American Honda Motor company - wikipedia American Honda Motor company Coordinates : 33 ° 50 ′ 16 '' N 118 ° 18 ′ 55 '' W ﻿ / ﻿ 33.8378194 ° N 118.3152342 ° W ﻿ / 33.8378194 ; - 118.3152342 American Honda Motor Company, Inc. Type Subsidiary Founded 1959 Headquarters Torrance, California, United States Area served North America Key people John Mendel ( EVP ) Number of employees 25,000 Parent Honda Motor Company, Ltd. Website www.honda.com The American Honda Motor Company, Inc. ( sometimes abbreviated as AHM ) is a North American subsidiary of the Honda Motor Company, Ltd. It was founded in 1959. The company combines product sales, service and coordinating functions of Honda in North America, and is responsible for distribution, marketing and sales of Honda and Acura brand automobiles, Honda power sports products, including motorcycles, scooters and all - terrain vehicles, and Honda power equipment products, including lawnmowers, tillers, string trimmers, generators, small displacement general - purpose engines and marine outboard engines. Honda - brand automobile models include the Accord, Civic, CR - V, HR - V, Element, Clarity Fuel Cell, Fit, Insight, Odyssey, Pilot and Ridgeline. Acura - brand models are the RL, TLX, RLX, ILX, MDX, RDX, TSX, TL and ZDX. Honda claims several firsts for a Japanese car maker in the United States. The company was the first to create a subsidiary to market and sell its vehicles in the country, and the first to manufacture automobiles in North America. The headquarters in 1959 were at 4077 West Pico Boulevard in Los Angeles. The office was moved to the nearby suburb of Gardena at 100 West Alondra in 1963. In 1990, they relocated to 1919 Torrance Boulevard in Torrance, California in the Los Angeles metropolitan area. The Honda headquarters have 101 acres ( 41 ha ) of space. Contents 1 History 2 Vehicles 2.1 Environmental vehicles 3 Manufacturing 4 Research and development 5 Motorsports 6 Advertising 7 See also 8 References 9 External links History American Honda headquarters in Torrance, California American Honda Motor Co., Inc., Honda 's first overseas subsidiary, opened in Los Angeles on June 11, 1959 with capital investment of $250,000 and three employees. The creation of a subsidiary was unusual for the time, as other foreign auto companies typically relied on independent distributors. In 1960, the first full year of operations, American Honda sold fewer than 2,000 motorcycles through three product lines : the Dream, Benly and Honda 50 ( Super Cub ). The following year, Honda established 500 motorcycle dealers and spent $150,000 on advertising in regions where it operated. Honda 's expansion into new U.S. markets was undertaken one region at a time over a five - year period, starting on the West Coast and moving east, creating new demand for motorcycles. Sales in the U.S. did not increase notably until 1963, when the company launched its `` You meet the nicest people on a Honda '' advertising campaign, the first of its scale to position motorcycles to mainstream Americans. By the end of the year, Honda had sold more than 100,000 units in the U.S., more than all other motorcycle manufacturers combined. Expansion at this time led the company to move to a new headquarters facility in Gardena, California, in September 1963, and total unit sales in 1964 represented nearly half of the U.S. motorcycle market. Honda had an easier time expanding in the U.S. than in Japan, where Honda first began as a motorcycle manufacturer, only later entering the automobile market in competition with other established competitors including Toyota and Nissan. By 1983, Honda had 805 dealerships in the U.S. In the early 1990s, Honda sold two cars in the U.S. for every one car it sold in Japan. In 1990, American Honda took up residence in its current headquarters facility in Torrance, California. Following the death of founder Soichiro Honda in 1991, the company 's global operations were re-organized, forming four regional operations including North America. As of 2010, Honda