'46 Soichiro Honda establishes Honda Technical Research Institute at Yamashita plant in Hamamatsu. '47 Honda's first product, the A-type bicycle engine, produced. '48 Honda Motor Co., Ltd. incorporated (capital: 1 million yen). '49 Dream D-type (2-cycle, 98cc), Honda's first motorcycle, produced. '50 Tokyo sales branch founded. '51 Dream E-type (4-cycle, 146cc) released. '52 Head office moved to Tokyo. '53 Benly J (90cc) released. Honda's first H-type power product engine released. Yamato Factory (now Saitama Factory Wako) established. '54 Production moves from Yamashita plant to Hamamatsu plant. '58 Super Cub motorbike released. '59 Honda racing team participates in the Isle of Man TT Race, taking 6th place in the 125cc class. American Honda Motor Co., Inc. established. '60 Motorcycle production begins at Suzuka Factory. Honda R&D Co., Ltd., established. '61 European Honda GmbH (now Honda Deutschland GmbH) established in Hamburg, West Germany. Knockdown exports from Suzuka Factory to Taiwan commenced. '62 Construction of Suzuka Circuit completed. "Nicest people" campaign introduced in the US. '63 Honda's first sports car (S 500) and light truck (T 360) released. Super Cub awarded the French Mode Coupe. Honda Benelux N.V. (Belgium) begins production of motorcycles. '64 Honda's first F-1 entry (9th place). Honda France S.A. (Paris) established. Asian Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Thailand) established. Automobile production begins at Saitama Factory, Sayama. '65 E300 portable generator introduced. Honda U.K. Ltd. established in London. Honda wins its first F-1 victory in Mexico. '66 S800 sales and export commenced. Thai Honda (Bangkok) established. Honda wins the Constructor's Championship in all classes (50cc; 125cc; 250cc; 350cc; 500cc)at the World Grand Prix, an international first. Honda F-2 car establishes a world record of 11 consecutive victories. N360 mini-compact with air-cooled engine introduced. '67 Automobile production begins at Suzuka Factory. Honda F-1 wins Italian Grand Prix. '68 N-series mini-compacts achieve highest domestic sales. Export of N360 and N600 mini-compacts begins. '69 Honda Australia (Melbourne) established. Canadian Honda Motor Ltd. (now Honda Canada Inc.) established. Dream CB750 Four with 4-cylinder engine exported to North America. Automobile production commenced in Malaysia. '70 N360 posts top sales figures for three consecutive years since introduction. Honda Z, Vamos Honda introduced. Honda Engineering Co., Ltd. established. Honda Driving Safety Promotion Center inaugurated. '71 Honda Life light passenger car introduced. Knockdown motorcycle production begins in Mexico. Honda Motor do Brasil established in SunPaulo, Brazil. '72 Details of CVCC low-emission engine system announced. Civic compact introduced. Life Step light van introduced. CVCC engine complies with US 1975 Muskie Act. '73 Honda Federal Inc. established in Jakarta, Indonesia. President Soichiro Honda and Executive Vice President Takeo Fujisawa retire and become Supreme Advisers. '74 Honda Suisse S.A. established in Geneva, Switzerland. Honda del Peru S.A. established in Lima, Peru. International Association of Traffic and Safety Sciences (IATSS) established. '76 Motorcycle production begins at Moto Honda da Amazonia Limitada in Manaus, Brazil. Motorcycle production begins at Honda Italia. Kumamoto Factory inaugurated. Roadpal introduced. Accord CVCC (1600cc) introduced. Civic series production reaches one million units. '77 Civic ranks first in US fuel economy tests for fourth consecutive year. Honda Foundation established. '78 Honda Europe N.V. established in Gent, Belgium. Honda Verno dealership network inaugurated in Japan. Honda Prelude introduced. '79 Tochigi Proving Grounds completed. Honda of America Mfg., Inc. begins motorcycle production. Honda signs technical collaboration agreement with British Leyland Ltd. (now Rover Group Ltd.). '80 Cumulative Accord production reaches one million units. Mini tiller (Komame) F200 introduced. Tact scooter introduced. Honda Motor Co., Ltd. achieves annual unconsolidated net sales in