Trajectory of Challenges
Maintaining Spirited Independence
in the Face of Fierce Headwinds
“The Power of Dreams” was established as Honda’s global brand slogan
to guide all its activities in the 21st century.
The slogan clearly states the company’s will of spirited independence
in an era of mergers and acquisitions. During this period,
Honda launched advanced creations worthy of its brand in the new century,
such as the Fit with a center tank layout and FCX Clarity fuel cell vehicle.

Japan in the 2000s
The economy bottomed out and corporate performance began to recover. However, real economic growth was still less than 1%, a “recovery without the satisfaction,” and consumer spending was sluggish. This gradual economic expansion continued for 73 months, the longest period in the postwar period, but the global financial crisis in 2008 dragged Japan’s economy back into a major recession. As the economies of developed countries cooled, China’s GDP became the world’s third largest after the U.S. and Japan.

Pursuing Environmental Performance,
And Enjoyment and Pleasure that FCVs Can Provide
FCX Clarity (2008)
Honda has been evolving fuel cell vehicles since the FCX was introduced in 2002, and the FCX Clarity was a further breakthrough. Honda built a revolutionary platform by downsizing the power plant, including the fuel cell system, drive motor, and hydrogen tank. In addition to its environmental performance, the FCX Clarity proposed to the world the concept that “a car should always be a dream come true and fun to drive.”

Seeking and Realizing Dreams
Together with People
The Power of Dreams (2000)
In 2000, Honda created a new global brand slogan, “The Power of Dreams,” as its benchmark for all of its corporate activities in the 21st century, based on its founding philosophy of “seeking and realizing dreams together with people.” The design of product logos, such as the wing mark for motorcycles and the H mark for automobiles, was also renewed for the new century.

Envisioning a Future to Make People
Happy Through Technology
ASIMO (2000)
ASIMO was created to be with people, to be useful, to improve their quality of life, and to expand their possibilities. In addition to being able to move freely on stairs and slopes, ASIMO was also able to provide specialized movements and audio guidance tailored to the user’s needs.

Innovations in Small Cars with
Unique M/M Concept
Fit (2001)
The Fit was designed to be the new benchmark for the world, by rethinking what kind of small car Honda should create. The small car’s global platform was developed to achieve innovative spaciousness in a small size, aiming to be light weight, simple, and rational. The M/M (Man Maximum, Machine Minimum) concept was pursued to create the ideal small car.

Challenges Etched in the History of
Motorcycle Racing
500th WGP Victory (2001)
Honda’s history of WGP victories began with its win in the opening round of the 1961 Spanish GP. 1966 saw Honda win all five classes of the WGP, but the company suspended its participation after the 1967 season. 1979 saw Honda return to the WGP, but it would be three years before it won again. In 2001, Honda achieved its 500th WGP victory. This was an outstanding achievement, by a company that has continued to race for 40 years, and will not accept defeat.
- Containers and
Packaging Recycling
Law enforced. - Child restraints are
mandated under the
revised Road Traffic
Law.
P.T. Astra Honda Motor (AHJ)
established in Indonesia to
consolidate motorcycle production
and sales.
Production of CR-V at Honda of
the UK Manufacturing (HUM)
begins.
Enters F1 as joint project with
British American Racing.
ATV FourTrax Foreman Rubicon
with new Hondamatic (HFT)
transmission introduced.

New generation engine DOHC
i-VTEC introduced and equipped
in the Stream.

Fully revamped Civic and Civic
Ferio (Civic’s 7th generation)
launched.
- 9/11 terrorist attacks
in the U.S. - Bank of Japan
decides on its first
quantitative easing
policy. - Universal Studios
JapanⓇ, Tokyo Disney
SeaⓇ open.
Honda Motorcycle Japan (HMJ)
established*22

Honda Manufacturing of Alabama
(HMA) starts operations and
begins production of Odyssey.
Sundiro Honda Motorcycle Co., Ltd.
established in China.

Gold Wing, with a horizontally
opposed 6-cylinder 1800 cc engine, launched.

Civic Hybrid launched.
BF225 and BF200, the world’s
largest class 4-stroke outboard
engines, launched.


The revolutionary small Fit
launched.
Production of outboard engines
begins at Hamamatsu Factory’s
Hosoe Plant.
India Honda Motorcycle and
Scooter India (HMSI) launched its
first scooter model, the ACTIVA.

