September 24: The Honda Motor Company is founded in 1848 by Soichiro Honda.

Starting production with a single bike that was nothing more than a motor stuffed in a bicycle frame, Honda went on to become the world leader.

A Japanese race car driver and self-taught mechanic, Soichiro Honda, founded a company of small and efficient motorcycle engines that two years later became Honda Motor Co.

While racers think of the more potent dirt bike, most of America thinks of these units when the name Honda is mentioned. From left to right: ST-90, CT-90, CT70 and CT70H K1.

Honda created a clean-burning CVCC engine that caused a real revolution in motor bikes. When Soichiro Honda opened up a small bike shop in Los Angeles, in 1959, bike freaks really started to look at the Honda street bikes with fenders that call teens’ attention.

How many of these are still around? Left to right: XL175, XL250 and the SL350 K2.

There were three groups of bikers at the time: crazy ones; racers; and a small group of people who needed bikes for transportation or touring. By the end of 1959, Honda had 15 dealers who had sold about 1,700 bikes.

Honda T360 in the Honda collection hall.

Honda released the first automotive car in 1963 with the Honda T360 for the Japanese market. In 1969, Honda launched its first four-door sedan, Honda 1300, 99S with air conditioning included, four-cylinder and gasoline powered….then the successful Honda Civic in 1972, and followed by Honda Accord in 1976., and so on.

Honda´s first four-door sedan 1300 99S, 1969.