excess of one trillion yen. '81 City compact introduced. Honda wins 500cc Motocross World Championship for third consecutive year. '82 Technical collaboration agreement signed with China. Honda of America Mfg., Inc. begins Accord production. '83 Civic awarded first place for gasoline car fuel consumption in US tests. Beijing Office established in China. Contracted motorcycle production commenced at Peugeot in France. '83 Honda signs joint development agreement with Rover Group Ltd. Honda releases the CR-X in Japan. Honda returns to F-1 racing after 15-year hiatus. '84 Honda Clio dealership network inaugurated. Honda releases the CRX to North America. Honda crowns its F-1 comeback by winning the F-1 Dallas Grand Prix in the USA. Honda Research of America (now Honda R&D Americas, Inc.) established. Lawnmower production begins at Honda Power Equipment Mfg., Inc. (America). American Honda Foundation established. Ralt-Honda F-2 establishes a new world record of 12 consecutive victories. Honda invests capital in Cycles Peugeot of France. Accord production commenced in Thailand. '85 Quint Integra introduced. Honda Primo dealership inaugurated, completing a system of three nationwide sales networks in Japan. Power product production reaches 10 million units. Honda de Mexico S.A. established. Motorcycle production commenced in India. Mini-compact Today and high-end luxury vehicle Legend introduced. Honda Motor Co., Ltd. achieves annual unconsolidated net sales in excess of 2 trillion yen. '86 Honda finishes 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 5th and 6th in the 8th Paris-Dakar Rally. American Honda's Acura sales network begins operation. Mohka parts plant inaugurated. Accord production begins at Honda Canada Inc. '87 Legend employs Japan's first domestic SRS (supplementary restraint system) air bag system. Prelude becomes first passenger car in the world to employ 4-wheel steering. Motorcycle anti-lock braking system announced. Honda North America Inc. established. Cumulative Civic production reaches five million units. Williams Honda takes F-1 GP double title (Constructor's Championship and Driver's Championship) Domestic motorcycle production reaches 50 million units, a world first. '88 Honda releases the second generation CRX, improvements include a sophisticated suspension system and more powerful engines along with more modern rounded styling. Thai-produced Cub 100EX introduced in Japan. American-made Accord Coupe and Golden Wing Touring motorcycle importing to Japan commenced. Cumulative car production reaches 15 million units. Production of lawnmowers begins at Honda Mfg. Australia. Kumamoto Factory receives Prime Minister's award for local forestation. Low emission/high performance VTEC engine announced. Passenger car production begins at Honda New Zealand Ltd. McLaren Honda wins double title in F-1 GP, and posts a record 11 consecutive F-1 victories. '89 Honda Motor Europe (UK) established. Soichiro Honda becomes first Asian to be inducted into US Automotive Hall of Fame. Honda of America's second plant begins production in East Liberty, Ohio. Accord Inspire introduced. McLaren Honda team takes fourth consecutive F-1 Constructor's Championship, and wins the double title once again. Accord becomes best-selling car model in the USA. '90 New sports car, the NSX, introduced. Legend employs the first domestic seatbelt pretensioner and passenger-side SRS air bag system. Super Cub receives Japan Design Award. Honda announces capital investment agreement with Rover Group Ltd. Honda Acura dealerships win fifth consecutive first ranking on the American Consumer Satisfaction Index. McLaren Honda takes another F-1 GP double title. Honda announces sales of the Chrysler Jeep in Japan. '91 Honda posts its 60th Grand Prix victory in the Brazil F-1. US-made Accord Wagon goes on sale in Japan. Convertible mini-compact Beat introduced. Honda posts 10th consecutive win in Isle of Man TT. Ultra low emission engine VTEC-E debuts in new Civic. Used bumper reclamation begins in Japan. McLaren Honda wins double title in F-1 Grand Prix (5th consecutive Driver's