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Originally Posted by B18BSol
Is this the same person that asked for help researching automobile advances in the 80s? If so, my god you're way better at research than I ever was...:thumpup:
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Sure it was me? Can't recall, sorry
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Very interesting post, thank you 
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Ya zvelcome. Meh, no bashing from the domestic croud, how exceptional.
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Any "History" on Honda? Like I said, I suck at research...unless it's to prove 500hpEVOIX wrong, over and over and over again. 
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Soichiro Honda was born in 1906. He grew up helping his father repair bicycles in the little town of Komyo. At 16, he headed to Tokyo, 270 kilometers away, to take an apprenticeship at an automobile repair shop. At the age of 22, he opened a repair shop back in Komyo.
He took up racing and after a violent crash, he was convinced by his wife to retire from the sport. (pussy wiped
) The repair business alone was not enough to keep him occupied.. This restlessness led to his venture into piston ring manufacturing in 1937.
A lack of formal education in automotive mechanics brought Honda to the Hamamatsu School of Technology. Robert L. Shook, in his book Honda: An American Success Story, stated that Honda was a poor student in his school days. "Honda reluctantly attended classes while continuing to run his business. Honda stubbornly paid little attention to anything in class that did not relate directly to piston rings. He took no notes, nor did he bother to take written examinations. The head of the school told him he would not receive a diploma if he refused to be tested. With that, Honda retorted that a diploma had less value than a movie ticket. 'A ticket will get you a seat in a movie theater, but a diploma won't get you a job!'"
In addition to the zaibatsu, Japanese industry relied heavily on the gakubatsu, described by Shook as "the 'good old boy' networking system that placed more emphasis on what school a person graduated from than on his or her ability to perform on the job." Honda had no respect for this system.
In September 24, 1948 the Honda Motor Co. was founded. Soichiro Honda took advantage of a gap in the Japanese market that was decimated by World War II, Japan was starved of money and fuel, but still in need of basic transport. Honda, utilizing his manufacturing facilities, attached an engine to a bicycle, creating a cheap and efficient transport.
The Honda piston manufacturing facilities were almost completely destroyed. Soichiro Honda created a new company with what he had left, giving it the name "Honda Giken Kōgyō Kabushiki Kaisha" which translates to "Honda Research Institute Co. Ltd." Despite its grandiose name, the first facility bearing that name was a simple wooden shack where Mr. Honda and associates would fit engines to bicycles. Interestingly, the official Japanese name for Honda Motor Co. Ltd. remains the same, in honor of Soichiro Honda's efforts.
In September 24, 1948 the Honda Motor Co. was founded. Soichiro Honda took advantage of a gap in the Japanese market that was decimated by World War II, Japan was starved of money and fuel, but still in need of basic transport. Honda, utilizing his manufacturing facilities, attached an engine to a bicycle, creating a cheap and efficient transport.
The Honda piston manufacturing facilities were almost completely destroyed. Soichiro Honda created a new company with what he had left, giving it the name "Honda Giken Kōgyō Kabushiki Kaisha" which translates to "Honda Research Institute Co. Ltd." Despite its grandiose name, the first facility bearing that name was a simple wooden shack where Mr. Honda and associates would fit engines to bicycles. Interestingly, the official Japanese name for Honda Motor Co. Ltd. remains the same, in honor of Soichiro Honda's efforts.
Toyota Motor Co. was established as an independent company in 1937. Although the founding family name is Toyoda, the company name was changed to...
Signify the separation of the founders' work life from home life;
Simplify the pronunciation, and
Give the company an auspicious beginning. Toyota is considered luckier than Toyoda due to the fact that eight is a lucky number, and is the number of strokes it takes to write Toyota in Katakana.
During the Pacific War the company was dedicated to truck production for the Imperial Army. Because of severe shortages in Japan, military trucks were kept as simple as possible. For example, the trucks had only one headlight on the center of the hood.
Fortunately for Toyota, the war ended shortly before a scheduled allied bombing run on the Toyota factories in Aichi.