Mr.Honda ~ "His Lengend Lives On"

NYCshopper · 11-17-2006, 07:25 AM

Honda Press Release:

Quote:

MR HONDA – HIS LEGEND LIVES ON

This Friday (November 17) is a special day for Honda – it’s 100 years since our founder, Soichiro Honda was born.

Mr Honda may have died on August 5, 1991, but his dreams live on in all of our products. From the HondaJet to the humblest lawnmower, all Hondas have been infused by the DNA of that special man.

Born on November 17, 1906, the son of a blacksmith and a weaver, Soichiro was fascinated by machines and what made them work. One of his earliest memories was being enthralled by the first motor car he had ever seen.

He later said: “As the car rolled through our small village I turned and chased after that car for all I was worth. I could not understand how it could move under its own power. And when it had driven past me, without even thinking why, I found myself chasing it down the road as hard as I could run.”

By the age of 15, Soichiro hadn’t any formal education, but he had a thirst for knowledge and what made things work. After a few years of helping his father in their bicycle repair business, Soichiro started as an apprentice at a garage, working as a car mechanic before starting his own auto repair business in 1928. Racing was an early passion. Soichiro built his first racing car with parts including a V8 aircraft engine, but he left racing in 1936 after a serious accident.

In 1948 Honda Motor Co was formed. The first Honda motorcycle – the A Type – was an early success, proving to Soichiro that motorcycles could be the answer to cheap transportation. Early machines were refined until the development of the legendary 1958 Super Cub.

A passion for racing was still in our founder’s blood and soon the Isle of Man TT races would provide the pedestal to advertise the quality of Honda’s motorcycles. In 1954 he said: “I here avow my intention that I will participate in the TT race and I proclaim with my fellow employees that I will pour all my energy and creative powers into winning.”

Two years after their debut on the island, Mike Hailwood won the Ultra-Lightweight and Lightweight TTs. Another dream was realised.

Others have since been chased, and realised: Formula 1 wins, a Formula 2 championship and countless motorcycle titles. Honda has diversified into road cars, All-Terrain Vehicles, engines, generators, outboard motors, personal watercraft, water pumps, scooters, snowblowers, robots and most recently jet aircraft.

Soichiro Honda remained president until his retirement in 1973, but he stayed on as a director and was appointed ‘supreme advisor’ in 1983. During his retirement, Soichiro remembered his humble roots and spent much of his time working with the Honda Foundation, which was set up to aid non-profit-making organisations which help youngsters in minority or impoverished communities. It was fitting that his was an active retirement, as both Soichiro and his wife Sachi both held private pilot’s licences and he also enjoyed sports as diverse as hang-gliding, ski-ing and ballooning. Long after retirement he was still often seen on the shop-floor, discussing problems with his engineers and managers.

10 famous Mr Honda quotes

“We only have one future, and it will be made of our dreams, if we have the courage to challenge convention.”

“Real happiness lies in the completion of work using your own brains and skills.”

“Racing improves the breed.”

“What we learn through failure becomes a precious part of us, strengthening us in everything we do. So let the tough things make you tougher.”

"Since I was a small child, one of my dreams has been to compete in motor vehicle races all over the world with a vehicle of my own making, and to win."

“We will not be content with this victory alone [first win in F1]. We will study why we won and aggressively apply those winning technologies to new cars.”

“Enjoying your work is essential. If your work becomes an expression of your own ideas, you will surely enjoy it.”

“After materials are carried into the factory, nothing but products should be carried out from it.”

“If Honda does not race there is no Honda.”

"Since I was a small child, one of my dreams has been to compete in motor vehicle races all over the world with a vehicle of my own making, and to win."

“Because the water raises rice and the fishes live in the water, I don’t want to contaminate it.”

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Optimus Prime · 11-17-2006, 01:30 PM

Nice read.

nKoan · 11-17-2006, 01:43 PM

Nice read. A good man too.

gumball · 11-17-2006, 02:29 PM

don't know the dates of the 4th to last and last quotes, but perhaps ahead of their time. the zero-pollution / zero-waste factory concept has yet to be realized.

quentinberg007 · 11-17-2006, 06:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gumball

don't know the dates of the 4th to last and last quotes, but perhaps ahead of their time. the zero-pollution / zero-waste factory concept has yet to be realized.

Toyota's West Virginia and Alabama factories are considered zero-waste.

Toyota's Alabama, West Virginia Plants Reach Zero Landfill Status

~~Quentin

woody06967 · 11-17-2006, 06:50 PM

good ole Mr. Honduh

pio!pio! · 11-17-2006, 07:21 PM

2 of the 10 quotes are the same

Hazdaz · 11-17-2006, 07:33 PM

Does anyone think that if Honda was an American company, it would be even as remotely successful today - both in terms of loyal customers, but also in it's drive for excellence and environmental responsibility?

quentinberg007 · 11-17-2006, 08:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hazdaz

Does anyone think that if Honda was an American company, it would be even as remotely successful today - both in terms of loyal customers, but also in it's drive for excellence and environmental responsibility?

No. I work for a Japanese auto company and it is pretty eye-opening at what sort of expectations everyone has and how the company is run as a whole. Decisions are never made by one person and there is always a method to doing everything. Flying by the seat of your pants doesn't happen and is considered very bad practice when attempted.

~~Quentin

fairladyz_gt-r · 11-18-2006, 01:36 AM

Emm...he isn't excatly a good man...if u read his biography the dude had mistress man....

