Soichiro Honda and Takeo Fujisawa established Honda in 1948.
The company was founded as Honda Motor Co., Ltd., after Soichiro Honda had already built a business supplying motorized bicycles. Fujisawa joined as a business partner and helped develop sales, financing, and distribution while Honda concentrated on engineering and manufacturing.
Honda first became internationally known for motorcycles and later expanded into automobiles, power equipment, marine engines, and aircraft. Its first mass-produced automobile was the T360 mini truck, launched in 1963, followed by the S500 sports car. A common mistake is placing Honda’s founding in the motorcycle period alone: the company itself dates from 1948, while its automobile production began later.