employed more than 25,000 associates in the U.S. with a payroll of $1.6 billion. Another 140,000 workers are employed at authorized dealerships in the U.S., and tens of thousands more work for the company 's 530 U.S. original equipment ( OEM ) suppliers. Vehicles Honda first introduced passenger cars to the North American market in 1970 with sales of the Honda N600 sedan through 32 dealers in the Western U.S. ; however, sales of the vehicle and subsequent model, the Z600 coupe, only reached 20,000 units in 1972. During the 1970s energy crisis, however, lightweight, fuel - efficient cars experienced a surge in demand. The Honda Civic, introduced in 1973, became popular in the U.S., leading a significant expansion of Honda into the U.S. market. By 1976, the company had 630 automobile dealers, and Honda followed the Civic with the Accord hatchback, which became the best - selling passenger car in the United States from 1990 to 1992. In 1977, the company partnered with J.D. Power and Associates to conduct a survey of its U.S. dealers and customers concerning their satisfaction with Honda. The initiative led to the creation of the J.D. Power and Associates Customer Satisfaction Index. Following the Accord 's success with middle - class customers, Honda became the first Japanese automaker to enter the luxury automobile market, in 1986, when it launched the Acura brand. In 1987, Acura became America 's best - selling import luxury nameplate with its Integra and Legend product lines. To differentiate the brand from its Honda line, the company created a second, completely new dealer network, requiring that Acura dealerships be located a minimum of 10 miles ( 16 km ) from existing Honda outlets, and requiring each to invest $3 million to get started. Nearby at 19988 Van Ness Ave, Honda maintains the American Honda Museum collection, which is not open to the general public, but can be viewed by appointment for group visits. Environmental vehicles Honda has also had several firsts in the area of advanced environmental vehicles. In 1974, the Civic CVCC was introduced as the first car to meet 1970 U.S. Clean Air Act requirements without the need for a catalytic converter and using either regular or unleaded gasoline, and was also rated # 1 in fuel economy by the U.S. EPA in its first ranking of America 's most fuel efficient automobiles. In December 1999, it launched the Honda Insight, America 's first gas - electric hybrid car. It later released the Civic Hybrid, the first application of hybrid technology to an existing, mass - produced automobile ; and the Accord Hybrid, the U.S. market 's first V - 6 hybrid car. A second - generation Insight hybrid was launched in 2009, followed in 2010 by the CR - Z, a two - passenger car which was the first hybrid automobile available with a 6 - speed manual transmission. American Honda has also been active in the deployment of low - emissions vehicles in the U.S., including the first gasoline - powered vehicles to meet California 's Low - Emission Vehicle ( LEV ), Ultra-Low Emission Vehicle ( ULEV ), and Super Ultra-Low Emission Vehicle ( SULEV ) exhaust emissions requirements. As of 2011, Honda is the sole automaker in America marketing a mass - produced natural gas vehicle, the Civic GX, which is produced at its plant in Greensburg, Indiana. The Civic GX was recognized by the American Council for an Energy - Efficient Economy ( ACEEE ) as the `` greenest vehicle '' in 2010 ; representing the seventh consecutive year receiving this distinction. Honda offered the first fuel cell electric vehicle to retail customers in the U.S., with its first generation FCX vehicle in December 2002. In 2008, Honda introduced an all - new FCX Clarity, a fuel cell sedan, which in 2010 was in the hands of more than two dozen retail customers based on lease sale agreements. In January 2010, the company began operating its third version of a prototype solar - powered hydrogen refueling station for fuel cell electric vehicles on its Torrance, California campus. The