Soichiro Honda, a man who came from abject poverty and no financial support, proved to the rest of the world that it truly takes a dream to realise your passion. Without the means and through sheer hard work, Soichiro built his dream company from scratch and with a focus on the future. From building a cycle in a garage, to creating one of the largest automobile stores in the world, Soichiro Honda’s story is one of inspiration, dreams and success stories!

The Beginning

Belonging to a very small village in Japan called Komya, Soichiro had a very difficult childhood. The twentieth century had just started and the first car the world was exposed to was the Ford cars. In fact, even Soichiro’s love for cars first started when he saw a majestic Ford car on the tiny streets of his hometown. A young Soichiro had difficulty understanding how such a powerful car could drive down the road without anything propelling it forward. So fascinated was he by the car’s super powers, he chased it down to the end of the road to take a closer look at what would be his inspiration for the first ever Honda car.

At the age of 15 (in 1922,) Soichiro’s love for automobiles grew so much, he left home to apprentice at Art Shokai, an automobile repair shop in Tokyo. Dedicated and filled with a passion like never before, the 15 year old Soichiro put his heart and soul into learning everything about the world of cars. At Art Shokai, the young man learnt everything he could. From gaining technical experience about the product, to gaining an in depth experience about the inner workings of a car, this apprenticeship gave Soichiro the wings he needed to fly.

It took Soichiro six years to finish his training and by the year 1928, the young Honda had so much knowledge, he could put even the most trained engineers to shame! Opening a new branch of Art Shoika, Soichiro started working on building everything from two wheelers to trucks. Unfortunately, Soichiro’s investors were not as impressed with the young entrepreneur’s growth chart and refused to back him up when the business started booming. The time had now come for Soichiro to think of a new place to let his expertise and experience shine.

Picture credits: bikebandit.com

The birth of the Honda company

Undeterred, Soichiro started a brand new company called Tokai Seiki Heavy Industry in the year 1936. Despite being told by the lenders that they wouldn’t back him, the young Honda still worked at the Art Shoika Company. The initial days of Tokai Seiki were quite hectic. After putting a full day’s work in Art Shokai, Soichiro would work at making piston rings at night. However, like any other major venture, the first order taken by Soichiro was rejected almost immediately, pushing him back to the beginning of it all.

Since the very first days of the Honda company, everything Soichiro did was during the most arduous conditions. During the Second World War, when the Ministry of Munitions took control of Tokai Seiki, Soichiro pushed forward instead of buckling down under the pressure. Developing a technique for mass producing wooden airplanes, Soichiro reinvented the way Japanese aircrafts flew and functioned. This new invention was the first step toward the creation of what Honda is today and after the War, Soichiro opened the Honda Technical Research Institute. Realising the scarcity of gas at the time, the Honda Technical Research Institute built the first ever gas propelled cycle.

By the year 1949, Honda Motor Company Limited was established as the biggest bicycle creator and was starting to break new ground in this area. The first ever mass produced motorised bike, the Dream D (painted in maroon) was an instant hit the moment it hit the streets and this paved the way for the creation of the Honda C 100! So famous was the Honda C 100, it became the most popular motorcycle ever made by Honda in the beginning years! From then, there was absolutely no stopping Honda and with every new motorcycle made, the Company started growing with increasing speed and precision.

Picture credits: alamy.com

Over the years, Honda mastered the art of making motorcycles and by 1963, the Company was all set to expand into the world of cars. The first fleet of cars introduced by Honda were very similar to the bikes made during Second World War, with strong influences drawn from Honda’s initial days. By 1973, Honda’s expertise grew so quickly, it started expanding and was all set to sell cars to the United States. The first ever car it sold in the United States was the Honda Civic and since then, there was absolutely no turning back for this superstar! In fact, the Honda Civic was such a hit, it won awards for being the best car during the year it released.

The following years saw Honda grow to not just be an automobile industry but also a beacon of change for the way people all over the world rode their bikes and cars. It was through sheer hard work, determination and understanding of how the automobile industry worked, Soichiro Honda was a man who realised his dream and made it come true despite all adversities. 

An inspirational success and a story which needed to be told, Honda’s journey is a true guidance of hope and light. If you think you have an equally inspiring story to share about Soichiro Honda, comment and let us know!