Championship; 4th consecutive Constructor's Championship). Founder Soichiro Honda passes away. '92 Honda is awarded by British Prime Minister Major for winning the F-1 Constructor's Championship four years in a row. Cumulative auto production reaches 20 million units. Cumulative Super Cub production reaches 20 million units, a world record. Oval piston road sports bike NR released. Civic production in the Philippines commenced. Domestic power product production reaches 20 million units. Honda announces Honda Environment Statement. Honda announces its withdrawal from F-1 racing as of the '92 season. Car production in Britain begins. Honda signs technical collaboration agreement with Daewoo Motor of South Korea. Three joint venture firms established in China for production of motorcycles. Thai Civic production commenced. '93 Honda releases an all new CRX with a removable top and again moves the engine up another notch on the power scale.  Unfortunatly the design has nothing in common with the previous model and sales turn out to be slugglish. Knowing that true CRX fans in North America would not stand for the car to be called a CRX, it is badge the Del-Sol in North America only. Honda's power product engines are the first to meet new California emission regulations. Honda Motor (China) Co., Ltd. established in Hong Kong. Honda signs a business agreement with Isuzu Motors Ltd. for product complementation. Collection Hall exhibit opens at the Suzuka Circuit. Honda wins the world's largest solar car race, the World Solar Challenge 1993, with the Honda Dream. '94 Limited sales of the CUV-ES electric scooter commenced. Honda enters America's IndyCar World Series. Bumper collection and recycling commenced. Auto production commenced in Pakistan. Small generator manufacturing joint venture in China established. Motorcycle joint venture established in Turkey. Odyssey announced. '95 Honda introduces first gasoline-powered vehicle to meet ULEV (Ultra Low Emission Vehicle) standards. Ground broken for new motor sports and recreation facility, Twin Ring Motegi. Service training center for automobiles established in China. Cumulative world production for the Civic reaches 10 million units. Cumulative North American Honda automobile production reaches five million units. New Civic introduced with three-stage VTEC engine and Multi Matic. Cumulative world Honda automobile production reaches 30 million units. Honda claims its first IndyCar victory in New Hampshire, USA. Recreational vehicle CR-V announced. In-wheel type motor announced. '96 Sales of the Acura CL, developed and produced in America, commenced in the USA. New model Orthia wagon introduced. The new electricity-powered Honda EV announced. New model Honda City goes on sale in Thailand. Asian Honda Motor commences operations as ASEAN headquarters. New model Step WGN (Wagon) introduced. Takasu Proving Ground Operations Center, Honda's comprehensive test course in Hokkaido, completed. Sales of the Valkyrie, the new large-size American-made custom motorcycle, commenced. Honda Europe Motorcycle s.r.l. established in Italy to handle European motorcycle operations. Honda takes the Indy V-8 Manufacturers Championship. Logo sales commenced. AR Combustion, the improved combustion technology application system for dual cycle engines for motorcycles, developed. Honda wins the World Solar Challenge '96. S-MX sales commenced. '97 360-degree universally inclinable ultra-small four-stroke engines announced. Civic Ferio LEV (Low Emission Vehicle) and Partner 1.6 LEV sales commenced in Japan. Life sales commenced. EV plus leasing commenced in the U.S. ISO 14001 certification for Belgium auto parts plant. Cumulative power products production reaches 30 million units. Accord released in separate designs for US and Japanese markets. Accord LEV and Civic LEV sales commenced in the US and Canada. Accord ULEV sales commenced in California, USA. Civic production commenced in Brazil. Power product manufacturing commenced in Indonesia. Cumulative motorcycle production reaches 100 million units. Automobile production commenced in Turkey.