station utilized Honda developed and manufactured thin - film solar cells to provide energy for the reformation of hydrogen from water via electrolysis, producing enough hydrogen to power a fuel cell electric vehicle 10,000 miles per year via a daily, eight - hour ( overnight ) fill. Manufacturing In the 1980s, Honda established its own automobile plants in the U.S., becoming the first Japanese automaker to build cars in the U.S. Honda already had begun producing motorcycles in the U.S., in 1979, and in 1982, Honda began producing Accord sedans at its first U.S. auto plant, in Marysville, Ohio. The 1,000,000 - square - foot ( 93,000 m ) plant cost nearly $300 million to build. As of 2010, the plant measured 3,600,000 square feet ( 330,000 m ) with cumulative capital investment of $3.8 billion. During the next 10 years, Honda expanded its auto manufacturing presence, and as of 2010, the company was operating nine U.S. plants in six states. Collectively, these plants produce Honda and Acura automobiles, engines and transmissions, as well as Honda all - terrain vehicles and Honda power equipment products. In 2010, Honda America continued construction on two new factories in North Carolina, one for the production of the HondaJet very light jet, in Greensboro, and a second to produce its GE Honda HF120 turbofan engines, in Burlington. Research and development Honda established U.S. research and development operations in Southern California in 1975 as Honda Research California, an arm of American Honda Motor, Co., Inc. In 1979, Honda Research of America, Inc. ( HRA ) was created as a subsidiary of Honda R&D Co., Ltd. As of 2010, the company operates as Honda R&D Americas, Inc. with 14 facilities in North America, including two product research and design studios for Honda and Acura, in Torrance, California, an automobile and motorcycle new - model development center in Raymond, Ohio, and a power equipment research, development and testing center in Swepsonville, North Carolina. The company 's first U.S. development was the 1989 Accord SEi. In the early to mid-1990s, HRA developed a series of derivative models including two generations of Accord Wagon ( 1991 and 1994 ), the 1998 Accord Coupe, and the 1997 Acura CL coupe ( 1997 ), based heavily on the Accord platform. In the 2000s ( decade ), the company created two generations of the Honda Pilot and Acura MDX sport - utility vehicles ; three generations of the Acura TL sedan ; the Honda Element SUV ; the 2006 Honda Ridgeline, Honda 's first U.S. pickup truck ; and the 2010 Acura ZDX crossover coupe. Both the 2001 MDX and 2006 Ridgeline earned recognition as North American Truck of the Year, as well as Motor Trend SUV of the Year ( MDX ) and Truck of the Year ( Ridgeline ), while the Pilot received five consecutive `` 5 Best Truck '' awards from Car and Driver magazine ( 2003 -- 2007 ). In model year 2010, one - third of the Honda and Acura models sold in the U.S. and five of the eight light - trucks were models developed by Honda R&D Americas. In September 2010, the third generation Honda Odyssey minivan was released as a 2011 model, the most recent vehicle developed by the company exclusively in the U.S. Motorsports American Honda joined U.S. open - wheel racing competition with its entry into the Championship Auto Racing Teams ( CART ) series in 1992, following Honda 's four consecutive Formula One World Championships, from 1988 to 1991. The company, under the auspices of its U.S. racing subsidiary, Honda Performance Development ( HPD ), captured six Driver 's Championships and four Manufacturer 's titles, winning 65 of 164 races between 1992 and 2002. HPD entered the IndyCar Series in 2003 and from 2003 to 2005, Honda teams and drivers achieved 28 victories in 49 races, including the 2004 and 2005 Indianapolis 500s. Honda won the IndyCar Series Manufacturers ' Championships in 2004 and 2005, while Honda - powered drivers won the drivers ' championships in the same years. In 2006, Honda became the single engine supplier to the IndyCar