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American Honda 50th Anniversary Timeline

1959

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On June 11, American Honda Motor Co, Inc. is incorporated as thefirst overseas subsidiary of Honda Motor Co., Ltd., just elevenyears after the company’s inception as a small motorcyclemanufacturer in Japan.

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A handful of associates led by 39-year-old Kihachiro Kawashimabegin signing up U.S. motorcycle dealers, working out of a smallstorefront office at 4077 Pico Boulevard in Los Angeles, California.The Honda 50 (Super Cub), Dream and Benly motorcycles are thefirst Honda products sold in the U.S. First-year sales amounted to just over 1,700 units.

1959 AmericanHonda storefront,Pico Blvd., LosAngeles

1962

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Honda begins selling power equipment products in the U.S. Its firstproduct is the F-190 tiller followed by the E-300 and E-40 portablegenerators in 1964.

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American Honda launches the memorable 12-year ad campaign,"You meet the nicest people on a Honda" to create a new image offun and friendly motorcycling with U.S. consumers. Advertisementsappeared on billboards and in many of America’s most prestigiousmagazines of the day, and, in 1965, the company aired two 90-second commercials during the Academy Awards.

1962 F1901962 You Meet TheNicest People Ad

1963

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American Honda, now with approximately 800 motorcycle dealersaround the country, moves its corporate headquarters from PicoBoulevard to new offices in Gardena, California.

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Honda not only has to establish itself in the U.S. motorcyclemarket, it has to overcome the negative stereotype ofmotorcyclists.

1963 GardenaFacility

1968

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American Honda sells its one-millionth motorcycle in the U.S.

Honda Scooter Ad

1969

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American Honda sells a handful of its first automobile, the

diminutive N600 sedan, in Hawaii in 1969 followed by the start ofsales in the continental U.S. in 1970. The N600 carries amanufacturer’s suggested retail price (MSRP) of $1,275

1970 Honda N600

1973

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American Honda introduces the Civic hatchback at the outset ofAmerica’s first energy crisis. With an MSRP of $2,150, a fuel-efficient 4-cylinder engine, and a front-wheel drive/front enginelayout, the Civic is virtually an overnight hit with American carbuyers.

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Honda introduces the industry’s first 4-stroke outboard marineengines, which are cleaner, quieter and more fuel-efficient thancomparable 2-stroke motors.

1973 Civic 1500

1974

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The 1975 Civic CVCC (Compound Vortex-Combustion Controlled)is introduced as the first car to meet U.S. Clean Air Act exhaustemissions standards without the use of a catalytic converter. In1977, the Civic CVCC tops the U.S. EPA’s first-ever list of the mostfuel-efficient cars in America with an EPA fuel economy rating of 40mpg.

1975 Honda CVCCCivic

1975

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Honda begins market research and new model developmentactivities in America with the establishment of Honda ResearchCalifornia (later Honda R&D Americas, Inc.) in the company’sGardena, California, headquarters.

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Honda introduces the GL1100 “Gold Wing” igniting U.S. motorcycleriders passion for long-distance cruising

1975 Gold Wing

1976

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American Honda introduces the Honda Accord, first as ahatchback, followed by the Accord 4-door sedan in 1979. Accordsoon establishes itself as the new benchmark of mainstreameconomy sedans.

1976 AccordHatchback

1977

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Honda announces plan to produce* products in America, startingwith motorcycles, but with a plan to add automobiles in the future.Honda of America Mfg., Inc. is formally established in February1978.

1978 Ohio Flag atMarysville Site

1979

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On September 10, Honda of America Mfg. begins production of the

Honda CR250M Elsinore motorcycle at the Marysville MotorcyclePlant in Marysville, Ohio, making Honda the first Japaneseautomaker to produce products of any kind in America. Withindays of the start of motorcycle production, Honda decides to goahead with plans for a new automobile factory in Ohio.

1979 CR250RHonda of Americaline-off event

1980

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Honda breaks ground on a new $250 million auto plant inMarysville, Ohio.

1982

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On November 1, a slate gray Accord Sedan is driven off the end ofthe assembly line at the Marysville Auto Plant (MAP), makingHonda the first Japanese automaker to build automobiles in theU.S. Over the next 25 years, Honda will invest more than $3.8billion in expanding and modernizing MAP to ensure that it remainsone of the U.S. auto industry’s most flexible and efficientproduction facilities.

1982 first HondaAccord line-offevent in Ohio

1984

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In February, American Honda confirms its plans for a new luxury-performance division called internally “Channel II” as an alternativeto well-established European brands. The new division iseventually named Acura.

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On August 6, Honda Power Equipment Mfg., Inc., beginsassembling Honda lawnmowers at a new plant in Swepsonville,NC. The plant steadily expands its capacity to more than 340,000lawnmowers and 2 million general-purpose engines annually.

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With heavy influence from American Honda and Honda R&DAmericas, the company introduces the1984 Honda CRX-HF, thefirst car to achieve an EPA fuel economy rating in excess of 50miles per gallon.

Start Up ofLawnmowerProduction

1985

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On July 22, the Anna Engine Plant (AEP) in Anna, Ohio, beginsproduction of Gold Wing engines. AEP would build its firstautomobile engine in September 1986 and goes on to becomeHonda’s highest volume engine plant in the world with an annualproduction capacity of 1.2 million units (in 2008).

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The Marysville Auto Plant (MAP) accomplishes the U.S. autoindustry’s first rolling model change with the launch of the 1986Accord without a plant shutdown. MAP is also the first U.S. auto