Frequently Asked Questions about Classic Honda

Who founded Honda and when?

Soichiro Honda founded Honda Motor Co., Ltd. on September 24, 1948, in Hamamatsu, Japan, and the company carries his family name. It grew out of the Honda Technical Research Institute, which he set up in Hamamatsu in 1946 and which built small engines for bicycles. Takeo Fujisawa joined in 1949 to run the business side, and both men retired in October 1973.

What was the first car Honda made?

Honda's first production automobile was the T360, a small pickup truck that went on sale in Japan in 1963. The S500 sports car followed in October 1963. Both used small twin-cam four-cylinder engines. According to the Honda Sports Registry, no S-series sports cars were ever officially imported to the United States for retail sale.

When did Honda start selling cars in the United States?

Honda began selling cars in the United States in 1969, when the N600 sedan went on sale in Hawaii, and sales in the continental United States started in 1970. American Honda Motor Co. had been established in Los Angeles on June 11, 1959, to sell motorcycles. The N600 used an air-cooled two-cylinder engine and was sold through 1972.

When did the Honda Civic first come out?

The Honda Civic went on sale in Japan in July 1972, and American Honda introduced it in the United States in 1973, the year the first oil crisis began. A version with the low-emission CVCC engine debuted in Japan in December 1973 and reached American buyers as the 1975 Civic CVCC.

What does CVCC mean on a classic Honda?

CVCC stands for Compound Vortex Controlled Combustion, a Honda engine design unveiled on October 11, 1972. A small pre-chamber near the spark plug received a rich mixture that ignited a very lean charge in the main chamber, which let the engine meet the 1975 United States emissions requirements without a catalytic converter. Honda licensed the technology to Toyota, Ford, Chrysler and Isuzu.

When did Honda start building cars in the United States?

Honda started building cars in the United States on November 1, 1982, when the first Accord sedan came off the line at its plant in Marysville, Ohio. It was the first Japanese car built in the United States. Honda had opened a motorcycle plant at Marysville in 1979. That first gray Accord is now at The Henry Ford museum in Dearborn, Michigan.

Is Acura made by Honda?

Yes. Acura is Honda's luxury division, launched in the United States on March 27, 1986, as the first luxury brand from a Japanese automaker. It opened with 60 dealers and two model lines, the Integra in three-door and five-door form and a larger luxury sedan. The 1991 Acura NSX sports car followed.

What does VTEC stand for, and which Honda had it first?

VTEC stands for Variable Valve Timing and Lift Electronic Control, a Honda system that switches between camshaft profiles to suit low and high engine speeds. It debuted in Japan on the 1989 Honda Integra XSi, whose twin-cam B16A engine made 160 horsepower. The first VTEC car sold in the United States was the 1991 Acura NSX.