Honda
Honda Motor Company, Ltd., is a prominent Japanese manufacturer of motorcycles and a significant producer of automobiles for the global market, with its headquarters in Tokyo. Since 1959, it has held the position of the world's top-selling motorcycle company.
Founded by engineer Honda Soichiro, the Honda Technical Research Institute was established near Hamamatsu in 1946 to develop small, efficient internal-combustion engines. It was formally incorporated as Honda Motor Company in 1948 and commenced motorcycle production in 1949. One of its early successes was the introduction of the Honda C-100, a small-engine motorcycle, in 1953.