HONDA The Power of Dreams

In October 1946, Soichiro Honda opened the Honda Technical Research Institute (now Honda R&D) in Yamashita-cho, Hamamatsu City. He began development of weaving machines among others, but ran out of funds. One day, Soichiro was thinking about how to make something out of a radio generator engine, and came up with an idea.

As the A-Type bicycle auxiliary engine for bicycles gained popularity in 1949, Honda launched its first motorcycle, the Dream D-Type, and business grew rapidly. Less than a year after its establishment, however, Honda’s management ran into difficulties. Soichiro Honda, who devoted his whole life to technology, desperately needed a partner with managerial skills.

In 1954, Honda was facing its biggest ever crisis due to the recession, and several miscalculations. Even as they worked to resolve their major issues, Soichiro Honda and Takeo Fujisawa set their sights on a new goal: the Isle of Man TT races.

Takeo Fujisawa was not satisfied with motorcycle sales in Japan, and had a dream of exporting motorcycles to the U.S., the “world’s economic powerhouse.” In 1959, he dispatched Kihachiro Kawashima to establish American Honda. However, the U.S. market was tougher than expected.

Germany, August 1964. Honda became the first Japanese automaker to compete in F1 with the RA271, a white racing car emblazened with a red rising sun. Despite their hopes, they were unable to finish races. Soichiro Honda and team manager Yoshio Nakamura clash as they devote all their energies to winning.

Soichiro Honda, who taught people to continue pursuing dreams and to love others, embarked on a new dream.