Series and has committed itself to the series through 2011. Since 2007, HPD has also provided engines to prototype - class teams in American Le Mans Series sports - car racing, and these engines have scored numerous victories, beginning with an LMP2 - class win in Honda 's inaugural ALMS race, at Sebring in 2007. HPD was the first manufacturer to score ALMS class wins in both LMP1 and LMP2 on the same weekend with its wins at St. Petersburg in 2009. HPD went on to win LMP1 and LMP2 Manufacturers ' Championships for Acura in 2009. In 2010, the company began providing engines and support for sports - car competition in both America and Europe, earning a class win in its inaugural attempt at the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Advertising During its history in the United States, Honda has had several taglines and produced a number of noteworthy advertising campaigns. Honda 's first advertising slogan, promoting the Honda motorcycle to young families, was `` You meet the nicest people on a Honda. '' The company 's slogan for its automobiles from 1977 - 1984 was `` We make it simple '' ( replacing the tagline `` What The World Is Coming To '' when the Civic was the only automobile marketed ). By 1983, Honda 's advertising budget, sponsoring National Football League games and other sporting events, rivaled the cost of building its Marysville motorcycle plant. In September 2007, the company launched its current marketing slogan, `` Honda : The Power of Dreams ''. The early 2010s ad campaign for its automobile lineup opens up with a doorbell sound. In 2009, American Honda released the Dream the Impossible documentary series, a collection of 5 -- 8 minute web vignettes that focus on the core philosophies of Honda. Current short films include Failure : The Secret to Success, Kick Out the Ladder and Mobility 2088. They feature Honda employees as well as Danica Patrick, Christopher Guest, Ben Bova, Chee Pearlman, Joe Johnston and Orson Scott Card. The film series plays at dreams.honda.com. In Southern California, Honda employees from the region are dressed in blue polo shirts appear on commercials titled `` Random Acts of Helpfulness '' on radio and television in English and Spanish and helped hundreds of families succeed with `` Random Acts of Helpfulness ''. They also announce which Honda vehicles are the best selling vehicles in California. See also History of the Japanese in Los Angeles References ^ Jump up to : `` Honda Announces Board Changes in Its North American Operations '' ( Press release ). PR Newswire. 2004 - 06 - 16. access - date = requires url = ( help ) ^ Jump up to : Horovitz, Bruce ( 1983 - 04 - 04 ). `` Honda Not So Simple Anymore ''. Industry Week : 45. access - date = requires url = ( help ) ^ Jump up to : `` Honda Motor Company Limited -- Company History ''. FundingUniverse LLC. Retrieved 23 July 2010. Jump up ^ Rainey, James. `` Children of Japanese Executives Flock to Special Classrooms. '' Los Angeles Times. December 31, 1987. Retrieved on March 6, 2014. Jump up ^ `` Honda Commemorates 50 Years of Innovation in America ''. Computers, Networks & Communications. 2 July 2009. access - date = requires url = ( help ) ^ Jump up to : `` Honda History - Auto and Motorcycle History, Soichiro Honda ''. American Honda Motor Co., Inc. Retrieved 23 July 2010. ^ Jump up to : Squatriglia, Chuck ( 23 May 2008 ). `` Honda Sells Its 60 Millionth -- Yes, Millionth -- Super Cub ''. Wired Magazine. Archived from the original on 22 August 2010. Retrieved 8 September 2010. ^ Jump up to : John Pearley Huffman ( 9 July 2009 ). `` For Honda in America, 50 Years of Going Its Own Direction ''. The New York Times. Retrieved 24 July 2010. Jump up ^ Honda : An American Success Story. Prentice Hall Press. 1986. p. 39. ISBN 978 - 0 - 13 - 394628 - 4. Jump up ^ Honda : An American Success Story. Prentice Hall Press. 