Soichiro Honda

Soichiro Honda (http://image.motortrend.com/f/27525139+w1500+ar1+st0/soichiro-honda.jpg ())

Matthew Nguyen

"Honda delayed automobile production because the Japanese Government discouraged small companies from competing with bigger companies, such as Nissan and Toyota. Small companies such as Honda Motor Co. was to remain in their current position on the market. Honda, however, took an unusually aggressive approach to stand up to the Japanese Government, and by the early 1960's, his company would finally see action. In 1962, a lightweight truck was introduced, and in the following year a sports car made its début. Honda's first lightweight passenger car was put on the market in 1967. One of Honda's greatest successes was the introduction of the Honda Civic in 1972, which was to go on sale as a 1973 model, when the Civic model was launched. (Boyle)."  Today the Honda Civic is still a popular choice of cars among the working class all over the world. The Civic possessed a compound vortex controlled combustion engine system or CVCC, which gained a quick advantage over the competition by being the first to meet the 1975 emission standards created under the United States Clean Air Act (Boyle).  Honda's own government was against him.  Honda's Company was already the biggest motorcycle manufacture in Japan, and the fact the Japanese Government told Honda not to enter automobile production had a big impact on Honda's decision to begin production of automobiles. Honda had realized going into the car industry would be difficult. Finally, in August 1962, Honda Motor Company produced its first automobile a lightweight truck (Boyle).  Honda is my hero because he got the courage to stand up to do what he dreamed of. Honda Motor Co. is responsible for creating several innovative automotive break through such as the CVCC engine, was able to comply with the United States Clean Air Act. The United States Clean Air Act was troublesome for the domestic automobile companies. The competition they would have to up their quality, get better gas mileage, and pass new strict SMOG requirements. Something Honda had accomplished with the Civic. Soichiro Honda is my hero because without Honda Motor Co., quality of automobiles would be low. Unfortunately for Honda, his company ran into trouble, as it was about to take off. "Honda's Company, prospered as The Japanese Military demanded more and more of his company's products, including piston rings and metal aircraft propellers, accelerated. In the final year of World War II, his factory took a direct hit in a bombing raid and was damaged more due to an earthquake. (Boyle)" Honda was successful during the years of the war.  When bombs hit Honda's factory, he didn't let that stop him. Honda was strong and got the courage again to rebuild another factory and go into automobile productions.  Honda also came up with a new idea. Why not have a factory in a different country?

Soichiro Honda was not only persistent, but he was also had an opened minded and did a lot of things other automakers didn't think of before. Honda had dreamed of a factory off his home turf, so he set out to build one. "A Maverick in the Japanese industry, Honda was the first to accept the idea of manufacturing in the United States when most Japanese thought it would be a mistake building a factory in foreign soil. (Honda soichiro) " They thought they could not watch the production line if it wasn't on their land. At the time Japanese carmakers thought American cars were bad because of the workers. They thought the workers were lazy and sad. Soichiro Honda proved them wrong when he opened his factory in Ohio. He proved American workers can get the job done and do it well. Honda was so opened minded; in fact, he let one of his most successful cars enter in the United States.  "The Honda civic in 1972, which would sale as a 1973 model, when the Civic model was launched. (Boyle) " The civic was the game changer for Honda. The car was and still is popular in the United States because it gets better Gas mileage than other cars, and it has better quality. This didn't just help Honda make profit, but it also help the American car companies build better cars with better gas mileage and quality, which American cars now posses. Honda not only challenged himself to make quality cars, but he also challenged his competitions.            

Honda NSX Type R (http://www.ssip.net/upload/honda-nsx-r-back-3_70.jpg ())

 "Honda created a lot of things for his automobile at the time where revolutionary. When Honda felt his bicycle wasn't quick enough to get around, he created a small motorcycle. Gas for cars was expensive after the war, so Honda rode the train every day. He hated riding the train, but riding his bicycle was too slow. So Honda came up with a revolutionary idea.  "He combined the bicycle's structure and a small motor to create a mini low cost motorcycle.  "This caught the interest of a local businessman Takeo Fujisawa, who had a motorcycle factory. Honda and Fujisawa then teamed up and founded the Honda Motor Company (soichiro).  Honda continued to improve motorcycle engines to make them more powerful and efficient while keep them at the same low price. Honda was good at problem solving. That creation alone helped him eventually become the largest motorcycle company in Japan. Honda was creative and often found unique solutions to his problems. Honda wasn't just creative with motorcycle; he was also good with cars. "Honda intended to compete in North America with Germany's Volkswagen, in order to have his Civic have an extra "Oomph", he had the Civic possess a compound vortex controlled combustion engine system or CVCC, which had a big advantage over the competition by being the first car to pass the 1975 emission standards set forth by the United States Clean Air Act (Boyle)". For Honda this meant the Civic was better than the Volkswagen, by having parts and doing things Volkswagen's cars couldn't do. This meant the Civic was a clean car to drive because it does not pass off as much poisonous gas to the air. All those made Honda become an excellent automaker. "He became the first Japanese carmaker to enter the Automobile Hall of Fame. (Soichiro) "           

Honda faced many roadblocks before he had reached success. He was bombed and lost his factory (Boyle). His own government didn't want him to do what he dreamed of (Boyle). Honda's hardships in his eyes were not roadblocks, but it made him and his company stronger and brought him success. Soichiro Honda inspires me because he showed me if you put your mind to something you can succeed. He showed me, when you face difficulties; you have to push through them. In the end when trying to reach success we all need heroes that can provide us with a sense of direction. We all need someone who we can look up to for help or direction. As Honda once said, "Success is 99% failure."