Honda's incredible innovations

Soichiro Honda spearheaded the company’s fortunes to build it into one of the world’s great carmakers

So he built a factory using a unique concrete-making process – but it was bombed twice during world war two.

And still Soichiro Honda wasn’t disheartened – and today, his company still stands as one of the world’s leading carmakers.

Vijay Pattni looks at the Japanese marque’s greatest innovations.

It’s great when things just…work.

But for Soichiro Honda – founder of the Honda Motor Company – his early career was beset by a pattern of failure and misfortune.
 
He designed a new form of piston ring in the 1930’s and was set to sell the idea to Toyota – who snubbed his plans.

When they reconsidered, Honda had to increase capacity and needed a factory to work from – but this factory was bombed twice during world war two and eventually obliterated completely.

Facing near disaster, the plucky young upstart wrote to 18,000 bicycle shop owners in a strongly worded letter – a call to arms to the Japanese – asking for money to help rebuild the battered nation.

And with the money he received, he began honing designs on a humble motorbike, eventually creating the Super Cub – using a simple motor attached to a pushbike, to create an efficient form of transport.

From there, Soichiro spearheaded the company’s fortunes to build it into one of the world’s great carmakers.

And the Japanese giant’s impeccable record for reliability and ingenuity suggests today, things just…work.

Honda’s greatest innovations:

• Soichiro hankers for a cheap, efficient method of transport and bolts an engine to the back of a pushbike, refining the design until he settles on the Super Cub – one of the world’s best selling motorbikes.

• Honda rolls out its first production automobile in 1963 – the Honda T360 – with a simple 492cc engine pushing out 44bhp. But Honda’s motorbike roots shine through – the engine revs to a massive 9,500rpm.

• Emissions laws in the US during the 1970’s meant American carmakers had to fit expensive converters – the Honda Civic had a unique CVCC engine design which made the car more efficient and cheaper than others.

• The 1987 Honda Prelude was the first passenger vehicle in the world to come equipped with four-wheel steering – meaning the rear wheels would steer fractionally, aiding agility.

• Honda launches the VTEC system - Variable Valve Timing and Lift Electronic Control – into its engines, giving improved economy and performance over a variety of engine speeds.

• The Japanese marque creates the first hybrid vehicle with the Honda Insight – merging a 1-litre petrol engine with a large battery pack to produce low emissions.

• The Honda HA-420 HondaJet aeroplane utilises advanced materials which made it fuel efficient and lightweight – for example, the wings are made from single sheets of structurally reinforced aluminium, making them smoother and more aerodynamic.

• Honda builds its four-foot high ASIMO robot – which stands for Advanced Step in Innovative MObility. The technology inside ASIMO allows it, for example, to register human movements and postures – offering up a hand prompts ASIMO to outstretch his as he recognises the handshake.

Click here for our exclusive Honda slide show.