Honda Motor Co.

Japanese manufacturer of motorcycles and automobiles. Founded as a maker of small, efficient engines by the engineer Honda Soichiro in 1946, the company was incorporated as Honda Motor Co. in 1948. The Honda C-100, a small-engine motorcycle, was introduced in 1953 and by 1959 was the largest-selling motorcycle in the world. In 1959 the company established a U.S. subsidiary. The company's sales now come largely from automobiles, which it began manufacturing in 1963. Especially known for lightweight, fuel-efficient passenger cars such as the Civic and Accord, it is today one of the largest automobile companies in the world. Its headquarters are in Tokyo.

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