1986. p. 61. ISBN 978 - 0 - 13 - 394628 - 4. Jump up ^ Day Jr., Charles R. ( 3 March 1986 ). `` Honda heads upscale ; But its new Acura Div. faces an uphill climb ''. Industry Week. Jump up ^ Korzeniewski, Jeremy ( 31 December 2009 ). `` Ten green cars to remember from the last 100 years ''. AutoBlog. Retrieved 3 September 2010. Jump up ^ Easton, Peter ( February 2002 ). `` Honda adds gas - electric model as second hybrid ''. Mechanical Engineering. ISSN 0025 - 6501. Retrieved 27 August 2010. Jump up ^ Kott, Douglas ( 2 November 2004 ). `` 2005 Honda Accord Hybrid - First Drive ''. Road & Track. Archived from the original on 2011 - 10 - 19. Jump up ^ Korzeniewski, Jeremy ( 10 March 2009 ). `` 2010 Honda Insight officially priced at $20,470 *, on sale March 24 ''. AutoBlog. Retrieved 14 September 2010. Jump up ^ Nunn, Peter ( 17 March 2010 ). `` 2011 Honda CR - Z First Drive ''. Edmunds Inside Line. Archived from the original on 31 August 2010. Retrieved 8 September 2010. ^ Jump up to : Zino, Ken ( 16 July 2009 ). `` Milestones : 50 years of American Honda ''. The Detroit Bureau. Retrieved 14 September 2010. Jump up ^ `` Honda Civic GX the Greenest in USA for Seventh Successive Year ''. Natural Gas Vehicle Global News. 21 January 2010. Archived from the original on 22 August 2010. Retrieved 14 September 2010. Jump up ^ `` Latest Technologies Keep a Low Profile in This Year 's Greenest Vehicles ''. American Council for an Energy - Efficient Economy. 19 January 2010. Archived from the original on 26 August 2010. Retrieved 14 September 2010. Jump up ^ Motavalli, Jim ( 5 June 2005 ). `` Honda FCX : What a Gas ! A Week in Suburbia With a Hydrogen Honda ''. The New York Times. Retrieved 18 September 2010. Jump up ^ Lombardi, Candace ( 16 January 2008 ). `` Honda produces first commercial hydrogen cars ''. CNet News. Archived from the original on 21 October 2010. Retrieved 14 September 2010. Jump up ^ Sam Abuelsamid, Sam ( 27 January 2010 ). `` Honda unveils new solar - powered hydrogen generating and fueling station ''. AutoBlog. Retrieved 16 September 2010. Jump up ^ `` Honda Aero starts on engine plant ''. News & Record. Greensboro, North Carolina. 28 November 2007. Archived from the original on 8 March 2012. Retrieved 16 September 2010. Jump up ^ Barron, Richard M. ( 31 March 2009 ). `` Honda to begin building jet plant this summer ''. News & Record. Greensboro, North Carolina. Archived from the original on 8 March 2012. Retrieved 16 September 2010. Jump up ^ `` Honda Aircraft Company Announces Major Milestones for Its HondaJet Advanced Light Jet Program at 2009 NBAA Convention ''. The Auto Channel. 20 October 2009. Retrieved 14 September 2010. Jump up ^ `` SUV of the Year : 2001 Acura MDX ''. Motor Trend. December 2000. Jump up ^ `` 2006 Truck Of The Year : 2006 Honda Ridgeline ''. Motor Trend. February 2006. Archived from the original on 3 September 2010. Retrieved 14 September 2010. Jump up ^ Csere, Csaba ( March 2007 ). `` 2007 Honda Pilot - 5 Best Trucks ''. Car and Driver. Archived from the original on 24 August 2010. Retrieved 14 September 2010. Jump up ^ `` News Release : Honda R&D Creating New Value In The U.S. '' American Honda Motor Co., Inc. 6 May 2010. Retrieved 16 September 2010. Jump up ^ Gluckman, David ( September 2010 ). `` 2011 Honda Odyssey - First Drive Review ''. Car and Driver. Archived from the original on 14 September 2010. Retrieved 15 September 2010. Jump up ^ Gordon Kirby ; John Oreovicz ( 2004 ). A Winning Adventure : Honda 's Decade in CART Racing. David Bull Publishing. ISBN 1 - 893618 - 26 - 9. Jump up ^ Lewandowski, Dave. `` HPD to hit century mark at Indianapolis ''. IndyCar.com. Archived from the original on 14 July 2010. Retrieved 4 September 2010. Jump up ^ `` Honda Performance Development race report - LEMANS ''. Motorsport.com. 13 June 2010. Retrieved 16 September 2010. Jump up ^ Elliott, Stuart ( 11 January 2009 ). `` For the Honda Brand, a Cinematic Stroke ''. The New York Times. Retrieved 19 September 2010. External links Wikimedia Commons has media related to American Honda Motor Company. Official site of American Honda Motor Co., Inc. Honda Motor Company Divisions and subsidiaries Acura American