Honda

The widely recognized company Honda was founded and incorporated by Sochiro Honda. This man was considered to be one of the foremost Japanese engineers, as he acquired an expert knowledge of internal combustion engines after he left school early and began to work as an apprentice in a machine shop. Unsurprisingly, his plans to develop a standalone company were put on hold during the Second World War. It was not until 1948 that Honda became full incorporated within occupied Japan. Due to the shortage of raw materials and skilled labour, Honda produced its first motorcycles from existing prewar machine parts.

The company steadily grew throughout the 1950s and the Japanese public witnessed a number of innovative motorcycle designs that became popular within the domestic marketplace. With such expansion, it was only a matter of time before Honda would enter into the realm of automobiles. The company produced its first vehicle in 1963 and due to its appearance as sports car, the western audience took a keen interest.

This interest was further heightened with Honda's racing vehicle known as the S 500. As a testament to the ingenuity of the still-fledgling company, this model won the Formula One racing championship in Mexico in 1965.

Still, Honda is primarily known for its economy cars such as the the Civic and other vehicles that were (and still are) designed with cost and efficiency in mind. This allowed Honda to enter into the worldwide marketplace and to enjoy a solid reputation which is still well-recognized today.