



Colombia



  • Cali, Valle del Cauca — motorcycles



Thailand



  • Ayutthaya



Turkey



  • Gebze



Malaysia



  • Malacca — Constant Velocity Joints

  • Penang Motorcycle under Boon Siew Honda



Philippines



  • Batangas

  • Laguna, Parts and Transmission; cars

  • Zamboanga, Motor and bicycle



Pakistan



  • Lahore — Cars

  • Sialkot — Cars

  • Karachi — Motorcycles

  • Sheikhupura — Motorcycles



Argentina



  • Zárate, Family Cars



India



  • Gurgaon, Haryana — Motorcycles and scooters.

  • Noida, Uttar Pradesh — Cars and SUVs



Vietnam



  • Dong Anh, Hanoi — Cars and scooters

  • Vinh Phuc — Cars and parts



Robots






ASIMO at Expo 2005 in Japan



ASIMO is the part of Honda's Research & Development robotics program. It is the eleventh in a line of successive builds starting in 1986 with Honda E0 moving through the ensuing Honda E series and the Honda P series. Weighing 54 kilograms and standing 130 centimeters tall, ASIMO resembles a small astronaut wearing a backpack, and can walk on two feet in a manner resembling human locomotion, at up to 6 km/h. It is the world's only humanoid robot able to ascend and descend stairs independently.[6] However, human motions such as climbing stairs are difficult to mimic with a machine, which ASIMO has demonstrated by taking two plunges off of a staircase.



  • Official website



See also












Japanese Car Portal



  • List of Honda vehicles

  • List of Honda motorcycles

  • List of Honda engines

  • List of Honda transmissions

  • List of Honda assembly plants

  • Acura

  • VTEC

  • Honda Type R

  • Honda Automotive VIN codes

  • Mondial

  • Dongfeng Honda Automobile Company - joint venture

  • Honda Automobile (China) Company - importer of cars into China

  • Honda Canada Inc.

  • Honda Airport

  • Honda "Cog" commercial-Famous Honda Accord commercial

  • Honda Atlas Cars Pakistan

  • Honda F.C. (Football (soccer) club)

  • Honda Heat (Rugby union club)

  • Honda Battle of the Bands

  • Mr Honda (Boon Siew Honda)

  • CT110



Notes on sources



  • "Move Over, Volvo: Honda Sets New Safety Standard for Itself", an article in the "News" section of the March, 2004 issue of Motor Trend, on page 32

  • 2004 Annual Corporate Report

  • The story of Honda's entry and growth in the American market is documented in Terry Sanders' film The Japan Project: Made in Japan. Honda

  • Honda's Midlife Crisis: Honda's slipping market position and views of Fukui Takeo (Chief Executive magazine, December 2005 issue) [6]



References




  1. ^ a b Honda Motor Co., Ltd. Reports Consolidated Financial Results For The Fiscal Fourth Quarter And The Fiscal Year Ended March 31, 2007[1], Tokyo, April 25, 2007

  2. ^ Wall Street Journal April 2007

  3. ^ http://www.iht.com/articles/2007/02/01/bloomberg/sxcars.html

  4. ^ Total Super Cub Production Reaches 50 Million [2], Retrieved February 8, 2007

  5. ^ Introducing the CVCC, [3], Retrieved April 5, 2007

  6. ^ Frequently asked questions about ASIMO [4], Retrieved February 28, 2007




External links




Wikimedia Commons has media related to:
Honda




  • Honda Worldwide site

  • Honda stock quote

  • Honda Press Library (Japanese, but with graphical timelines of car and bike models)

  • Honda Pictures and Wallpapers

  • Honda Automobiles at the Open Directory Project

  • Honda Motorcycles at the Open Directory Project

  • Honda to launch low-priced hybrids
















































































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