Honda Honda Canada Canada Manufacturing Aircraft Performance Development India Motorcycles Racing F1 Taiwan China ( 65 % ) UK Joint ventures and shareholdings Bangladesh Honda Private Limited ( 70 % ) Dongfeng Honda ( 50 % ) GE Honda Aero Engines ( 50 % ) Guangqi Honda ( 50 % ) Everus Mobilityland ( 100 % ) Aircraft MH01 MH02 HA - 420 Honda Cars Accord Accord Hybrid Amaze Brio / Brio Satya City / Grace / Greiz Civic Civic Si Civic Type R Crider Clarity Elipe Fit / Jazz Gienia Legend N - Box N - One NSX Robins S660 Spirior Pickup trucks Acty Ridgeline Crossovers / SUVs Avancier / UR - V BR - V CR - V Pilot / MR - V Vezel / HR - V / XR - V WR - V Vans Acty Freed Jade Mobilio Odyssey ( International ) / Elysion Odyssey ( North America ) Shuttle Stepwgn Tambor Vamos / Vamos Hobio Historic and discontinued 1300 Airwave / Partner Ascot Avancier Ballade Beat Capa City / Jazz Civic Hybrid Civic GX CR - X CR - X del Sol CR - Z Crossroad Crosstour Concerto Domani Doal Element Elysion EV Plus FR - V Horizon Inspire Insight Integra Life Dunk Life Lily Logo Mobilio Spike N360 N600 Orthia / Partner Passport Prelude Quint Rafaga S500 S600 S800 S2000 S - MX Stream T360 / T500 That 's Today Torneo Tourmaster Z Zest Racing Curtiss Special R800 R1300 RA270 RA271 RA272 RA273 RA300 RA301 RA302 RC100 RA099 RA106 RA107 RA108 Aguri SA05 Aguri SA06 Aguri SA07 Aguri SA08 HSV - 010 GT Acura ARX - 01 Acura ARX - 02 ARX - 03 HPD ARX - 04b Concept Argento Vivo Dualnote FC Sport FCV Concept HP - X HSC J - VX New Small Concept OSM Quilt Remix Spocket U-3X Urban EV Concept WOW Bikes Motorcycles CB series CBF series CBR series CG125 CJ series CM / CMX series CR series CRF series CTX series CX series DN - 01 Fury GL series NC700 series NR series NSR series RC series ST series VF / VFR series VT series VTX series XR / XL series XRE300 Transalp Africa Twin Deauville Bros / HawkGT NX250 Pacific Coast TL Series ( Reflex ) Valkyrie X4 Scooters Activa Aero Big Ruckus Dio Elite Express Helix Juno CHF50 Motocompo NH series Reflex Ruckus Sparta Spree Ruckus / Zoomer Silver Wing Vision Other Ape Click / Vario CT series Cub F Cub series Gyro Integra NM4 Motra P50 PA50 PC50 ST series / Dax Wave series Winner Z series Engines A-series B - series B20A C - series CVCC D - series E-series E07A F - series F20C G - series H - series J - series K - series L - series Circle L Diesel N - series Diesel P - engine R - series VTEC I - DSi Honda HI3R Honda HI4R Honda HI5R Honda HI6R Honda HI7R Honda HI8R Honda HI9R Honda HI10R Honda HI11R Honda HI12RT Honda HI13RT Honda HI14TT Honda HI15TT Honda HI16TT Honda HI17TT Honda HI18TT Aero - Engines HFX - 01 Turbofan HFX20 Turbofan HF118 Turbofan HF120 Turbofan Robots Honda E series Honda P series ASIMO People Soichiro Honda Takeo Fujisawa Tadashi Kume Shoichiro Irimajiri Nobuhiko Kawamoto Takeo Fukui Tadao Baba Takahiro Hachigo Other Honda Type R Honda Collection Hall Honda FC Mugen Motorsports Keihin Corporation Showa Corporation Internavi Suzuka Circuit Twin Ring Motegi Autobacs Racing Team Aguri Super Aguri F1 Team Takuma Sato Gil de Ferran Jenson Button Geier v. American Honda Motor Co. Honda Motor Co. v. Oberg Honda Malaysia Racing Team Commons Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=American_Honda_Motor_Company&oldid=843021684 '' Categories : Honda Car manufacturers of the United States Companies based in Torrance, California American subsidiaries of foreign companies Hidden categories : Pages using citations with accessdate and no URL Coordinates not on Wikidata Talk Contents About Wikipedia Nederlands Edit links This page was last edited on 26 May 2018, at 09 : 45 ( UTC ). Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution - ShareAlike License ; additional terms may apply. By using this site, you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Wikipedia ® is a registered trademark of the Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., a non-profit organization. About Wikipedia

Question: when did honda start selling cars in the united states
Answer: 1960