Honda Reaches 100 million Worldwide Automobile Production Milestone 23.12.2016: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. today announced that the company has reached the 100 million-unit milestone in cumulative global

Honda Motor Co., Ltd. today announced that the company has reached the 100 million-unit milestone in cumulative global automobile production.




Honda began automobile production in 1963 with the production of the T360 mini-truck, Honda’s first mass-production model, at Saitama Factory*1. In the same year, Honda began production of the S500 small-sized sports car at Hamamatsu Factory*2 in Shizuoka Prefecture.



In 1964, in order to move forward with full-scale automobile production, Honda employed all of the company’s production technologies and know-how and constructed the first Honda plant dedicated to automobile production, Sayama Factory*3 in Sayama City, Saitama Prefecture.



 The new plant began with production of the S600 small-sized sports car. In 1967, Honda began production of the N360, Honda’s first mini-vehicle model.



Since then Honda has been increasing its cumulative production volume while enhancing the product lineup, with key global models including Civic, Accord, CR-V and Fit enjoyed by customers all around the world. Further, regional models have been developed to accommodate the unique characteristics of the regions where each model is sold.



Since the company’s foundation, Honda has always conducted its business with an awareness of the global nature of its operations. In 1969, Honda began production of the N600 small-sized passenger car and TN360 mini-truck in Taiwan by signing a technical collaboration agreement with a local company, which became Honda’s first automobile production outside Japan.



Moreover, in order to increase international competitiveness, Honda entered overseas markets on its own and began production of Accord in Ohio, in the U.S. in 1982, which became Honda’s first automobile production by its own local subsidiary outside of Japan. This Accord became the first*4 passenger car produced in the U.S. by a Japanese automaker.



Guided by an approach of “building products close to the customer” and striving for the timely offering of products that accommodate the needs of customers all around the world, Honda expanded its automobile production operations to different regions of the world including Asia, Europe, South America and China.



In recent years, Honda has been pursuing the establishment of a flexible and mutually complementary production system which utilizes Honda’s 34 automobile production operations in 18 countries and territories.



Through these initiatives, Honda reached the 100 million-unit milestone in cumulative automobile production in September 2016, the 54th year since the company started automobile production. Also motorcycle and power products production will add to more than 560 million-unit in cumulative for Honda’s worldwide production.



Honda will continue utilizing its global resources and offering attractive products for the joys of our customers all around the world.




Comments by Takahiro Hachigo, President, Chief Executive Officer and Representative Director of Honda Motor Co., Ltd.



“Thanks to the support from our customers around the world, Honda was able to deliver 100 million automobiles.



The passion of our company founder who wanted to help people in their daily lives and pursue the joy of driving has been inherited by Honda associates as the original starting point of Honda automobile manufacturing.



Striving to meet the next 100 million customers, Honda will continue delivering increasingly attractive products.”



    *1Currently the Honda Wako Building in Wako City in Saitama Prefecture
    *2Currently the Transmission Factory
    *3Currently the Sayama Automobile Plant of Saitama Factory
    *4Honda internal research





＜Major Events in the Progress of Honda Automobile Production Toward the 100 million-unit Mark＞




1948     Honda Motor Co., Ltd. established

1963     Production of the T360 mini-truck started at Saitama Factory

1969     Production of N600 and TN360 by component parts sets started in Taiwan. (Honda’s first overseas auto production)

Production of N360 started in Malaysia
       
1975     Production of Civic and other models started in Indonesia
1978     Cumulative worldwide production of automobiles reached 5 million units
       
1882     Production of Accord started in the U.S.

1883     Cumulative worldwide production of automobiles reached 10 million units

1884     Production of Accord started in Thailand

1886     Production of Accord started in Canada
       
1990     Cumulative worldwide production of automobiles reached 20 million units

1992     Production of Accord started in the U.K.

1994     Production of Civic started in Pakistan

1995     Cumulative worldwide production of automobiles reached 30 million units

Production of Accord started in Mexico

1997     Production of Civic started in Brazil and Turkey

Production of City started in India

1999     Cumulative worldwide production of automobiles reached 40 million units

Production of Accord started in China
       

2003     Cumulative worldwide production of automobiles reached 50 million units

2015     Production of Accord started in Nigeria

2016     Cumulative worldwide production of automobiles reached 100 million units





- Honda , Tokyo  - also photos