WGP500 Valentino Rossi
wins 11 races to secure
riders’ and manufacturers’
titles.
Honda achieves 500th
WGP victory at Japan GP.
- Keidanren and
Nikkeiren merge to
form Nippon
Keidanren (Japan
Business Federation). - Euro, the EU’s unified
currency, begins
circulating. - Revised Vehicle Law
was enacted,
tightening regulations
on recalls.
“Dream” motorcycle dealers
network system introduced in
Japan*23
Honda Motorcycle R&D China Co.,
Ltd. (HRCh) in Shanghai, China
Production of general-purpose
engines at Jialing-Honda Motor
Co., Ltd. begins.

WGP500 renamed to MotoGP,
RC211V MotoGP debuts.
Valentino Rossi wins riders’ and
manufacturers’ titles

World’s lightest 4-stroke engine,
the GX25, with a 360° free-tilt,
ultra-compact design, launched.
Honda Wave α, a high-quality,
low-priced Cub-type motorcycle,
launched in Vietnam.
Exports to Japan of the Today
scooter manufactured by Sundiro
Honda Motorcycle Co., Ltd. begin.
Quality Innovation Center opened
in Tochigi.


FCX, the world's first fuel cell
vehicle, receives U.S. government
certification.
ASIMO rings the bell at the
New York Stock Exchange to
begin trading.
- Japan Post
established. - The number of ETC
on-board units
exceeds 1 million
units.
Hiroyuki Yoshino retires, and
Takeo Fukui becomes Honda’s
sixth president.

Dongfeng Honda Automobile
(WDHAC) and Honda Automobile
(China)(CHAC) established.

MotoGP RC211V rider Valentino
Rossi wins manufacturers’ title.
CB400 Super Four equipped with
VTEC SPEC III engine launched.
2nd generation BF150 and BF135
outboard engines equipped with
DOHC VTEC launched.
Inspire with newly-developed V6
3.0L i-VTEC engine with variable
cylinder system launched in Japan.
Regional Operations (China) is
established, creating a six-region
operations structure.
Voluntary beach cleaner
development and beach cleanup
activities are recognized as
official company initiatives.

CB1300 Super Four launched
Successful first flight of HondaJet
concept (equipped with HF118
engine).

- Revised Worker
Dispatch Law lifts ban
on dispatching
workers to
manufacturing
operations. - Revision of the Road
Traffic Law, including
revision of the
two-seat limit for
motorcycles on
expressways, is
announced.
Honda and GE establish GE Honda
Aero Engines, a joint venture
company for sales and customer
support of light jet engines.

Fit production begins at
Guangzhou Honda Automobile Co.,
Ltd. (GHAC).

CBR1000RR Fireblade (SC57)
launched.
Accord Hybrid (cylinder
deactivation + IMA) launched in
the U.S.
CR-V production begins at
Dongfeng Honda Automobile
(Wuhan) Co., Ltd. (WDHAC).
Capital investment in Honda F1
team B-A-R.
Honda’s first in-house inverter
generator rolls off the line at
Honda Engineering (EG-T).
EM/EB series, the world's first
sine-wave inverter-equipped
generators capable of
simultaneous 100V and 200V
output, launched.
- Kyoto Protocol takes
effect. - Personal Information
Protection Law
enacted. - Automobile Recycling
Law enacted.
World's first FCX fuel cell vehicle
capable of starting in sub-zero
temperatures is leased to private
customers.
Honda Motor (China) Co., Ltd.
(CHAC) begins to ship the Jazz
(Japanese name: Fit) to Europe.
Acquires all shares of F1 B-A-R
Honda Ltd.
iGX440, the world’s first
next-generation general-purpose
engine with electronic control
technology, introduced.
Develops the 1.8L i-VTEC engine
that achieves both powerful
running and low fuel consumption
by controlling valve timing.
Production of diesel engines
begins at HUM in the U.K.
Jialing-Honda Motors Co., Ltd.
discontinues production of
motorcycles and focuses on the
power products business.
Cumulative global production of
the Super Cub series reaches
50 million units.
HondaJet exhibited at the
Oshkosh Air Show in the U.S.

- Economic expansion
exceeds the Izanagi
economic boom and
becomes the longest
in the postwar period. - Digital terrestrial
broadcasting and
one-segment
terrestrial
broadcasting begin. - Japan Post Holdings
Co., Ltd. established.
Establishes Honda Cars dealer
system*24

Production of Civic begins at
Dongfeng Honda Automobile
(Wuhan) Co., Ltd. (WDHAC).

