Soichiro Honda and Takeo Fujisawa established Honda in Japan in 1948.
The company began as Honda Motor Co., Ltd., initially producing motorized bicycles and small motorcycles. Fujisawa joined Honda soon after its founding and handled much of the business and financial strategy, while Honda focused on engineering and product development.
Honda’s breakthrough came with lightweight motorcycles designed for everyday use. Its Super Cub, introduced in 1958, became one of the world’s most successful motor vehicles and helped the company expand internationally.
Honda entered automobile manufacturing in the 1960s, beginning with the T360 mini truck and S500 sports car. It is often confused with Toyota or Yamaha because all are major Japanese manufacturers, but Honda was founded by Soichiro Honda and Takeo Fujisawa, not by those companies’ founders.