Soichiro Honda

Biography:


Soichiro Honda was the first-born in a very poor family who lived in the Japanese agricultural province Hamamatsu. He was born November 17, 1906 not far from Akio Morita, the founder of the "Sony". Morita was born into a wealthy family, who owned the tennis courts and other benefits, and Honda was the son of a poor blacksmith, engaged in repairing bicycles. This early involvement in the sport was largely determined by transport future interest for Honda motorcycles. The lessons of his father, during which he received a technical problem-solving skills, have become an important factor in his initial training. His family was so poor that five of the children died of hunger still in its infancy.

Soichiro Honda graduated from high school in 1922 and immediately went to Tokyo, where he was apprenticed to the repair shop. After six years of apprenticeship, he collected money to open the first repair shop in his home town (1928). In the same year he received the first of hundreds of its patents for the idea to replace the wooden spokes of the wheels on the metal road. It was the first trip to the world of Honda inventions that paved the way to an incredible future technical solutions. Almost every one of them - a simple solution to a complex problem. Honda was an ordinary man, but his genius lay in his ability to find simple solutions to any problem, get up in connection with its products.

Business Story:


Soichiro Honda was known for the invention in 1938, the piston rings. He formed a new company, which produces these rings for "Toyota" in Tokyo. This went on during the war, while his factory was not damaged in the bombardment. An earthquake in 1945 destroyed it completely. Soichiro Honda was upset, sold everything and went to work part-time. His arrival on the motorcycle market was completely random.

One day in 1946, Soichiro Honda, was faced with a problem - he has no fuel for the car, then he picked up one of the motors in a variety of abandoned U.S. military, and has attached it to my bike. This engine was filled with kerosene. These simple yet elegant solutions fundamental problems - this is the usual style of Honda. Then he began to make his moped at the request of friends. Executing a dozen such orders as might be expected, anxious for new things Soichiro Honda suggested that the market such a machine could be much larger. In 1948, he founded the "Honda Motor Company" for the purpose of development and production of mopeds.

His first moped Soichiro Honda has equipped the motor "A" (from dream - a dream). Model "E" of "Dream" was put into production in 1951, and by 1958, when the U.S. began its "Super Cub" Soichiro Honda became the largest manufacturer of mopeds in Japan, leaving behind fifty competitors. Model "Super Cub" had a unique footrest that is very attracted to adolescents and women. Soon, thanks to the advertising campaign, "The best people ride motorcycles Honda", this model has produced a revolution in the industry. The campaign, which cost 5 million dollars., Became a hit in 1962 and successfully completed its task by creating an image of the biker, promote the popularization of the motorcycle. From this point on the image of "Hell's Angels" in a black leather jacket is gone. Market research has confirmed that this bike in the spirit of "UNIS" was a technological breakthrough. Due to the effective image, low price and excellent quality of performance, the market has expanded this model to millions of units.

- In 1961, "Honda" made of 100,000 motorcycles in the month, and by 1968, the U.S. was one-millionth motorcycle. By the mid-eighties the "Honda" was holding in his hands 60 percent of the world market, and by 1990 the annual output has reached three million units. This guy saw the dream of his childhood and was preparing to conquer new markets.

Soichiro Honda came to the car market in 1970 with a car "Civic". He continued to equip their models technical innovations, as well as he did when won motorcycle market and is also still not the favorite son of Japanese machinery industry. Soichiro Honda was a real rebel, especially evident when, in 1974, Japan attacked the oil crisis and the Japanese manufacturers have agreed to reduce production and raise prices. Only Soichiro Honda refused and did the opposite, in the tradition of Henry Ford. He did the unthinkable, denying Galbraytiana economic model, says that production should be reduced. Soichiro Honda to double production and lowered prices more than fifty years ago, Ford. Honda, which does not even have a clue about the price elasticity was right. Sales companies "Nissan" and "Toyota" has fallen by 40 percent and the volume of sales "Honda" has increased by 76 percent and continued to grow rapidly. By 1987, "Honda" has become the fastest growing company in the world.

Conclusion:


In March 1988, the magazine "Motor Trend" rating was the most popular cars in the world and the first three positions were occupied by the machine by "Honda" - "C-Ar-Ex", "Civic", "Prelude." Another flattering message is from the journal "End Car Driver" ("Car and Driver"), which is called "Accord" one of the ten most popular cars in the United States. At the press got information that the "Honda" plans to convert it, the editor said, "It's like a small revision of the Sistine Chapel or the Acropolis, we can not imagine a more foolish enterprise."

This recognition and success - the out-of-merit pauper among the small Japanese town with a modern human-minded and willing to take risks in the search for new, which has pleased the Americans. In Japan, a country where public loyalty are put first, Honda was a true non-conformist. His nickname, "Mr.. Thunder", like so did not comply with a slight increase, and the incomprehensible behavior of the typical Japanese manager. Soichiro Honda is an example of perseverance, humility, pleasant manners and the ability to perceive the error as a valuable asset.


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