Jenson Button wins the 13th
round of the F1 World
Championship in Hungary

Honda Aircraft Company (HACI)
established to develop,
manufacture, and market
HondaJet aircraft.


Beach Cleanup Project launched.

Flex-fuel vehicles in Brazil.
Civic FFV and Fit FFV launched.
MotoGP RC211V Nicky Hayden
wins riders’, rookies’ and
manufacturers’ titles.
Suzuka Circuit Land and
Twin Ring Motegi merge to form
Mobilityland Corporation.

Thai Honda (TH) and Vietnam
Honda (HVN) produce and launch
their first AT scooter, the Click.
Honda Motorcycle Riding Trainer
for safe motorcycle riding
education launched in Japan.
- Japan Post
privatization begins. - “2007 problem” -
significant number of
baby boomers leave
the workforce. - U.S. subprime loan
problem surfaces.
Three-wheeled motorcycle taxi
manufacturing and sales begin at
Honda Selva Del Peru S.A.(HSP)
in Itoquiz, Peru.

New MotoGP RC212V (800 cc, V4)
debuts.
Guangzhou Honda Automobile
Research & Development Co., Ltd.
(GHRD), an automobile research
company, established by
Guangzhou Honda.
Air Blade, Honda Vietnam’s second
automatic transmission scooter,
is developed and launched.
Indonesia's first Cub-type model,
the REVO debuts.

Gold Wing (airbag), equipped with
the world’s first motorcycle airbag
system, launched.
Completely revamped Fit launched.
- Medical care system
for the elderly begins
in the latter half of
the year - Lehman Brothers, a
major investment
bank in the U.S.,
collapses.
Super Cub series celebrates the
50th anniversary and cumulative
production of 60 million units.
New City produced at Honda
Automobile (Thailand) Co., Ltd.
(HATC) Ayutthaya Plant launched.

DN-01 equipped with the
innovative automatic mechanism
HFT*25 launched.
Announces withdrawal from F1
racing activities.

FCX Clarity, launched for
lease in Japan and the U.S.
Fully revamped CBR1000RR
Fireblade (SC59 early model)
launched.
Develops the world’s first
electronically controlled combined
ABS, a new brake system for
supersports models.
- The yen hits 84 yen
against the dollar,
the strongest in 14
years. - Tax breaks for
eco-friendly cars
begin.
Takeo Fukui retires, and new
Takanobu Ito becomes Honda’s
seventh president.

CG150 TITAN MIX, an FFM
motorcycle with flexible fuel
selection, and City, an FFV
four-wheeler, launched in Brazil
New 125 cc scooter PCX, produced
and launched by Honda Thailand
(TH) for global market.
Tama Tech closes.
Civic Type R Euro introduced.
World's first braking system,
electronically controlled combined
ABS for supersport models,
equipped on CBR1000RR Fireblade
launched.
- 22A comprehensive sales company consolidating motorcycle sales functions in Japan to meet diversifying customer expectations in the motorcycle business and to develop efficient sales activities with a high degree of satisfaction. HMJ engages in a variety of activities to improve customer satisfaction, including product planning, marketing, motor sports, and advertising activities.
- 23Dream Dealers are “prestige dealers” created to meet the increasing demands of customers.
While the goal has always been to satisfy a large number of customers, the Dream Dealers aim to satisfy all customers everyone who ride Honda motorcycles. Dream Dealers were introduced as a venue that not only sells the latest models, but also offers all the “fun” of motorcycling, including various events and safe riding lessons, and that directly communicate Honda’s passion to its customers. - 24Going back to the customer-first perspective, Honda integrated its sales channels into Honda Cars in March 2006. The purpose was to strengthen its sales network by rebuilding an optimal sales network suitable for a one-channel system, increasing the size of dealerships in major cities, and opening dealerships that incorporate the new Honda Cars concept.
- 25DN-01 was developed based on the concept of a comfortable sports cruiser, aiming to create new value and propose a new motorcycle lifestyle. A new transmission was adopted: the HFT (Human Fitting Transmission), a hydraulic-mechanical continuously variable transmission, and in addition to two types of fully automatic modes, it was equipped with a 6-speed manual mode that allows gear shifting at the touch of a button. The HFT also featured the world’s first lock-up mechanism as a hydraulic continuously variable transmission, which enables smooth riding without shift shock, making riding easier and more comfortable than on previous sports models. HFT continued to evolve from the Juno M85’s HRD in 1962, and was equipped on a large two-wheeled sports model for the first time.