02redwagone · 11-18-2006, 01:55 AM

Yeh thats horrible.

Noone ever does that in America. I hear he had an upside tho...

rice h8r · 11-18-2006, 07:35 PM

From experience our family had a 92 Grand Caravan and has a 93 Accord. The van would break down almost every two months or so; basically A LOT. The Accord had only one breakdown so far, a tranmission line came loose and it dumped all the tranny fluid out...
hurray for Japanese auto makers!!!

Impreza01 · 11-19-2006, 01:52 AM

I have a fear for Honda, and the fear is their cars will go the way of Toyota (soulless and boring). Hopefully the people who work there will not forget Soichiro Honda's passion for racing.

Eyeflyistheeye · 11-20-2006, 06:48 PM

IMHO, that's already happened.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Impreza01

I have a fear for Honda, and the fear is their cars will go the way of Toyota (soulless and boring). Hopefully the people who work there will not forget Soichiro Honda's passion for racing.

nKoan · 11-20-2006, 07:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fairladyz_gt-r

Emm...he isn't excatly a good man...if u read his biography the dude had mistress man....

Oh lord, not a mistress.

Well, I guess all his years of dedication to racing and making cars has completely been compromised.

Eyeflyistheeye · 11-20-2006, 08:44 PM

We must seek and locate pictures of said mistress. If said mistress is hot than Soichiro's legacy will be vindicated.

Quote:

Originally Posted by nKoan

Oh lord, not a mistress.

Well, I guess all his years of dedication to racing and making cars has completely been compromised.

Impreza01 · 11-20-2006, 10:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Eyeflyistheeye

IMHO, that's already happened.

Well, I'll consider it done when the S2000 and Civic Type R both die off. But I'll add Honda is damn close, hanging by the threads even.

Hazdaz · 11-21-2006, 02:12 AM

^^ I think only Honda of North America is slipping more toward the boring - but reliable - world that Toyota owns. I still think that Honda of Europe and Japan holds driving excitement at a little higher priority... and when I say that, I don't necissarily mean balls-to-the-wall performance, but just simply making even their urban-run-about, the City/Fit more fun to drive than other cars in it's class.

11-17-2006, 02:29 PM	#4
gumball Scooby Specialist Member#: 1209 Join Date: Apr 2000 Location: Wheaton, MD	early environmentalist? don't know the dates of the 4th to last and last quotes, but perhaps ahead of their time. the zero-pollution / zero-waste factory concept has yet to be realized.

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11-17-2006, 01:30 PM	#2
Optimus Prime Scooby Specialist Member#: 69847 Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Cybertron Vehicle: 2010 Evolution X	Nice read.

11-17-2006, 01:43 PM	#3
nKoan Scooby Specialist Member#: 38189 Join Date: Jun 2003 Chapter/Region: BAIC Location: Reno, NV Vehicle: 05 Legacy GT Garnet Red Pearl	Nice read. A good man too.

11-17-2006, 06:50 PM	#6
woody06967 Scooby Specialist Member#: 110330 Join Date: Mar 2006 Chapter/Region: Tri-State Location: Canandaigua, NY Vehicle: 2007 STI Limited 2012 MDX 2012 Golf TDI	good ole Mr. Honduh

11-17-2006, 07:21 PM	#7
pio!pio! Scooby Specialist Member#: 4190 Join Date: Feb 2001 Chapter/Region: BAIC Location: San Jose, CA Vehicle: 2008 Impreza WRX STi Aspen White	2 of the 10 quotes are the same

11-17-2006, 07:33 PM	#8
Hazdaz Scooby Guru Member#: 14611 Join Date: Jan 2002	Does anyone think that if Honda was an American company, it would be even as remotely successful today - both in terms of loyal customers, but also in it's drive for excellence and environmental responsibility?

11-18-2006, 01:36 AM	#10
fairladyz_gt-r Scooby Newbie Member#: 127116 Join Date: Sep 2006	Emm...he isn't excatly a good man...if u read his biography the dude had mistress man....

11-18-2006, 01:55 AM	#11
02redwagone Scooby Specialist Member#: 87067 Join Date: May 2005 Chapter/Region: AKIC Location: Oregon Coast/AK Vehicle: 02 Old but tasty SRP	Yeh thats horrible. Noone ever does that in America. I hear he had an upside tho...

11-18-2006, 07:35 PM	#12
rice h8r Scooby Guru Member#: 94524 Join Date: Aug 2005 Chapter/Region: Tri-State Location: Eternity.	From experience our family had a 92 Grand Caravan and has a 93 Accord. The van would break down almost every two months or so; basically A LOT. The Accord had only one breakdown so far, a tranmission line came loose and it dumped all the tranny fluid out... hurray for Japanese auto makers!!!

11-19-2006, 01:52 AM	#13
Impreza01 Scooby Specialist Member#: 152 Join Date: Aug 1999 Vehicle: 2002 Impreza WRX WRB	I have a fear for Honda, and the fear is their cars will go the way of Toyota (soulless and boring). Hopefully the people who work there will not forget Soichiro Honda's passion for racing.

11-21-2006, 02:12 AM	#18
Hazdaz Scooby Guru Member#: 14611 Join Date: Jan 2002	^^ I think only Honda of North America is slipping more toward the boring - but reliable - world that Toyota owns. I still think that Honda of Europe and Japan holds driving excitement at a little higher priority... and when I say that, I don't necissarily mean balls-to-the-wall performance, but just simply making even their urban-run-about, the City/Fit more fun to drive than other cars in it's class.