In what year was Honda Motor Co., Ltd. founded?

Honda Motor Co., Ltd. was founded in 1948. The company was formally incorporated on September 24, 1948, in Hamamatsu, Japan, by Soichiro Honda and Takeo Fujisawa.

Honda’s immediate predecessor was the Honda Technical Research Institute, established by Soichiro Honda in October 1946. That small operation fitted surplus engines to bicycles, helping provide inexpensive transportation in postwar Japan. After the institute was reorganized and Fujisawa joined, the new company began building a more ambitious motorcycle business.

The early Honda A-Type bicycle engine and the 1949 Dream D-Type motorcycle established the company’s reputation for practical, affordable engineering. Honda later expanded into automobiles, power equipment, marine engines, robotics, and aircraft.

A common mix-up is 1946, which refers to the founding of Honda’s research institute rather than Honda Motor Co., Ltd. itself. The company’s legal formation—and the answer to this question—belongs to 1948.